Saint Michael’s Roman Catholic Church

What secrets does a church hold when it moves not once, but twice? Saint Michael’s Roman Catholic Church on West 34th Street in Manhattan has such a story. This isn’t the church’s first home. In fact, it’s its third. Saint Michael’s parish began in 1857, born from St. Columba and Holy Cross Churches. Its first building, designed by its founding pastor, Father Arthur J. Donnelly, and architect T.S. Wall, graced 31st Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. It was a grand structure, 80 feet wide and 200 feet long, boasting a towering stone facade. Inside, Munich stained glass windows cast colorful light, and an Erben organ filled the air with music. Sadly, this magnificence met a tragic end in 1892, ravaged by a devastating fire. The church rose again on 32nd Street, designed by Lawrence J. O’Connor, incorporating the salvaged tower and adding a new Indiana limestone facade. A higher roof, vaulted ceilings, and a new Odell organ marked this second incarnation of Saint Michael’s. But its time here was short-lived. The Pennsylvania Railroad’s plans for Penn Station sealed its fate once more. In 1904, Saint Michael’s began its final journey, its limestone facade, altar, stained glass, and even the Odell organ carefully transported to its current location on 34th Street. The firm of Napoleon LeBrun & Sons oversaw this resurrection, completing the new Romanesque-style church in 1907. The church also boasted a spacious basement chapel capable of accommodating 2,000 people. More recently, in 2019, Saint Michael’s received a beautiful new red oak baldachin, a testament to the church’s continuing evolution. Over the years, Saint Michael’s has been more than just bricks and mortar. It has fostered numerous religious vocations, and even housed a shrine to Our Lady of Aradin, dedicated to persecuted Christians. So, the next time you pass Saint Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, remember its incredible journey. It’s a symbol of resilience and faith, a testament to a community that refused to let its spirit be extinguished, even when its building was moved, not once, but twice.