St. Patrick's Cathedral

From The Peopling of New York City: Irish Communities

Institutions: Irish Institutional Intellect and Leisure in NYC | St. Patrick's Cathedral |

One of the main staples in Irish American history in the United States is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. [1]

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan; is actually the “new” cathedral and the cathedral was originally located on the corner of Prince and Mott streets.

Original St. Patrick's

The first corner stone was laid in 1809 and the church was dedicated and opened on March 14th 1815. [2]

It became the home of the Archdiocese of New York and served the catholic population of only about two hundred people and one priest, but the congregation would grow and this caused the need for the new Cathedral.

The Old Cathedral ceased to be the seat of the Archdiocese of New York and became a parish church on May 25,1879. The change in status was the result of the completion of the present Cathedral of St. Patrick located at 50th Street and Fifth Avenue.”

The "New" St. Patrick's

Since that time, the amount of Catholics has continued to grow in New York City and the Cathedral has become an internationally known landmark of New York. But the “new” Saint Patrick’s Cathedral continues to change, the Cathedral’s website itself says, “Each generation has added to her splendor.”

The Cathedral and the Archdiocese were created to cater to the Irish community in New York, but like many other aspects of the city, the place of the Irish seems to have been taken over by the Latin American immigrant population and now they are the main part of the cathedral’s congregation.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral will always be an irreplaceable testament to the history and ascendancy of Irish Americans in American society and is a place of inspiration for people of all backgrounds. [3]

Works Cited "St. Patrick's Old Cathedral History." St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. 7 Apr. 2009 <http://www.oldcathedral.org/history.php>.

New York City Walking Tours | Big Onion. 07 Apr. 2009 <http://bigonion.com/description/index.html>.