St. Francis of Assisi Church

Colorful baroque church of St. Francis of Assisi on West 31st Street...

Let us see if I can find anything on the internet....

The grand dedication ceremonies took place on Sunday, July 17, 1892. Archbishop Corrigan blessed the church and consecrated the three altars. Archbishop Winand M. Wigger of Newark, who had grown up across the street from the original church, delivered the sermon. He was also the donor of a large stained glass window dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi.

The city’s extraordinary growth at the turn of the century stimulated great social and economic change. It quickened the pace of urban development and altered the face of many neighborhoods. Nowhere was this impact felt more keenly than on West 31st Street. Many families moved away when their stable, working class community was transformed – almost overnight – into the heart of New York City’s notorious “Tenderloin District.”

To keep up with the changes around them, the Franciscan Friars inaugurated what was to become a way of life for “parish without parishioners.” Thus was born the concept of an urban “service church” suited to the needs of a transient population of commuters, shoppers, tourists, laborers and business persons.