AT ST. JOSEPH'S IN GREENWICH VILLAGE
371 6th AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
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The City that never sleeps deserves a chapel that never closes!
Father Boniface Endorf, OP
Pastor of St Joseph's Church
Soon after becoming pastor at St. Joseph’s the Archdiocesan office of Young Adult Outreach contacted me. They asked whether I would be willing to build a perpetual adoration chapel at the parish because there were no perpetual adoration chapel in Manhattan. I thought it was a great idea! This chapel will serve not just St. Joseph’s but all of New York City.
It was no accident that it was the Young Adult Outreach office that contacted me– adoration is very popular with young adults. St. Joseph’s has many young adult parishioners, and they are very excited about the chapel. After Mass many ask me how the project is coming along and tell me that they are praying for its success. This chapel will serve many young adults in our city and help them to grow in their love of Jesus Christ.
An exciting project such as this is worth sharing. Please help spread the word and pray for the success of our endeavor.
"A Special Place of Encounter with God is Planned for New York City" by John Burger in Aleteia.
In the News
Eucharistic Adoration
I wholeheartedly believe that a perpetual adoration chapel in Manhattan is a spiritual necessity. We cannot know God without spending time with Him in prayer, and perpetual adoration places prayer at the center of our lives. Meeting Christ in the Eucharist, in His real presence among us, has transformed countless lives. Eucharistic adoration played a pivotal role in my own discernment to the priesthood. A perpetual adoration chapel will bring many graces to our city! It will provide a place for people all over the city to encounter Jesus in their lives – to experience His mercy and love.
The chapel will be perpetual, meaning that people will pray there at all times of the day and night. People will be able to sign up for regular hour-long periods. Therefore, at all times our prayers will rise like incense from this chapel to God in heaven. Any time that people need to encounter Christ they will be able. And thus the city that never sleeps will have a chapel that never closes! God’s mercy will be available at all hours.
The theme for the chapel is Divine Mercy. Above the altar, behind the monstrance, will be a mosaic of the Divine Mercy image. Jesus took on our humanity in order to save us– to spread His Divine Mercy. This chapel will be a place where people can encounter that Divine Mercy. In these times especially we need to rely on God’s mercy!
The chapel will be beautiful. The Eucharist is transformative in our lives, and the architecture will have to highlight the transformative nature of Christ. In other words, people need to walk off the mean streets of Gotham into the heavenly Jerusalem! They should see in the architecture the reality of Christ among us, a place where they can encounter divine realities and lift their souls to God, as God descends to shower His mercy upon them. The chapel must embody the spiritual reality that takes place therein.
Additionally, St. Joseph’s Parish in Greenwich Village is served by a community of Dominican friars. A central part of Dominican spirituality is praying the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours), the official prayers of the Church, and we chant the Divine Office throughout the day. In the chapel there will be choir stalls for the friars behind the rood screen and the friars will chant the Divine Office in the chapel each day with whomever wants to join us.
Praying the Office
Why at St. Joseph's Church in Greenwich Village?
This chapel will serve the whole city, not just St. Joseph’s Church. St. Joseph’s is located in the West Village and is one of the easiest places to reach in the city, with many subway lines running just in front of the church or within a few blocks. We are also next to NYU and the Dominicans here also serve the campus ministry there, meaning that many students can use the chapel too (and will appreciate that it’s open all night!) The Dominicans at St. Joseph’s will serve the adoration chapel, but the chapel will serve the whole city.
What about safety?
Safety is important and the chapel will employ modern technology to help keep everyone safe. Before people can use the chapel they will sign up at St. Joseph’s parish office so that we know who they are and when they plan on using the chapel. We’ll give them a code to open the door, or we’ll use biometrics to control the door (we’re still deciding the best method). In other words, people can’t just walk off the street and enter the chapel. There will also be a modern camera system installed at the entrance to and within the chapel. We want to make sure that people are safe in the chapel.
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