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St. Michael's "St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church was erected on the east side of Jerome Street (formerly John Street) near Atlantic Avenue, upon 4 lots purchased from Jacob H. Sackman for the sum of $500. The cornerstone was laid on April 18th, 1860 and on July 8th the most Reverend Bishop Loughlin dedicated the little church and placed it under the patronage of the glorious Archangel Michael." |
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St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, East New York Maker: Souvenir Post Card Co. Dated: 1907 Status: Own(BG) St. Michael's Church Dated:1910 Maker: P. Miller Status: Own (BG) Early shots of the first church. This is on Jerome St. near Atlantic. Built by Martin Bennett, a well known builder in East New York. The building measured fifty feet long by thirty-five feet wide and cost $2,536. It faces a constant challenge to deal with a fast growing congregation. In 1876 it is doubled in length and in 1899 a side chapel was added to the north side. Another expansion added a side aisle in 1912. |
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This 1909 postcard Lines up the early buildings. The church constructs a wood frame building in 1864 which serves as a rectory upstairs and the first classrooms downstairs. This building is enlarged in 1897 and becomes the monastery. In 1872 the school is growing so fast that the Dominican Sisters are invited in to teach. Under the guidance of Mother Seraphina, O.P., two additional lots are purchased and the three-story sister's home is constructed in 1873. |
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St. Michael's School, Liberty Avenue and Warwick St. Maker: P. Miller Dated: 1910 Status: Need The small space in the rectory building quickly becomes inadequate and the two lots next to the rectory are purchased. A one story wood frame structure is built in 1868. Although this building survived as a Pre-K until the new brick church was built, I have not found an image yet. In 1897, the Bishop Rev. Charles McDonnell invites the Capuchin Fathers to work in the diocese. The Rectory is converted into a monastery and ground is broken in 1898 for a new school. Designed by Ditmar and Schickl, the three-story structure cost $43,000 to build. The granite statue of St. Michael over the doorway was donated by Teresa Nuber. The school opens December 1st, 1899. Bob Reddington supplied the early photo on the bottom. You can see the new church peeking out on the right so this photo dates from at least the 1920s. Note the bell tower on the school, which no longer exists. | |
| St. Michael's Commercial High School. As with the church, the school quickly becomes overcrowded. One solution was to divide the auditorium on the 3rd floor into classrooms in 1907. One of those classrooms is dedicated to its first commercial school for girls, consisteing of 4 students under Sr. M Ambrose, O.P. Courses are given in Religion, Typing, Shorthand, Bookkeeping and Business Arithmetic. In 1909 St. Michael's announces a contract for $60,000 to construct a new building to serve as both a monastery, school building, and meeting hall. The building is dedicated on January 17, 1910 by Bishop McDonnell. At this point in time the Brother of Mary are invited in and they teach grades 5 through 8 in the new building which also serves as their residence. The girl's commercial program remains in the corner school building. By 1917 the program has expanded to two years and classes in Spanish and Business Law are added. In 1941 the Brothers of Mary leave and the girls school is moved into the building. My aunt attended the school in this building in the 1940s. It was a two year trade school for girls, and my aunt attended in the 1940s. I cover more on the history and the building of a new school below. | |
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| St. Michael's, 1922 The Armbruster photo on the left highlights some major changes. Despite the numerous expansions to the old church, space continues to be a problem and the cornerstone for a new brick church was blessed on October 17, 1920 . The original wood frame building that served as the first schoolhouse, rectory, then Monastery was moved to the corner of Jerome and Liberty. The Capuchin Friars moved into the new monastery facing Warwick Street in 1921. The church was dedicated June 25, 1922. Note next to the new church the original wood frame convent has been replaced by brick structure, completed 1916. These Armbruster photos show both the old church and the new church side by side; the old church was torn down shortly thereafter. |
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Report card, 1939 My uncle's report card showing there was a commercial program for boys as well. | |
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St. Michael's 1st Holy Communion, 1945 Taking a break from history, from Rod Maggio (2nd row from top, far right), his first communion May 6, 1945. On the right, his sister Angela posing in the garden in the 1940s. |
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| St. Michael's Graduation Class, 1943 and 1947 My dad is in the 1947 shot, first row all the way to the right. |
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St. Michael's First Communion, circa 1948 Elise Feiner sent over this photo of her cousin Joseph Mainella's first communion in 1948 or 1949 . | |
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Jerome Street, 1949 Two views of Jerome Street around the same era. This great shot on the left from Rod Maggio dates to his sister's confirmation in 1949. The view is north towards Atlantic in front of the Convent. That's his sister Angela, Ida (mom) Maggio, Carol "Errico" Maggio, Rod, Joseph (dad) Maggio, Angela & Frank Lualdi (noni & grandpa). Rod recalls; "Sister Helen, didn't actually care for or like Italian American Public School kids in her Religious Instruction Classes Wednesdays 2 to 3:30, Sundays after 9 am Mass, we were "marched" out the side door, into the school building until 11:30". The second view, a few years later looking south down Jerome comes from Bob Reddington. |
