About Notre Dame · New York, New York
The Church of Notre Dame is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, founded in 1910 by the French Fathers of Mercy as a mission chapel devoted to Our Lady of Lourdes. It became an independent parish in 1919 and grew into one of New York's most beautiful French Neo-classical churches, distinguished by a life-sized replica of the Lourdes grotto built into the sanctuary. Since 2022 it has been merged with nearby Corpus Christi Church into the Parish of Corpus Christi and Notre Dame, and remains the center of French-language Catholicism in the Archdiocese of New York as well as the home of Columbia Catholic Ministry through the Thomas Merton Institute for Catholic Life. Masses are celebrated in English, French, and Spanish across the two church sites.
- Established
- 1910 (as mission chapel); 1919 (independent parish)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. Peter A. Heasley, S.Th.D.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Why belong here
Notre Dame offers something rare in New York: a historic landmark church in Morningside Heights that serves a genuinely trilingual Catholic community — English, French, and Spanish — under one roof of the merged Parish of Corpus Christi and Notre Dame. Parishioners can worship at a Lourdes grotto replica with water continuously supplied from the miraculous spring, attend Mass in French accompanied by the Chorale Sainte Marie Reine, and send children to religious education in either English or French. The parish also hosts Columbia Catholic Ministry through the Thomas Merton Institute, hospital chaplaincy at St. Luke's and Amsterdam Nursing Home, and daily Eucharistic Adoration. It is a place where devotion to Our Lady, intellectual life, ethnic diversity, and service to neighbors converge.
Mass times at Notre Dame
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:50 PM at Corpus Christi
- Monday–Friday 11:05 AM–12:00 PM at Notre Dame
- Confession also available by request
Adoration times
- Saturday 9:30–10:30 AM at Corpus Christi
- Monday–Friday 11:00 AM–12:00 PM at Notre Dame
History of the Church of Notre Dame
Notre Dame began in 1910 as a mission chapel of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, entrusted to the French Fathers of Mercy to serve Morningside Heights' French-speaking immigrants. The grotto chapel was dedicated by Archbishop Farley on October 2, 1910; the larger church followed on February 11, 1915. Notre Dame became an independent parish in 1919 and grew into the present French Neo-classical edifice through the 1920s and 1930s, gaining a Casavant organ, a Carrara marble altar, and a matching set of liturgical furnishings designed by French artist Edmond Becker. In 1960 responsibility transferred from the Fathers of Mercy to the Archdiocese of New York; the church and rectory became NYC Landmarks in 1967 and were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Polish Dominican Province administered the parish from 2003 to 2011. In 2022 Cardinal Dolan merged Notre Dame with Corpus Christi Church into the Parish of Corpus Christi and Notre Dame.
- 1910 — Mission chapel founded by the Fathers of Mercy; grotto dedicated October 2
- 1913 — Affiliated with the Sanctuary of Our Lady in Lourdes; Lourdes water sent continuously
- 1915 — Enlarged church dedicated on February 11 (Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes)
- 1919 — Becomes an independent parish
- 1925 — Inauguration of the Casavant Brothers organ from Quebec
- 1960 — Transfer of responsibility from Fathers of Mercy to the Archdiocese of New York
- 1967 — Designated a New York City Landmark
- 1980 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 2003–2011 — Administered by the Polish Province of the Dominican Order
- 2022 — Merged with Corpus Christi Church under Cardinal Dolan's decree
- 2023 — Thomas Merton Institute opens in the former Notre Dame rectory on February 11
The Lourdes Grotto and Devotion to Our Lady
Throughout its history Notre Dame has remained a center of devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. The beautiful grotto behind the main altar is a replica of the grotto in Lourdes where the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858. It marks the place of Notre Dame's first altar and was the focal point of the original chapel; today it stands behind the church's main altar as the defining spiritual element of the community. Since 1913 water from the miraculous spring at Lourdes has been sent directly to Notre Dame and has been continuously available to the faithful. Notre Dame is also the center of French-language Catholicism for the entire Archdiocese of New York.
