Saint Gregory the Great Church

Saint Gregory the Great Church is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at 90th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues and Broadway. It was established in 1907 as a Catholic church. The building is four stories with the church occupying the ground floor. The ground floor was intended to be a temporary location until a permanent church was built; however, the planned permanent church never materialized. The website notes that in the 1950s, two-thirds of those attending mass bore Irish names, with a growing number of Hispanic parishioners. In the 1960s, the church was a voice for affordable housing. In the 1980s, parishioners took part in marches and rallies on behalf of disarmament and affordable housing.

Two interesting events at the church stand out. First, Babe Ruth was married there in 1929 in the early morning hours to avoid crowds. The church website says that there were 150 fans present, mostly boys on their way to school. Second in 1970, the anti-war Rev. Phillip Berrigan, who was wanted by the FBI for destroying draft files and failing to surrender for his prison term, arrived to address a peace rally. During this time, under Father Henry Browne, the church was active working on behalf of the working class and opposition to the Vietnam War. While Berrigan was staying at the rectory, the FBI broke down the church’s door to arrest him. For more detail see the Saint Gregory website.

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