Confessions of a liturgical tourist
where to go to Mass in NYC (+NJ)
Get 50% off an annual subscription!
Despite being radically pro-subsidiarity/localism/rootedness, I must confess to having a weakness for liturgical tourism. Church hopping is a grave sin, fueled by the desire to tickle one’s liturgical fancies, to satisfy one’s wayward whims, rather than to commit oneself to the parish community closest to where you live (which God has chosen for you).
As much as we’d urge you to get involved in your local parish, I’d like to offer you some suggestions to guide you in your liturgical tourism—should you ever decide to become as morally depraved as me.
NYC-area liturgies you should check out
Our Lady of Sorrows in Corona, Queens: This is one of the most lively parish communities I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Their Spanish masses on Sundays are one of the best embodiments of the Vatican 2 liturgical reforms: the community plays a very active role in the liturgy, the preachers are very engaging, and the entire liturgy is enriched by the strong sense of community and the faith of its members. The music consists of lively classic contemporary Latino praise and worship and Latino folk-inspired hymns. The way the liturgy is said is a “proposal” of faith in itself—meaning it very powerfully presents the Kerygma and the invitation to missionary discipleship and to enter into communion with the body of the Church.
St. Charles Borromeo in Harlem, Manhattan: I’ve written about St. Charles before here. I love the way the community keeps the Black American Catholic legacy alive, and ingeniously combines the Black American tradition of worship with the Vatican 2 liturgical reforms. It’s an excellent example of inculturation done right. They have three choirs who take turns singing at the principal Mass on Sundays (10 am), whose repertoire consists of a mix of spirituals, traditional and contemporary Gospels hymns, and praise and worship. The atmosphere is an ideal balance between reverence and joyfulness—and they are very keen on reminding their many visitors that it’s a liturgy and not a tourist attraction (no cameras during Mass!). The parish has a very tight-knit sense of community, which the pastors, ushers, and lay ministers go out of their way to convey in the way they say and run the liturgy. The combination of music and sense of community make me feel like I’m participating in a living tradition (one that’s much more alive and traditional than TLM!).
The Church of the Virgin Mary in Park Slope, Brooklyn: This Melkite Catholic Church celebrates the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in English, Arabic, and Greek. The vibrant and active community consists mostly of Syrians and Lebanese immigrants and their descendants, and is very welcoming to newcomers—often offering a lunch of delicious Middle Eastern food after the Liturgy. If you’re looking for a Byzantine Catholic church in NYC that celebrates the Divine Liturgy of St. John, I must say this is the best one. The chanters are incredible, and the liturgy is said with much reverence (which tbh, I didn’t really feel when I visited Ruthenian and Ukrainian Catholic churches in the city that celebrate the DL).
Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Newark, NJ: Yes, it’s Jersey—New Yorkers’ worst fear! But come on—it’s only a short ride on the PATH train away! MC is one of these classic NY/NJ parishes that was mainly (Southern) Italian and then after White Flight became mainly Latino and a little bit African/Haitian. But what I love about this community is that the Italians—despite having moved away—are still VERY VERY active in the parish, hosting saint processions and feasts and social/cultural gatherings, which are both distinctly Italian and inclusive of all others. Major props to them for keeping the Italian traditions alive—and to the Italian Apostolate of the Newark Archdiocese (our sponsors!) in the role they’ve played in doing so. They have Masses in Italian, English, and Spanish…and have a beautifully-kept garden, full of roses, plum trees, fig trees, grape vines, basil, tomatoes, raspberries, and two very ferocious cats!
