As a longtime member of this parish I want to celebrate how essential this faith community is to…read morethe diverse Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. It really is The Crown Jewel of Hell's Kitchen, built in 1870, it is the oldest and only wood framed building on 42nd St and former home of Father Duffy and Joyce Kilmer of "The Fighting 69th" fame and glory.
A very poor perish, (but home to a few actual Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios stained glass windows donated in the late 19th Century) HCRCC is run almost entirely by volunteer laity.
Since celebrity priest Fr. Peter Colapietro left the church in 2013, HC has been finding new footing and found new footing, it has.
The days of the film, "Fame" being filmed here and the days of seeing Actor Mickey Rourke getting his Ash Wednesday ashes here in a kilt, leather jacket and army boots and the days of the homeless using it for naps are over but a solid faith community has emerged in the 21st Century.
In January of 2015 the Requiem Mass for church member and famed entertainer and restauranteur Jean-Claude Baker was held here with the Holy Cross Choir, a visiting gospel choir under the direction of Chapman Roberts, featuring soloists Vivian Reed, and close Baker friend Jessye Norman.
Another Yelper "Jeff" complained about being "kicked out" of HC at 6:30 on Christmas without first considering anything or anyone else other than his own hurt feelings, resulting in a one star rating from "Jeff".
Being that the enormous church has a paid staff of approximately 4, volunteers have to make time to perform the myriad responsibilities involved in such a challenging daily undertaking as running a large church in the middle of Manhattan.
Holy Cross is a Catholic Church honed from the classic liberating, liberal teachings of Christ where we are no longer Romans, nor Greeks, nor Gentiles nor Jews, nor women, nor men...We are One Bread and One Body in Christ Jesus.
Dear Jeff, I don't know what "persuasion" you are but it had NOTHING to do with your being asked to leave, ALL ARE WELCOME so the volunteers could clean up, lock up and prepare for the frenetic activities (choir rehearsals, party preparations, multiple masses, decorating, food preparations etc...) on the Christmas schedule which ends at around 2AM on Christmas Eve only to begin again at 7AM on Christmas Day not to mention the security factor in the new age of terror.
In the 1960s-1980s, Holy Cross, like many churches used to remain unlocked 24/7 but had to close up between masses due to violent crime, theft, the homeless using HC as a rest room and desecration of The Holy Host.
A major character flaw of new-age doxy is the obsession with self and hyper-sensitivity to minor "offenses". The core teaching of all Christendom is the exact opposite, to learn and practice selflessness and tolerance.
Holy Cross is one of the most powerful and active food pantries in Manhattan. The Choir is all volunteer under the direction of the supremely gifted Charles Gaston Currin.
With a burgeoning Spanish family and the large number of "show biz folk" from nearby Manhattan Plaza, Holy Cross uniquely and organically reflects the best traditions of the communion of every day saints. I agree, the two new monks are traditionalist and exude love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7King James Version (KJV)
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.--- (KJV)
