SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE
CATHOLIC CHURCH

Lexington Avenue at 76th Street, New York City

A Virtual Tour

Église Saint Jean Baptiste was founded in 1882 as a national parish for the French Canadian population of the Yorkville area.  It quickly became a spiritual center embracing many nationalities, as it does today.  The faith community which gathers here is as diverse as the city of New York itself.

THE CHURCH EDIFICE

The present church building opened in the spring of 1913.  Its design, drawn up by Nicholas Serracino, won first prize at the International Exhibition in Turin, Italy, in 1911.  The architectural style of the church is of Italian Renaissance classical revival, with twin towers of 150 feet rising above the facade and a central dome soaring 175 feet above the floor level of the church.  A major restoration of the exterior and interior of the church was completed in late November 1997 during the pastorate of Father John A. Kamas.  The church was consecrated by Cardinal Edward M. Egan on December 6, 2007, at the conclusion of the parish's 125th anniversary celebration.

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

Upon entering the church from the northwest (near 76th Street), you immediately see an imposing statue of the parish's patron, the prophet John the Baptist.  This was moved to its present location from the lower church (now the Saint Jean Baptiste Community Center), and is perhaps the finest sculpture in the church.  It depicts the Baptist holding a cruciform staff with a lamb hoof around his neck and a lamb at his feet.  It was John who called Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).  The baptismal font nearby is patterned on one which stood in the 1882 church.

THE ALTAR TABLE

Beneath the dome stands the stately altar of sacrifice on which the Eucharist is celebrated.  It is here, too, that exposition of the Blessed Sacrament occurs during daytime hours, for prayerful contemplation.  Catholics believe that Christ is truly present in the bread and wine following the blessing or consecration at Mass.  The marble of the altar is from the main altar that was located in the lower church.  The sacred monogram IHS, inscribed on the frontal of the altar, incorporates the first three letters of the name Jesus in Greek.  The Scriptures are proclaimed from the ambo (pulpit) to the right, a table supported by a bronze angel.  The altar was consecrated by Bishop William J. McCormack on February 1, 1998.

THE HIGH ALTAR

To the back of the sanctuary is the high altar, testimony to the Catholic Church's long tradition of Eucharistic belief and practice.  The altar, nearly 50 feet in height and entirely of Italian materials and workmanship, is mostly of fawn-colored marble with a variety of marbles and mosaics.  The two life-size marble statues on either side of the altar's half-dome, as well as the figures set in gold mosaic, are of saints who were noted for their devotion to the Eucharist.

THE SIDE ALTARS

The side altars, of white marble with a series of columns supporting a gold mosaic half-dome, were the only other altars envisioned in the original plans of the church.  The altar to the left of the chancel is dedicated to Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus.  Made of Carrara marble and sculpted at the Vatican studios, it depicts Mary under her title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.  The consecrated bread, the sacramental presence of Christ, is kept in the tabernacle beneath the statue of Our Lady.  The altar to the right honors Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus.

THE SHRINE OF SAINT ANNE

Situated at the back of the church in the south wall is the Shrine of Saint Anne, which evinces a devotion to the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary that began at Saint Jean's in 1892 and continues to draw large numbers of people from throughout the city.  The statue of Saint Anne and the child Mary was created by Italian sculptor Luca F. Vescia from the finest Carrara marble early in the twentieth century.

THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

The stained glass windows of the church are some of the finest in the city, having been crafted in Chartres, France, before the outbreak of World War I.  The topmost windows above the cornice portray, for the most part, scenes from the Old Testament, while the lower windows in the bays of the nave depict scenes from the Gospels.  The windows picturing non-biblical scenes portray incidents in church history that relate to the Eucharist.  Though somewhat difficult to appreciate because of their height, but of no lesser quality than the others, the windows of the dome depict the twelve apostles.

All of the major windows and many of the secondary windows were fabricated and installed by Ch. Lorin of Chartres from 1914-1919.  The restoration of the windows in the late 1990s was done by Patrick Clark, from Long Island, and his crew.  Much of the actual cleaning and restoration took place in a workshop specially constructed in the dome of the church for the project.

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

The fourteen stations of the cross, devotional images for contemplating the redemptive passion and death of Jesus, are situated on the north and south walls of the church.  These mosaic tableaux, framed in marble, were fashioned in Europe and are fine examples of the art of mosaic composition.

CHOIR STALLS, CONFESSIONALS, AND PEWS

Most of the wooden furnishings of the church are of solid oak.  The stalls of the sanctuary, in particular, are of note; they are of Belgian origin and exemplify the highest quality in design and craftsmanship.

MORE THAN A BUILDING

A church is, of course, more than a building.  We who form the community of Saint Jean Baptiste Parish seek to live the Catholic Christian faith in the fullness envisioned by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), with the Eucharist at the center of our lives.

We will make our parishes
into authentic communities
shaped by the Eucharist,
source and center of their life.
They shall be:
places of proclamation and
the living of the Gospel;
places of prayer, Eucharistic adoration,
and festive celebration;
places of sharing and fellowship;
places of freedom
and human development.

Want a permanent reminder of the magnificence of this house of worship?  Église de Saint Jean Baptiste is a beautifully illustrated book detailing the history and grandeur of Saint Jean's from its construction, through the restoration, to the present.  Hardbound edition ($50), plus shipping and handling ($7.50). 

The Parish Office has available two mementos of our Jubilation Year (2007).  The first is a 6” replica of the magnificent statue of Saint John the Baptist near the baptismal font.  Finely crafted in resin, the statue was custom designed for Saint Jean Baptiste’s 125th anniversary and replicates every detail of the original statue, even to the off-white coloring of the marble.  Cost is only $15, plus shipping and handling ($7.50).  The second is a sturdy coffee mug emblazoned with the yellow, red, and blue Jubilation! logo.  These are $2 each or three for $5.

In 2008, the Archdiocese of New York celebrates its bicentennial.  Our Parish Office also has copies of Empire State Catholics: A History of the Catholic Community in New York State for purchase.  It contains dozens of articles and hundreds of photos related to every facet of the history, presence, and ministry of the Catholic Church in the state ― from Greater New York to the Canadian border and western regions.  Cost is $30, plus shipping and handling ($7.50).

Call the Parish Office at 212.288.5082.

©2005-2008 Église Saint Jean Baptiste
184 East 76th Street    New York, NY 10021    Phone: 212.288.5082    Facsimile: 212.717.8397