The Neocatechumenal Way in ????, ??: Alright, so this one is fairly controversial. But as you already know, we are big fans of 1960s lay movements, and think that they—along with the religious orders—are the future of the Catholic Church. The Way is not canonically a lay movement, but it technically is. The charism tends to draw in lower income people and people who have struggled with addiction, faced abuse, or did some really intense sin (usually of the flesh)…and is blossoming in Latin America. The “tripod” of their charism consists of liturgy, scripture, and community. The theological insights of the co-“initiator” Carmen Hernandez prophetically foreshadowed Vatican 2’s liturgical reforms before the fact. Their way of celebrating the Novus Ordo Mass is a fascinating synthesis of risorgimento and aggiornamento, combining early Church practices with Vatican 2’s insights. The (lay) community members play a key role in the liturgy, which also makes up an element of their catechetical formation…and serves to provide a communally-guided path/“proposal” to live the faith. The Way is super intense, and is no stranger to abuses of power, fanaticism, and cult of personality—on top of often posing issues for parish life (this is part of why Cardinal Dolan kicked them out of the New York Archdiocese…now you can only find a few clandestine communities in Manhattan, though you can find plenty in Brooklyn and Jersey). But the way they celebrate Mass is absolutely worth seeing—that is, if they even let you in!
On special occasions…
Holy Innocents in Manhattan for TLM on Good Friday (3 pm): Yes, the parish is mostly fully of insanely ideological/spergy trads (confession there was a throwback to 16th century Spain!). But the Tridentine liturgy of the Passion is among the most beautiful liturgies I’ve ever seen in my entire life. And the cantors are really great.
St. Lucy’s in Newark for the Feast of St. Gerard (October): While Mount Carmel Newark is great, nothing compares to the St. Gerard’s feast at St. Lucy’s. All the Italians come back to the “old neighborhood” to celebrate the feast of the patron of pregnant women/women trying to conceive/women with pregnancy complications…you’ll see lots of boys named Gerard there. The feast is full of Italian Masses (celebrated by Ugandan priests), sausage and zeppole stands, Sinatra impersonators, and a procession to houses of devotees.
The Shrine of Guadalupe in Manhattan on the Feast of Guadalupe (December 12): A line wrapped around an entire Manhattan block at 1 am in below zero temperatures…is it to get into New York’s hottest club (promoted by the one and only Stefon)? NO…it’s to get into the vigil Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe. This feast has everything: devotees carrying statues, Aztec dancers, corrido karaoke, a mariachi Mass, tamales and champurrado, an altar overflowing with so many flowers that they start to hand them out to attendees. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more ethnic than this…is that an apparition of Our Lady? No, it’s a skit reenacting the story of Our Lady’s apparition to St. Juan Diego. It is the most incredible, faith-filled, reverent, traditional (in the true sense of the word), and tasty feast you’ll ever attend in you life (unless of course you go to the actual shrine in Mexico).
The [Greek Orthodox] Cathedral of St. Demetrios in Queens on Good Friday (7pm): No, not Catholic. But just go. You’ll feel like you’re in Greece. The church gets packed for the Lamentations service, where you’ll hear the shockingly beautiful Egomia (lamentation hymns), get sprinkled with rose water, and follow the tomb of Jesus around the streets of Astoria as you reenact his waiting to resurrect while in Hades. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart—it’s four hours long, and the Greeks are not super reverent. But do it for the culcha (and for the Lord).
Honorable mentions
Evensong at St. Thomas Episcopal on 5th Ave. Super gorgeous singing, and gorgeous church too.
Divine Liturgy at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Shrine at World Trade Center. It’s a great community at a very special location with a beautiful liturgy.
Abyssinian Baptist in Harlem. Known for their Gospel choir…get in line early on Sunday morning—especially in the summer. It’s another tourist trap.
Sunday Mass at St. Ignatius of Antioch AngloCatholic Church in Manhattan. The Mass is more reverent than most RC TLMs, and their liturgy’s use of English is insanely poetic.
I’m not a big fan of St. Vincent Ferrer on the UES given how much it’s become “a thing” among young trads who aren’t trad enough to go to Holy Innocents…but objectively, their Novus Ordo Mass is very beautiful (and trad). Also, Andy Warhol went there.
TRust me - I never went to Immaculate either BUT it is very different now. Or else i am!
Agreed re St. Charles. And I go every msix weeks to St. Francis Xagvier on 18th ST. - my very old and wonderful friend is a regular. In Montclair NJ I recommend Immaculate Conception - a very welcoming and diverse parish..