| The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Blaise | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance (for present church) |
| Town or city | East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York |
| Country | United States of America |
| Construction started | August 28, 1898 (cornerstone for first church laid)[1] 1913 (for present church)[1] |
| Completed | 1909 (for first school, now chapel and parish hall)[2] 1914 (for present church)[1] 1937 (for present school)[2] |
| Demolished | 1913 (for first church)[1] |
| Cost | $100,000 (for present church)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Bluff brick and limestone masonry (for present church) Red brick masonry (for assorted other structures) |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
| Architect | William J. Ryan[1] |
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Blaise is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, located at Nostrand Avenue and Lincoln Road, in Brooklyn, New York City, New York 11225.[3]
Contents |
The parish of Saint Francis of Assisi was established in 1898.[1]
The parish of Saint Francis of Assisi merged with that of Saint Blaise, which had been established in 1905 out of the Holy Cross parish.[4] Effective January 31, 2011, the merged parish of St. Francis of Assisi - St. Blaise absorbed the territorial boundaries of the former Parish of Saint Ignatius Loyola (established 1908[5]), wherein "all the assets and obligations [including te parochial registers and the seals] currently belonging to the former Parish of Saint Ignatius are by this canonical decree transferred to the Parish of Saint Francis of Assisi – Saint Blaise." The Church of Saint Ignatius, Nostrand Ave and Carroll Street, Crown Heights, Brooklyn remains open as a chapel of ease within the merged parish.[6] The combined parish church is run by the Marist Brothers (Marists in the U.S. / the Society of Mary).[7]
The cornerstone for the first church of St. Francis of Assisi was laid August 28, 1898 by Bishop McDonnell.[1] The structure was small "on a lot 205 feet by 320 feet, [Rev. Ludeke] built a church and a rectory, and later a parish hall and young men's lyceum. In 1909, he erected a red brick school, with frontage of 62 feet and a depth of 130 feet, which accommodates about 1.000 children, in 16 classrooms thoroughly equipped with all modern improvements [as stated in 1914]."[1] "The convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph is also a red brick building with a chapel. The old church was removed and a new church in Italian Renaissance style was commenced in 1913, which is to be ready for dedication in September 1914. William J. Ryan is the architect. The new church is to cost $100,000, have an inclined floor and altars of Carrara marble and a dome of copper. It will be built of bluff brick and limestone, and seat 1,025."[1] The Rectory of St. Francis of Assisi/St. Blaise Parish (formerly the rectory of St. Francis of Assisi) is located around the corner from the church and school at 319 Maple Street.[2] "The first school building, located on Maple Street, was constructed in 1909 and is now the Parish Center and Chapel. The current school building, located on Lincoln Road, was constructed in 1937."[2] It has "15 classrooms, a technology lab, an art room, a library, 5 offices, two bookrooms, a faculty room and a large auditorium/gymnasium."[2]
The school building, located on the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Lincoln Road, is adjacent to the parish church of St. Francis of Assisi/St. Blaise Church.[2] The school was established in 1909 and has offers instructions from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.[2] The school administrators are Sr. Theresa Scanlon, CSJ and Sr. Barbara Yander, CSJ.[2]