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  2. Houses of Worship
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Saint Francis Xavier

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  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier <br><br> The Church of Saint Francis Xavier is located in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. The church dates back to 1847 when Father John Larkin and three other Jesuits established the church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Lower Manhattan. John Hughes, the eventual first Archbishop of New York asked Larkin to come to New York from Kentucky to establish a parish and school in New York City. Father Larkin bought a former Protestant church on Elizabeth Street. However, a fire in 1848 destroyed the building. Father Larkin kept the parish alive in borrowed space until a new church was built in 1851, next door to the current location. The parish outgrew this second church due to an increase in immigration to the U.S. from Catholic countries in the latter half of the 19th century. Tragedy struck again during a women’s mission in 1877 when a panic in the overcrowded church resulted in the death of six women and one child. <br><br> The cornerstone was laid on the third church in 1878 and the present day church opened in 1882. It was designed by architect Patrick Keely, one of 600 he designed. Described as Roman Basilica in style, the architecture is classical Roman containing liberal Ancient Grecian and Renaissance modifications, according to the church. The church features 50 murals by Wilhelm Lamprecht of Munich, the leading painter of ecclesiastical works in the U.S. <br><br> Materials for the church were from numerous locations. "The polished columns and lighter colored cornices are from New Hampshire, the blue-mottled and snowflake granite from Massachusetts, the interior arches supported by pilasters veneered with Italian marble, the high altar is constructed of blue-veined Italian marble, dotted with Mexican onyx with molding of white statuary marble.” <br><br> According to the Saint Francis tour guide, the church cost approximately $600,000 in the 1800s. The two pipe organs cost $26,290, architect, $3,170, muralist, $14,325, property, $189,550, masonry work, $114,462. A $2 million restoration of the exterior of the church began in 2000 with $13 million of interior restoration work commencing in 2009. This included a renovation of the sanctuary, restoration of the lighting, marble, murals, ornamental plaster, stained glass, and statues. <br><br> See the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide</a> available at the church website and at the church entrance and <a href="http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/StFrancisXavier.html">NYCAGO.org</a> for more detail.
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier Nave, Altar, and Apse <br><br> From the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide:</a> <br><br> “The marble floor and steps include bardiglio (gray), colacotta (white) and giallo di Siena (yello) and match the original marble. Original steps were incorporated with new marble in an effort to re-purpose. Additional 3,000 square feet of marble needed was mined from the original quarry in Carrera, Italy. “
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier<br /> <br /> The organist was practicing when I was in the church one summer Friday afternoon. This photo shows the ornate carvings, murals, and statues in the beautiful church.
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier, The Blessed Virgin Mary Altar <br><br> From the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide:</a> <br><br> The Blessed Virgin Mary Altar has murals to the left and right that illustrate The Visitation and The Presentation at the Temple. Stanford White, the famous architect who designed the Washington Square Arch, frequently visited the altar and claimed that if he ever got to heaven it would be because of “this beautiful lady.”
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier, The Apotheosis of St. Francis Xavier <br><br> From the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf ">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide</a> available at the church website and at the church entrance: <br><br> "The large central medallion, The Apotheosis of St. Francis Xavier, above the altar area depicts St. Francis Xavier born heavenward by angels. The four lesser medallions include angels carrying scrolls representing his virtues: <br><br> A green palm of victory for Xavier, Apostle of the Indies A lily of chastity of Xavier, Virgin in Soul and Body A cross and chalice for Defender of the Faith A mirror in hand for Mirror of True Piety"
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Pillar of Isaiah <br><br> From the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf ">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide</a> available at the church website and at the church entrance: <br><br> "Triple pillars stand at each of the four corners around the altar. The four great prophets of the Old Testament are carved directly above the pillars. Isaiah is indicated by his vocation by an angel who gives him a burning coal (Is. 6:6); to the left is a branch from the tree of Jesse; to the right is the burning coal.”
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Pillar of Jeremiah <br><br> From the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf ">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide</a> available at the church website and at the church entrance: <br><br> “Triple pillars stand at each of the four corners around the altar. The four great prophets of the Old Testament are carved directly above the pillars. Jeremiah is shown stroking his beard and weeping his laments over Jerusalem (Jer. 9); to the left is Jerusalem, to the right is the idol of the calf (Jer. 51:17).”
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Pillar of Isaiah <br><br> From the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf ">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide</a> available at the church website and at the church entrance: <br><br> "Triple pillars stand at each of the four corners around the altar. The four great prophets of the Old Testament are carved directly above the pillars. Isaiah is indicated by his vocation by an angel who gives him a burning coal (Is. 6:6); to the left is a branch from the tree of Jesse; to the right is the burning coal.”
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier Stained Glass Window <br><br> From the <a href="http://www.sfxavier.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/Entire-Tour-Guide-Reduced.pdf ">Church of St. Francis Xavier Tour Guide</a> available at the church website and at the church entrance: <br><br> "There are no figural elements in the stained glass (unique to a Catholic church of this era). Typical late 19th century American decorative style of geometric shapes and quilting patterns and the abundance of flora found in the U.S. were used by the architect, Patrick Keely, to pay homage to his new American home."
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  • The Church of Saint Xavier Apse Statues<br /> <br /> Jesus is in the center, Saint Joseph is on the right, and The Blessed Virgin Mary is on the left.
  • The Church of Saint Xavier Organ <br><br> From <a href="http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/StFrancisXavier.html">NYCAGO.org</a>: <br><br> "As part of its restoration campaign, the church contracted with the Peragallo Pipe Organ Company of Paterson, N.J., to build a new organ. Completed in 2010, Peragallo's Opus 700 is a hybrid organ that combines a total of 52 ranks of pipes—including 23 ranks from the previous Kilgen gallery organ—with several digital stops. The organ was designed with a French tonal scheme by John Peragallo III, Tonal Director of the company, in consultation with John Uehlein, Director of Music. <br><br> The main instrument is installed in two chambers that were created in the triforium on each side of the chancel. Fronting the four tone openings into the chancel and transepts are oak cases with façades of functional pipes that have gothic gold arched mouths. Frank Peragallo designed the case work. The Grand-Orgue, Grand-Choeur and Pédale divisions are located in the east (liturgical north) chamber and the Récit and Positif divisions are in the west (liturgical south) chamber. The Antiphonale division at the rear of the church is comprised of eight digital stops that emanate from behind the original organ case plus the 49 gold-painted pipes of the Trompette en chamade that are mounted at the base of the case. Built in 1881 by E. & G.G. Hook & Hastings of Boston, the noble hand-carved organ case was restored and its façade pipes were painted silver with gold mouths. Controlling the organ is a movable three-manual French-style console with terraced drawknobs and a hand-carved music rack that incorporates the Xavier cross. A complete MIDI interface and sound module allows the organist to access many digital effects for contemporary worship music and record and playback the instrument. <br><br> The organ was dedicated on October 11, 2010, with a recital by organist Matthew Phelps, assisted by mezzo-soprano Robin Lynne Frye."
  • The Church of Saint Xavier, Jesus Dies Upon the Cross Mural by William Lamprecht<br /> <br /> This is one of about 50 murals in the church. It was painted by German William Lamprecht.
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier Wood Carved Pillars
  • The Church of Saint Francis Xavier Stained Glass Window <br /> <br /> This window is near the altar.
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