Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne

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The Former Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne
Old Church of St Joachim and St Anne - Mt Loretto - Staten Island - Aug 2015.JPG
The facade of the church, built in 1891
General information
Town or cityStaten Island, New York
CountryUnited States
Completedc.1891
ClientArchdiocese of New York
Technical details
Structural systemMasonry
Design and construction
Architect(s)Benjamin E. Lowe

The Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne is a historic Roman Catholic church building located in the Pleasant Plains area of Staten Island in New York City. It is located north of Hylan Boulevard between Page Avenue and Richard Avenue, in the southern part of the island, near the Atlantic Ocean and Tottenville.

The church from a distant hilltop

It was constructed in 1891 on the grounds of Mount Loretto, an institution founded by Father John Drumgoole to house destitute street children who were living on the streets of the city. The church principally served the children and staff of that institution. Mount Loretto was conceived as a farm and at the time of its construction the church stood in a rural area.[1]

Father Drumgoole statue, and bells taken from the church after the 1973 fire, stand in front of the church

In 1972, the church was one of the locations used in the movie The Godfather. In 1973, a serious fire largely destroyed the church, leaving only its facade. The owner of the church, the Archdiocese of New York, rebuilt it in 1976, incorporating the facade into the new structure.[2][3][4]

The church is not listed as a parish on the website of the archdiocese.[5] It appears to be in good condition though it may not be in regular use as of 2015. Mount Loretto, officially known as the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, continues to use the surrounding property for various of its social service programs, including some residential programs.[6] A small plaza in front of the church features bells saved from the steeples of the church during the 1973 fire and an 1891 statue of Father Drumgoole by sculptor Robert Cushing.[7]

The church is currently the tallest building in Staten Island.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Thousands Were There". New York Times. September 14, 1891. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  2. ^ Gupte, Pranay (October 18, 1976). "Cooke Leads Rejoicing as Staten Island Church 'Rises' From Ashes of a Fire". New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  3. ^ "There's Something Wrong With This Staten Island Church". ScoutingNY.com. January 13, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  4. ^ "Staten Island Gems – The Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne, Pleasant Plains". SILive.com. July 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  5. ^ "Parish Finder". Archdiocese of New York. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  6. ^ "MountLoretto.org". MountLoretto.org. The Mission of the Immaculate Virgin. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  7. ^ "Robert Cushing's Art" (PDF). New York Times. March 29, 1896. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  8. ^ "Staten Island Buildings". Emporis. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2022.

Coordinates: 40°30′42″N 74°13′15″W / 40.51167°N 74.22083°W / 40.51167; -74.22083


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