The Church of St. Simon Stock – St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 2191 Valentine Avenue, Bronx, New York City. It was established in 1919 and has been continuously staffed by the Carmelite Fathers since its founding.
History The parish of St. Simon Stock was founded by the Irish Carmelites of Our Lady of Scapular Mount Carmel in lower Manhattan. The first Mass was offered in a two-story frame house at "Carmel Hill", at 182nd Street and Valentine Avenue, on Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920."Parish History", St. Simon Stock – St. Joseph Parish
Construction began on the church in 1921, but was interrupted by the need to build a school. On occasion, sermons were given in Irish Gaelic.Almeida, Linda Dowling. Irish Immigrants in New York City, 1945-1995, Indiana University Press, 2001, 9780253108531, p. 181 n.43
Pastors
St. Joseph's Church The Church of St. Joseph was a Roman Catholic parish church in the Upper Morrisania neighborhood under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 1949 Bathgate Avenue, Bronx, New York City. The parish was established in 1873.
History St. Joseph's Parish was founded in 1873 by Archbishop John McCloskey to serve the German Catholics in the Tremont area of the Bronx. The original church, dedicated in 1874 fronted Washington Avenue near 177th Street. The first resident pastor was the Rev. Joseph M. Sorg.Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.387.
A new church building was begun in October 1898. Located near the original building, it faced Bathgate Avenue."St. Joseph Catholic Church", NYC AGO
As of 2015, out of repair, the church had been closed and the congregation merged with the Church of St. Simon Stock about 3/4 of a mile away. St. Joseph's church building was desacralized by a decree effective November 30, 2017.Timothy Cardinal Dolan. "Decree on the Relegation of the Church of Saint Joseph, South Bronx, New York", Archdiocese of New York, November 30, 2017
Architecture The neo-Gothic church was built of white stone quarried from the lot, and faced with polished granite on the front and rear ends. When built, the church provided seating for about 1,500 persons.
School St. Joseph's Catholic School closed in 2019.
References
External links St. Simon Stock and St. Joseph Parish website