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Medieval Saints with New York City Church Dedications

(Alphabetical)

By Paul Halsall

As well as through architecture, Medieval Europe impinges on New York through the many churches dedicated to medieval saints. This is a listing of the saints [counting "medieval saint" as a saint who lived between 312 (the end of the Roman persecutions) until 1517 (the beginning of the Protestant Reformation). 

All medieval saints have been included - Catholic, Orthodox and, in one case, Protestant.

I have also tried to suggest why particular medieval saints are commemorated in New York. Some were simply universally popular, others - I speculate, reflect the antiquarian concerns of educated Anglican clerics, but by far the commonest reason was that the saint was identified with some national grouping. In the case of Roman Catholic churches the practice of allowing non-territorial "national parishes" accentuated this type of naming choice. There never were "Irish national parishes", but the Irish so dominated the RC Church in New York that many territorial parishes functioned as Irish parishes. 

Note that this is not a complete list of church dedications in New York. Biblical and early martyrs do not figure, nor do saints of the Counter-Reformation and after.

Notes: 
  • (?) = before address means that the saint to which the Church is dedicated is unclear in the directory listing - this happens when there are more than one saint with same name.
  • (?) after the address means that the denomination has not been able to be verified.
  • F = feast day (month/day) according to RC Calendar unless specified otherwise
  • B = Bishop (official Roman Catholic category of saint)
  • Cd. = Year canonised by the Pope. (only applies to later saints - early saints were "sainted" by reputation and local cult)
  • d. = died
  • D = Doctor (official Roman Catholic category of saint)
  • M = Martyr (official Roman Catholic category of saint)
  • Miss = Missionary
  • Sugg: = Suggested reason for presence among NY churches.
  • T = Theologian (not an official category)
Bibliography: 

A number of resources were used to compile this list, not least New York Telephone directories. Dates were checked with the Penguin Dictionary of Saints, ed. Donald Attwater, 2nd ed. (London: 1983).

This list is also available in Chronological Order

| Medieval New York |


Saint
Churches
St. Adalbert 
Either A. of Magdeburg, BMiss, d. 981. F 6/20 or A. of Prague, BM, d. 997, F 4/23 

Sugg: German national parishes? 
52-29 83rd St. Elmhurst, Queens, (RC) 

420 e 156th St., Bronx, (RC) 
St. Ambrose of Milan
BD, d. 397 F 12/7
Sugg: Anglican scholarship 
9 W. 130th St., (Episcopal)
St. Anselm of Canterbury
BT, d. 1106, F 4/21, Cd 1720 
685 Tinton Ave, Bronx (?) 

356 82nd St. Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Anthony of Egypt
Hermit, d. 356 F 1/17 
St. Mary and St. Antonios Church, 606 Woodward Ave., Ridgewood, Queens (Coptic Orthodox) 
St. Anthony of Padua
Preacher, d. 1231, F 6/13 Cd 1232

 Sugg: Very popular saint. Finder of lost things. 
, 239 Motts St. (American Catholic) 

154 Sullivan St. (RC)

 Convent, 1070 Union Ave, Bronx (RC)

 (Anthony?)1496 Commonwealth Ave. Bronx (RC)

 832 E 166th St. Bronx (RC)

 862 Manhattan Ave. Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Athanasius
BD d. 373 F 5/2 
878 Tiffany Ave., Bronx (?) 

2154 61st St. Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Augustine
Either A. of Hippo, BD, d. 430, F 8/28
or A. of Canterbury, BMiss d. 605, F 2/27 
(?) 333 Madison Ave., (Episcopal) 

St. Augustine Presbyterian Church, Prospect Ave. and 165th St., Bronx (Presbyterian)

 (?)1183 Franklin Ave., Bronx (?)

 (?)4301 Ave. D, Brooklyn. (Episcopal) 
St. Benedict of Nursia
Patriarch of Western Monks, d. 547, F 7/11 
Convent, 34 W. 134th St. (RC?) 

2969 Otis Ave., Bronx (?) 
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Abbot T, d. 1153, F 8/20 Cd 1174 
328 W. 13th St. (RC) 

2055 E. 69th St., Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Bonaventure
BT, d. 1274, F 7/15 Cd 1482 
114-58 170th St. Jamaica, Queens, (RC) 
St. Boniface of Crediton
M Miss, d. 754/55 F 6/5 

Sugg: German national saint. 
Brooklyn (RC)
St. Brendan the Voyager
Abbot, d. 578 F 5/16

 Sugg:
E. 206th St. and Perry Ave. Bronx 
St. Brigid
Abbess, d. 523, F 2/1

 Sugg:
119 Ave B (RC) 

409 Linden Boulevard, Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Catherine of Genoa
Mystic, d. 1510, F 9/15 Cd 1737 
506 W 153rd St. (RC?) 