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| St. Michael's Wedding 1952 Therese Panariello sent over these interior shots from her parent's wedding in 1952. |
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My father and uncles were members of St. Michaels and were part of the church bowling team in the 1950s. |
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| New St. Michael's Commerical High School The first image is the northeast corner of Liberty and Jerome before 1953. The old rectory building, now transplanted, becomes the custodian's house. Rod Maggio recalls the house was occupied by the LaRocca family. On the right, circa December 1953, the house has been cleared. Note the belltower is now gone from the schoolhouse. Thanks to Bob Reddington for these images. |
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| New St. Michael's Commercial High School The building is constructed 1954-1955 and we can see the framework going up in the first image. The second image is shortly after completion. The building includes the Father Paschal memorial center which is used for the opening celebration in December, 1955. Classes first move into the building in January 1956. The school becomes a 4 year high school and takes the St. Michael's name. Angela (Maggio) Carucci attended at that time and recalls the uniform was a green jumper with a yellow blouse but the former Dominican students were allowed to wear the original brown for the remainder of the year. Therese Panariello recalls there were underground passages connecting the buildings though the sisters complained about the cost of lighting those tunnels! The high school closed in the mid 70s and now houses the grammar school. Thanks to Angela, Rod and Therese for the background info. Thanks again to Bob Reddington for the images. |
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St. Michael's 1st Communion, circa 1958 Frank Moscatelli supplied this 1st Communion photo, taken around 1958. | |
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Bob Reddington sent in these mid 1950s images of a number of the Capuchin Fathers: Fr. Godrey Leuchinger, Fr. Paschal Ahearn, Fr. Aiden Neenan, and Fr. Sigmund Haffemann. | |
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Completing the series from Bob Reddington, Fr. Anthony McInerney, Fr. Justin Joos, and Fr. Capistran Ferritto. | |
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Bob did not forget the Dominican Sisters, he supplied a picture of them as well. | |
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Liberty Ave., Looking West from Warwick and St. Michael's School Dated:1910 Maker: Wm. Fick Status: Own (RG) The school building is now currently used as an annex of P.S. 65. Around 1979 St. Michael's and St. Malachy's put the grade schools together as the St. John Neumann school. Now housed in the former high school, the name has been changed back to St. Michael's. Thanks to a current resident for the 2006 photo. |
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| St. Michael's Dance We don't have the date for this event yet, But I'm certain we will get it- Johnny Mathis and the WMCA Good Guys come to St. Michaels. These great shots come from Charles Passantino. |
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St. Michael's Dance The third picture in that series. Liz (Cerverizzo) Sanford recalls; "By the way the WMCA GOODGUYS appeared for a XMAS dance at St. Michael's the top 10 on the charts appeared, which included Vito & the Salutations. It was $1.00 dollar to get in or a toy donation for children in need. You had to be 13 (or) older to get in, I was 12, but tall and my friends got me in, I'll never forget that experience. I don't know if you are aware that one of the GoodGuys was a parishioner of St. Michael's. " Thanks to Lenore Catapano for the scan of her dance pass! |
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St. Michael's gym, 2006 The same gym, 40+ years later. Now used by the grade school. |
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St. Michael's, 1964 Thanks to Liz (Cerverizzo) Sanford for sharing her 1964 class pic and the cover of the graduation program featuring the statue of St. Michael. |
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5th grade, 1966 Thanks to Jim Kelley for his 5th grade class picture from 1966 Confirmation, 1967 Jamie Rubino sent in this confirmation pic of herself circa 1967 next to her grandmother Anna Maceli. |
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St. Michael's Graduation, 1967 Leonora Licata sent over this shot taken June 23, 1967 outside St. Michael's after graduation. The second shot was slightly damaged- taken while assembling on Jerome Street between the school and the church. |
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St. Michael's, 1970 Thanks also to Liz for this beautiful interior image of St. Michael's circa 1970 during the holiday season. | |
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125th Anniversary article Rod Maggio sent over this Daily News article from 1985 covering the 125th Anniversary. Rod notes the author, Bill Neugerbauer, was a long time parishioner and ENY resident who passed away back in 2001. | |
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| Neil Sullivan supplied the 2006 photo on the left. Vincent Luongo contributed the 2005 photo on the right of the schoolyard and a reminder of the many feasts that were a staple of the neighborhood. |