Renovated around ten years ago Notre Dame is a beautiful, elaborate church. It is spacious, well…read more-heated in the winter, and has plenty of parking. I remember going to religious ed classes in the adjoining school. The school is large and could use a little renovating itself. I was surprised they didn't put a family room in the back of the church like a lot of them do nowadays. I remember going to a different church when I was little and if I made noise my mom or dad would take me to the room so I and the other fidgeting kids, wouldn't disrupt service. Notre Dame doesn't have that. The church hosts blood drives every so often which is great, except that the last few times I haven't met the mark on donating. Definitely call them if you're interested and see what other drives they may have,

This church is beautiful inside and out! The artwork inside the church is stunning and the exterior…read moreof the building is also very beautiful. Came here for a music performance and the church was just absolutely stunning with the lighting.

I came to Saint Joseph again to celebrate my nephew's baptism. This time it was during the day, and…read moreI got to see how beautiful this Catholic is. I love the artistic of the church, painting, stain glass window, the ceiling, poles, ambo and confessional booth. The service was very special, and I learn a lot about the traditional.

This is a beautiful church and I go to Mass here every time I come to the area to visit family. The…read morepriests are wonderful.

I've driven by this beautiful church for years and have always wondered about it. We finally got…read moreto go inside and attended mass last weekend. I must say, the grounds are quite beautiful and sprawling. There are several buildings here; the church proper, the rectory, the convent, along with parking lots in front and back. The gardens are well maintained and manicured. I love the old Spanish mission style architecture of this church. My mom always comments on the beautiful red doors, which she finds unusual for a Roman Catholic church. I agree but also find them keeping with the style. Another unique feature of this church is the fact that the altar is in the middle. The seats in the front and back face the altar in the center. I'm guessing this is due to some expansion of the church in the past. The main altar has a beautiful wooden cross suspended above it. There are two side altars next to the main altar where you can light candles. The church overall is beautifully preserved and very clean. The mass we went to was wonderful. I loved that everyone who attended was actively participating in the mass and singing along loud and clear with the music. Strangely enough, I did not see many children in attendance and the mass consisted mostly of older folks. I would love to come back and attend more mass here but it seems unlikely as I do not live in the area. Tip: The back entrance of the church is not handicapped accessible as there are stairs to go inside the church. Go in from the front door for stroller and handicap access.

A great little chapel that has so much history associated with it. The church itself looks slightly…read moreout of place between two modern office buildings, but that's what gives it a certain charm. The shrine offers weekday masses at 8:05am and 12:15pm, which enables Financial District workers and residents the ability to get blessings in the midst of the workday. I enjoy the quiet yet faithful community here. When you take away all the frills and showy-ness of most other elaborate cathedrals, you're left with true, genuine, humble faith - which is completely embodied in this quaint little chapel.

Not a Safe Church…read more Some people call this church "welcoming," but I had a terrible experience with it -- and in particular, with its Rector (head priest). A lot of Episcopal churches are only as good as their Rector. This review is just one person's experience, so take it for what it's worth. But it does seem to exemplify other things people have told me about Incarnation. Shortly before the church's Assistant Minister was ordained from deacon to priest at the church in December 2011, I reported what I thought was a rule violation on her part. Trust me, that was not an easy thing to do. I cared about this person, and about how reporting it would impact her career, and her life. I was an emotional wreck. So how did the Rector react? In almost exactly the worst way possible. He called my mobile phone, told me that the Assistant Minister was "in a lot of trouble", and hung up without giving me a chance to ask questions. It sent me into a panic attack. What kind of trouble? Personal? Disciplinary? Then, the Rector didn't return any contact for almost a year, over the course of a painful, national-level disciplinary case which ended up on the cover of the newspaper. He printed a letter about me in the church bulletin without asking me first. Months after everything was over, I texted the church to see if, in the spirit of reconciliation, I could take communion there. Not only did the Rector deny it to me, but he invoked his lawyers and told me to go find God somewhere else. Not a hint of compassion. No diplomacy. Nothing to put me at ease that the Assistant Minister was OK. No outreach to see how I'd been affected by all this. The Rector was basically as unpastoral as you could be, to someone who really just needed a kind word. I'd heard before that the Rector has very strong control over the Church of the Incarnation -- he's been there forever. I've also heard that he can pretend not to hear things that he doesn't want to respond to. The church has a huge endowment, so it can support two priests, even though the congregation is relatively small. It's the richest denomination in the richest neighborhood in the richest city in the world. So, I think, the Rector can behave however he wants -- including dismissing a young person who really needed to be listened to. The national Episcopal Church eventually ended up paying almost $10,000 worth of counseling for me because of the trauma caused by this case. That might have been avoided, if the Rector had used a little bit of heart early on. Religious communities can seem very welcoming at first, and Incarnation's building and music are certainly beautiful. But just: beware. Often, under a pretty exterior lies an harmful core. Incarnation appears to take some people into its fold and make them feel very valued and able to think freely. That's great. I'm sure a lot of wonderful stuff goes on there. But the Church of the Incarnation also has the capacity to wound people badly... so if you're looking for a safe place, you may wish to find a different house of worship.