520 Linden Blvd., Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Catherine of Siena
Mystic D, d. 1380, F 4/29 Cd 1461 
411 E 68th St. (RC) 

118-22 Riverton St. St. Albans, Queens, (RC) 
St. Clare of Assisi
Foundress, d. 1253, F 8/11, Cd 1255

 Sugg: Popular saint of eye problems. 
137-35 Brookvale Rd, Rosedale, Queens, (RC) 

1918 Hone Ave, Bronx (RC) 
St. Columba
Abbot Miss, d. 597 F 6/9 

Sugg: Irish parish. 
343 W 25th St. (RC) 

2245 Kimball Ave., Brooklyn, RC 
St. Constantine
Emperor, 
St. Constantine and Helen, 37-57 72nd St. Woodside, Queens, (Greek Orthodox) 

St. Constantine and Helen Cathedral, 64 Schemerhorn St. Brooklyn, (Greek Orthodox) 
St. Cyril
Probably Cyril, Miss, d. 869, F 2/14
but could be several other Cyrils 

Sugg: Polish parish. 
(?)62 St. Mark's Place (RC)
St. David of Wales
B Abbot, 6th cent. F 3/1

 Sugg: Anglican preciousness? Patron of Wales. 
384 E 160th St., Bronx (Episcopal) 
St. Dominic 
Founder Order of Preachers, d. 1221, F 8/7, Cd 1234 
1739 Union Port Rd, Bronx (RC) 

2001 Bay Ridge Pkwy, Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Edmund
Either E. King M, d. 869 F 11/20 
or E. of Abingdon, B, d. 1240, F 11/16 Cd 1246 
1905 Morris Ave., Bronx, (Episcopal) 

2460 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Edward the Martyr
King of England, d. 978 F 3/18
Assassinated by his half-brother Ethelread's retainers.
2nd could be E. the Confessor, king, d. 1066, F 8/13 
1 4 E. 109th St. (Episcopal) 

(?)St. Michael and St. Edward, 108 Edwards, Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Emeric
Son of Stephen of Hungary, d. 1031, F 11/4

 Sugg: German or Hungarian national parish? 
740 E. 13th St. (RC)
St. Ephrem
Poet T, d. 373, F 6/9 
939 Bay Ridge Pkwy., Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Finbar
B Abbot, d.c.633, F 9/25

 Sugg: Irish parish 
138 Bay St., Brooklyn
St. Francis of Assisi
Founder of Friars Minor, d. 1226, 10/4, Cd 1228

 Sugg: Most beloved of all medieval saints. Also patron saint of Italy. 
Monastery and Church, 135 w 31st St., @ 7th Ave. (RC) 

1544 Shakur Ave. Bronx (RC)

 4343 Baychester, Bronx (RC)

 Convent, 2013 Pitman Ave, Bronx, (RC) 
St. Gregory the Great, 
Pope D, d. 604, F 9/3 
144 W. 90th St. (RC) 

242-20 88th St., Belrose, Queens (RC)

 (?) 224 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Helena
Mother of Constantine, finder of True Cross, d. 330, F 8/18
Sugg: The Bronx church has a piece of the True Cross said to have been found by her. 
St. Constantine and Helen, 37-57 72nd St. Woodside, Queens, (Greek Orthodox) 

St. Helena, Benedict and St. Olmstead Aves. Bronx (RC)

 St. Helen's, 157-10 83rd St., Howard Beach, Queens

 St. Constantine and Helen Cathedral, 64 Schemerhorn St. Brooklyn, (Greek Orthodox) 
St. Irene of Chrysabalanton
Abbess, 9th C. F (Orthodox) 
St. Irene of Chrysabalanton Cathedral, 36-07 23 Ave., Astoria (Greek Orthodox - Old Calendar) 
Jan Hus 
Not exactly a "saint", but the leader of the proto-Protestant Hussite movement in the 15th century. Since he has a church named after him, he gets included here. 
Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, 351 E. 74th St. 
St. Jerome
D, d 420, F 9/30 
22 Alexander Ave. Bronx (?) 

2900 Newkirk Ave, Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Joan of Arc
Maid of Orleans, d. 1431, F 5/30 Cd 1920 
82-02 35th Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens. (RC) 

1372 Stratford Ave, Bronx (RC) 
St. John Chrysostom
BD, d. 407, F 9/13 
70-29 45th Ave, Woodside Queens (Orthodox) 

985 E. 167th St., Bronx (RC?)

 Three Hierarchs, 1724 Avenue P, Brooklyn (Greek Orthodox) 
St. Malachy
B d. 1148, F 11/3
Sugg: Irish parish. 
Times Square Area (RC) 

207 Hendrix St. Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Margaret of Scotland
Queen, d. 1093, F 11/16

 Sugg: Anglican preciousness? Patron of Scotland. 
58-30 193rd St., Flushing, Queens (Episcopal) 
St. Markella of Chios
M?, 4th or 14th Cent, F 7/22 (Orthodox) 
Astoria, Queens (Greek Orthodox, Old Calendar) 
St. Martin of Tours
B, d. 397, F 11/11