- Life-sized replica of the Lourdes grotto
- Lourdes water continuously available since 1913
- Center of French-language Catholicism in the Archdiocese of New York
- Patroness: Our Lady of Lourdes; Feast Day February 11
Architecture and Historic Designation
The Church of Notre Dame is a French Neo-classical edifice designed in two stages: the 1910 sanctuary by the firm of Daus & Otto, and the 1914 nave, facade, and rectory by Cross & Cross. The architects modeled the church on French antecedents, including the church that serves as Napoleon's final resting place. The interior features white marble and gilt-bronze furnishings by French sculptor Edmond Becker — altar, pulpit, and Communion rail — with an eight-foot-high Crucifix flanked by the Blessed Mother and St. John, and bas-reliefs of the Annunciation, Nativity, and Coronation of Mary. A planned dome was never completed; the present shallow dome was added later. Both the church and the rectory are New York City Landmarks and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Style: French Neo-classical
- Architects: Daus & Otto (1910 sanctuary); Cross & Cross (1914 nave, facade, rectory)
- Furnishings by Edmond Becker (white marble and gilt bronze)
- NYC Landmark designation: January 24, 1967 (No. 0300 church, 0301 rectory)
- National Register of Historic Places: May 6, 1980 (NRHP No. 80002678)
Religious Education and Faith Formation
The parish runs a Religious Education program for children that supports families in growing closer to God through prayer, Scripture, sacramental preparation, and parish life. Classes are taught in English and in French. The Aumônerie Catholique de Manhattan welcomes around 150 French-speaking children each year, ages 6 to 17, and follows a religious education program in French; as of September 2024 its classes and monthly French-speaking Family Mass are held at St. Monica's Church on the Upper East Side. Coordinator of Religious Education: Lucy Cortright ([email protected]).
- Religious Education (English) — Lucy Cortright, Coordinator
- Aumônerie Catholique de Manhattan — French-language catechesis for ages 6–17
- Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
- Monthly French-speaking Family Mass
Columbia Catholic Ministry and the Thomas Merton Institute
Since 1988 Catholic Campus Ministry at Columbia University has been part of the mission of Notre Dame Parish. Today Columbia Catholic Ministry (CCM) operates out of the Thomas Merton Institute for Catholic Life, which opened on February 11, 2023 in the renovated ground floor of the former Notre Dame rectory at 405 West 114th Street. Founded in 2021 by three Catholic laymen, the Thomas Merton Institute is named after the most famous Catholic alumnus of Columbia and aims to provide spiritual, liturgical, intellectual, and human formation for Catholic students, faculty, and alumni. Fr. John Wilson serves as chaplain, appointed by Cardinal Dolan. CCM hosts a weekly Sunday Mass and Sunday Supper, Tuesday family dinners, daily adoration and Mass, lectures, pilgrimages, service opportunities, and social events. The Institute's chaplain is also parochial vicar at the Parish of Corpus Christi and Notre Dame.
- Columbia Catholic Ministry (CCM) — student fellowship at Columbia
- Thomas Merton Institute for Catholic Life — opened February 11, 2023 in the former Notre Dame rectory
- Chaplain: Rev. John Wilson, S.Th.D. (Cand.)
- Sunday Mass, Sunday Supper, Tuesday family dinners, daily adoration
- Lectures, pilgrimages, service and social activities
- Namesake: Thomas Merton, Columbia alumnus and Catholic writer
Music and Liturgy
Notre Dame is renowned for its French-language liturgical music, served by the Chorale Sainte Marie Reine which accompanies the Sunday French Mass. The parish's Director of Music is Dr. Kalle Toivio. The 1925 Casavant Brothers organ from Quebec anchors the liturgy. The 10:30 AM French Mass and the Sunday Choral Mass at Corpus Christi at 12:00 PM are the parish's signature musical celebrations. Liturgy is offered in English, French, and Spanish across the two church sites, and major feasts and Holy Week services are celebrated trilingually.
- Chorale Sainte Marie Reine — French liturgical choir
- Director of Music: Dr. Kalle Toivio
- 1925 Casavant Brothers organ (Quebec)
- 12:00 PM Sunday Choral Mass at Corpus Christi
Hospital Chaplaincy and Outreach
Notre Dame's community has long included pastoral ministry at St. Luke's Hospital (part of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System) and the nearby Amsterdam Nursing Home. Rev. Emmanuel Okpalauwaekwe serves as Hospital Chaplain for the parish. As one of the parish's foundational outreach commitments, this ministry brings the sacraments and pastoral care to the sick and elderly in Morningside Heights. In 1936 the Notre Dame Study Club — a lay organization of the parish — became the first parish group in the country to call on every Catholic parish to support social justice for Black Americans, an early witness to the parish's commitment to social outreach.
- Hospital Chaplain: Rev. Emmanuel Okpalauwaekwe
- Pastoral ministry at St. Luke's / NewYork-Presbyterian and Amsterdam Nursing Home
- 1936 Notre Dame Study Club — pioneering call for racial social justice
Visiting Notre Dame
Notre Dame sits at the corner of Morningside Drive and West 114th Street in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan, directly adjacent to the Columbia University campus. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and is closed on national holidays. The church is a designated New York City Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and visitors are welcome to pray before the Lourdes Grotto replica behind the main altar.
- Address: 40 Morningside Drive / 405 West 114th Street, New York, NY 10025
- Phone: (212) 666-9350
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Websites: ccnd-nyc.org and ndparish.org
- Morningside Heights, Manhattan — near Columbia University
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Maurice Reynauld, S.P.M.1910–1918
First administrator; affiliated Notre Dame with the Sanctuary of Our Lady in Lourdes in 1913; died in France during World War I.