I'm not an Episcopalian and never attended services here, but this church was across the street…read morefrom my office and as such I would stop in here to check out the artwork. The church isn't open all day - I think it closes to the public at 2 p.m. on weekdays - but the caretaker won't rush you out if you're in still in there at 1:55 p.m. This church is definitely impressive. From the marble flooring to the carved pews, this place breathes history. The stained glass windows, with their depictions of angels and saints, are quite lovely, although my favorite was the huge mural over the altar. I also loved the quaint little chapel off of the lobby. On Ash Wednesday last year, a bunch of my Catholic coworkers came to this church to receive ashes because the nearest Catholic church was too far away for them on their lunch hour. I went here too, for the same purpose. The Episcopal priest standing at the altar with his little bowl of ash didn't ask questions, and everything seemed solemn and subdued. It was a nice experience, and it seems like a nice church.

Great church and great staff. Come and enjoy. So historical. Praise God and the East Villageread more

St. Brigid's is the second-oldest church in the neighborhood, built in 1848 by a shipbuilder named…read morePatrick Keely. In fact, the ceiling from inside looks like the hull of a ship turned upside-down, because for the roof the builders--ship-builders by trade--made a boat, essentially. Brilliant and elegant. St. Brigid's was closed in 2001 when a crack in the east wall became irreparable, in spite of buttresses that had been put in place. (Some claimed it was a direct result of the building next door's having been torn down in the 1950s for a parking lot, thereby leaving that wall unsupported.) The money simply wasn't there, and the Archdiocese tried over the next several years to have the church demolished, even carting out the pews and the hand-carved organ case--carved by Patrick Keely himself. One climactic morning, demolition crews arrived and began smashing the antique stained-glass windows. (I was one of the protesters on site that called 911, not 311, about this.) It was galling to see the workers grinning as they bashed in the windows, but it's pretty well-known that demolition workers love their job. The Committee to Save St. Brigid's has played an instrumental part in keeping watch and keeping St. Brid's standing, but the only thing that saved the church was the money of an anonymous donor in 2008--$21 million to restore the church and endow the school. Construction is ongoing, and includes replacing the water-damaged roof (which has now been covered with copper.) The church is now its original brownstone color, and a lot of people passing by stop to admire it. This sturdy church resisted every effort to destroy it, and even as a lapsed Catholic and atheist, I'm eager to see the results of this restoration job. I'm only bummed that there are no plans to replace the towering steeples that were removed in 1962, since if they're going to do it, it seems they should make it a part of the total renovation. Hope something happens to change their mind.

Great community and great services. A place to feel welcomed . You will find a diversity and…read moreopportunity to be a part of a family. Wonderful Rector and congregation.

Such a great piece of architecture…read more Although I am not Catholic, I can still appreciate the art and design of the building. While it is a great church, it still has a welcoming quality about it. Once inside, you get the feel of being really disconnected from everything outside of the church - this can be a good thing if you are looking to think, meditate or really just clear your mind. It's too bad it's hard to find architectural design like this still being created.

Holy Name of Jesus and St. Gregory the Great Parish - This church immediately impressed me with its…read morecalm and dignified atmosphere. In strong contrast to the busy city outside, it offers a space for silence and a short escape. The interior is well maintained, and you can feel both its historical value and community spirit. A place to pause, breathe, and recharge. Admission was free.

What happened to the pantry , for some reason it's not here anymore. There was a leather face lady…read morethat used to give out tickets just before you went in to get your food. And she seemed to rude to the people. Not knowing their story she was always rude.