 Sugg: Important medieval saint. 
230 Lenox Ave, (Episcopal) 

664 Grate St., Bronx (RC?)

 St. Stephen and St. Martin, 809 Jefferson Ave., Brooklyn, (Episcopal)

 1288 Hancock St. Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Mel
[No information]

 Sugg: Irish parish? 
28-20 154th St. Flushing, Queens , (RC) 
St. Monica
Mothe of Augustine of Hippo, d. 387, F 8/27 
413 E. 79th St. (RC)
St. Nektarios
B of Constantinople 
61 E. 184th St. (Greek Orthodox) 

340 67th St. Brooklyn, (Greek Orthodox) 
St. Nicholas of Myra, or of Bari
Aka "Santa Claus". 4th cent. F 12/6

 Sugg: Most popular of all saints apart from The Virgin. Patron of sailors, children, young women. 
St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 15 East 97th St. 

St. Nicholas Russian Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, 288 E 10th St. 

155 Ceder. (Greek Orthodox)

 181-4 Midland Parkway, Jamaica, Queens (Albanian Orthodox)

 14-65 Clintonville, Whitestone, Queens (Russian Orthodox)

 43-15 196th St., Flushing, Queens, (Greek Orthodox)

 St. Nicholas Cathedral, 355 State St., Brooklyn, (Antiochian Orthodox)

 1822 65th St., Brooklyn (Greek Orthodox)

 261 19th St., Brooklyn, (Ukranian Catholic)

 Olive and Devoe, Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Nicholas of Tolentino
Austin friar, d. 1305, F 9/10, Cd 1446

 Sugg: His name attracted elements of Nicholas of Myra's cult. Italian parish? 
2345 University Ave. @ Fordham Rd. Bronx (RC) 

150-75 Goethals Ave. Jamaica, Queens (RC) 
St. Patrick
B Miss, d (?). 461, F 3/17
Sugg: Irish parish. Patron of Ireland. 
St. Patrick's Cathedral, 5th Avenue @ 50th St. (RC) 

Old St. Patrick's Cathedral, 263 Mulberry St. (RC)

 39-38 29th St., LIC, Queens

 9511 4th Ave., Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Raymond
Canonist, d. 1275, F 1/7, Cd 1601 
(?of Peñafort) 1759 Castle Ave, Bronx, NY (RC) 
St. Rita of Cascia
Nun, d. 1457, F 5/22, Cd 1900

 Sugg: Hugely popular saint. Suffered in marriage. 
36-25 11th St., LIC, Queens (RC) 

Shrine, 448 College Ave, Bronx (RC?)

 275 Shepherd Ave., Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Roch
Healer, 14th Cent, F ?
Sugg: A saint against illness. 
525 Wales Ave, Bronx (?) 

St. Rocco, 216 27th St., Brooklyn (RC) 
St. Rosalia
[no information] 
63rd St. and 14th Ave., Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Sarkis
[No information]

 Sugg: Armenian national saint. 
38-65 234 th. Little Neck, Queens (Armenian) 
St. Sava
B. d. 1235, F 1/4

 Sugg: National saint of Serbia. 
St. Sava's Cathedral, 15 W. 25th St. (Serbian Orthodox) 
St. Sergius
Prob. S.of Radonezh, Abbot, d. 1392, F 9/25, Cd (in Russia) bef 1449 

Sugg: Most beloved of Russian saints. A sort of Russian St. Francis. 
(?)75 E 93rd St. (Orthodox)
St. Simon Stock
Carmelite Friar, d. 1265, F 5/16
Sugg: Carmelite order parish? 
2191 Valentine Ave, Bronx (RC?) 
St. Spyridion
B d. 348, F 12/14
Sugg: Cyrpriot saint but now the Patron of Corfu 
124 Wordsworth Ave, Washington Heights. (Greek Orthodox) 
St. Stanislaus of Cracow
BM, d. 1079, F 4/11, Cd 1253

 Sugg: Polish parish. 
101 E. 7th St., (RC) 

57-15 61st St. Maspeth, Queens (RC) 
St. Stephen of Hungary
King, d. 1038, F 8/16

 Sugg: German or Hungarian parish. 
414 E. 82nd St. (RC)
St. Thomas Aquinas
D, d. 1274, F 1/28Cd 1232 
1900 Crotona Parkway, Bronx (RC) 

Hendrikson and Flatlands Ave., Brooklyn, (RC) 
St. Vartan 

[No information]

 Sugg: Armenian national saint. 
2nd Ave @ 34th St. (Armenian) 
St. Vincent Ferrer 

Preacher, d. 1419, F 4/5, Cd 1455

 Sugg: A Dominican order parish. 
Lexington Ave and 66th St. (RC) 
St. Vladmir (Volodymr) 
Prince of Kiev, d. 1015, F 7/15

 Sugg: Ukrainian national saint. 
160 W. 82nd St., (Ukrainian Orthodox) 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 11 March 2024 [CV]