Church of Our Saviour

There was a time I was visiting a lot of churches and reviewing them on Yelp. I even put them in a Yelp Collection. Yelpers liked to see these historic ornate houses of worship. After a while I abandoned that obsession and moved on.

This church visit was personal. Family friends had their third child and this is their church. The babies father told me the priest that performed the service also baptized their other two children. I attended those baptisms also at two different Catholic Churches. (They move churches a lot.) The reason I'm mentioning this is to note that the current Pastor of Church of Our Savior is flexible. The priest that performed the baptism was welcomed. They do have certain Sundays they schedule baptisms so you need to call and plan ahead.

As you can see this is a small church. It's beautiful. They had doors on both sides that were open this beautiful January day. It brought nature inside and kept the indoor temperature nice and cool!

The ceremony was well prepared. The candle lighting and other baptismal activities went smooth. It was wonderful that all the family members attended. Most if all, the baby was beautiful and didn't cry!

So there you have it. Another Catholic Church on Park Avenue. You can look up the church history. I know I will!

A wonderful parish under the inspiring example and fine, hardworking, and skillful management of Fr. Rutler, who rebuilt the physical plant and organ, fundraised the parish's bankrupt finances to solvency, restored Latin to the Novus Ordo Mass as well as the traditional Latin Mass, and commissioned an immensely beautiful array of iconic art.

Now, under the pastoral mismanagement of Fr. Robert J. Robbins, the church's financial reserves have long since been squandered, much of the iconic art has been removed (to who knows where), Latin is no longer heard at Mass, and other desecrations (e.g. Robbins removed the crucifix from the altar so that the congregation could see his face) have occurred.

As the American writer, George Ade, once wrote, "Is it not Sad to see a pin-headed Rake dissipating a Large Fortune built up by some one who Walked to save Car Fare?"

It is appropriate that the Latin name for the American Robin is "Turdus Migratorious".

SHAME!

Pretty nice church, it has real flame candles! Which is great. It's beautifully ornate and has calm and welcoming atmosphere. It's also close to grand central

Last summer, I had the distinct pleasure of singing Gregorian Chant for the nuptial Mass (sung Mass, Latin Rite 1962 Missal) of two of my friends from college*, as well as listening to the parish's organist work his magic on the manuals and pedals of the church's pipe organ (no electronic burp box here).

This church is also famous for its pastor Fr. George Rutler. Besides being featured on the EWTN Catholic cable network, he is an excellent homilist who offers the Mass with great care.

*Read about the hoops that my friends went through to have this ceremony take place here: http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110009129

This is one of the most beautiful parishes in Manhattan. Father Robbins is kind and down to earth. Paul, the musical director, is such a talent. These people writing these negative reviews should revisit their so-called Christian values. When you walk-in, you instantly find calm and a sense of peace. This church is a gem in this bustling city.

I made a random stop here on Palm Sunday this year as part of a self-guided architecture tour. I'm ever so lapsed, but something about the soaring architecture, the majestic organ playing, and the diversity of the congregation gave me a little twinge of guilt. Plus it made me remember how much I enjoyed going to Mass around Easter time, mostly because it meant wearing a brand-new outfit and a hat. My parents would let me carry the Palms, which would later be wound into an oval shape by my mom and hung under the kitchen calendar featuring Jesus' greatest hits (Wedding of Cana, wine into water, etc. etc.).

People smiled at me as they walked back from Communion, and I smiled back. it was a beautiful spring day in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I wasn't going to tarnish an iota of my good feeling by letting my jesuitical cynicism hold sway. Instead, I carried the message from the peace handshake with me throughout the day...and a warm place in my heart for this beautiful architectural gem.

I ducked into this church today and caught the tail end of their 9 AM Sunday Mass, which is said in Latin. Although I'd have to come back and experience the whole thing in order to give a really proper review of it, I can say that what I did experience was gorgeous. The choir sings in Latin. Everything is done in Latin. The incense is going. What I saw was spectacular, and I'd never experienced a Latin Mass before. It made me want to go to one every week, even though I didn't understand a word. Bravo, Church of Our Saviour! Bravo!

Note: several women at the Latin Mass were wearing head coverings, which I'd never seen at the regular Masses I'd attended here and rarely see in general. I'm not suggesting that fellow Yelpers should wear a head covering if they come to Latin Mass here - it's all about personal preference - but it's something to be aware of if you do decide to show up.

My mother and aunt went to this church after it was one of the only Catholic ones in the area that I could find information for...

So it gets 4 stars from me for being close to our hotel, really gorgeous inside, and ACCESSIBLE - they had plenty of mass times on Sunday to choose from, I could look up info on the internet, and it was easy to call and get mass times. Can't say that for other parishes...

We'll definitely come here when we're staying in town!

This parish is, unfortunately, a shell of its former self. The stunning and award-winning icons of local artist Ken Jan Woo that once adorned it have been, mostly, removed by the new pastor. (The icons can be seen in all their glory with a simple Google search.) The parish is being stripped of its ornamentation with the stated goal of restoring its original architecture. As someone who knows first-hand what the parish looked like prior to Mr. Woo's years of hard work, it is nothing worth returning to. Notably, the (poorly done) acrylic mural of the Transfiguration behind the altar was beyond repair, with much of it lying on the ground in ruin. It is a shame that a once vibrant parish has gone down-hill so fast.

Beautiful church with a great pastor and great music.

Conveniently located near grand central.