Monday, January 17, 2005
ANOTHER CHURCH SOLD
I've just received email from Lee Penn indicating that St. Ann's in New York has been closed and will be demolished as of yesterday.
The National Shrine of St. Ann, located in the East Village of Manhattan, New
York City, is to be closed, demolished, and sold after the last mass
tomorrow. The building dates from the early 1850s, and was originally a protestant
church, then a synagoge. In 1870 it became the second home of St. Ann's parish
(founded 1854).
More information on the story of this church is provided here.
What is to happen to the marble and the altar?
In any case, there seems to be another National Shrine of St. Ann in Scranton, according to Our Sunday Visitor. The link doesn't work, however. The Scranton shrine is also named on this Canadian Catholic website. The University of Dayton lists it in Scranton as well. Here is a picture of the shrine in Scranton. Look at the altar. That round platform. Those steps creating additional circles around the altar. Compare that with the altar in New York. Hmmmmm. Hasn't Scranton been the home of some practices that have disturbed the laity?
Irish Elk has a story on the church, including the planned closing, with lots of links. Scroll down to Monday, February 23, 2004 This information indicates that the closing had been postponed indefinitely. I guess "indefinitely" ended yesterday.
