About Our Lady of Esperanza · New York, New York
Our Lady of Esperanza is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Archdiocese of New York, located at 624 West 156th Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, between Broadway and Riverside Drive. Founded in 1912 as one of New York City's earliest Spanish-speaking Catholic parishes, it was built on land donated by Archer Milton Huntington adjacent to the Audubon Terrace cultural complex. Today the parish serves a predominantly Hispanic — mostly Dominican — community through bilingual (Spanish and English) liturgies, the Sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, and outreach ministries. The church is noted for its Beaux-Arts/American Renaissance architecture and its richly decorated 'House of Gold' interior.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- Our Lady of Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope / Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza)
- Rector
- Reverend Edward Russell (as of 2023, per Grokipedia; parish website does not currently name a pastor)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Why belong here
Our Lady of Esperanza has been the spiritual heart of Spanish-speaking Catholics in Washington Heights since 1912, and it remains so today: nearly every Mass is celebrated in Spanish, with one bilingual English/Spanish weekend Mass for newcomers and English-speaking parishioners. The parish combines a historic, architecturally celebrated 'House of Gold' sanctuary with a living Hispanic community life — including Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, Saturday confessions, ongoing outreach (such as food distribution), and devotions tied to the Archconfraternity of Prayer and Penance in Honor of the Sacred Heart (housed at the parish since 1912). For Catholics seeking a deeply rooted, bilingual, culturally Hispanic parish home in Upper Manhattan, it offers a rare continuity of more than a century.
Mass times at Our Lady of Esperanza
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Adoration times
- Friday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (First Friday of the month / Primer viernes del mes)
- Friday 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM (First Friday, per Discover Mass)
Parish History & Founding
Our Lady of Esperanza was established in 1912 as the second Spanish-speaking Catholic parish in New York City, founded through the efforts of Manuela de Laverrerie de Barril, wife of the Spanish Consul-General, and her daughter María de Barril. Railroad heir Archer Milton Huntington donated land adjacent to his Audubon Terrace cultural complex and a $25,000 building fund, with additional contributions from the Spanish community, the Vanderbilts, J. P. Morgan, and Spanish royalty. The church opened for worship on July 21, 1912, blessed by Cardinal John Farley, and was solemnly consecrated on April 19, 1913, by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas F. Cusack. The parish was entrusted to the Assumptionist Fathers (Augustinians of the Assumption), who staffed it continuously until 1982 and shaped its identity as a home for Catholics from Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and across Latin America.
- Cornerstone laid April 9, 1912, by Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle
- Opened July 21, 1912; consecrated April 19, 1913
- Early congregation: 20+ Hispanic nationalities
Architecture & Building
The church is built in the Beaux-Arts / American Renaissance style to designs by Charles P. Huntington (Archer's cousin), beginning in 1909 and completed in 1911–1912 in buff brick with terra-cotta details. The richly decorated interior — designed as a 'House of Gold' by artist Caryl Coleman — features aluminum-glazed Spanish brocade walls, a Siena marble high altar with a painting by Joaquín Sorolla, stained-glass windows of Marian mysteries and Spanish saints, fourteen Stations of the Cross by Henry E. Dey, and an Austin Opus 307 organ installed in 1912. In 1924 Lawrence G. White of McKim, Mead & White enlarged the building: he extended the recessed facade to the street line on West 156th Street, added a vestibule, and built a new rectory above, replacing the original outdoor brick stairway with a street-level entrance and indoor staircase.
- Architect (original): Charles P. Huntington, 1909
- Architect (1924 addition): Lawrence G. White of McKim, Mead & White
- High-altar painting: Joaquín Sorolla; Stations: Henry E. Dey
- Organ: Austin Opus 307 (1912)
Devotions & the Archconfraternity
Since August 15, 1912, Our Lady of Esperanza has housed the American Center of the Archconfraternity of Prayer and Penance in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion associated with the Basilica of Montmartre in Paris. By 1920 the American Center, coordinated from the parish, had over 300,000 affiliated members across religious communities, parishes, and seminaries. The parish continues to promote First Friday Adoration and traditional Hispanic Marian devotions in honor of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope).
- Archconfraternity of Prayer and Penance (Sacred Heart) — American Center, est. Aug. 15, 1912
- 300,000+ members in the American Center by 1920
- First Friday Adoration in Spanish and English
Community Outreach & Hispanic Ministry
From its earliest years Our Lady of Esperanza has served as both a spiritual and a social anchor for Washington's Heights' Hispanic community. A former pastor established the Centro Católico de Información in the early 1950s to provide Spanish-language resources and referrals, and in 1964 helped launch the Spanish-language magazine Nueva York Hispano to support Puerto Rican and other Hispanic newcomers. Today the parish continues that outreach tradition through bilingual sacramental preparation, cultural and Marian celebrations, and partnerships with local organizations — including food distribution to neighbors in need.
- Centro Católico de Información (est. early 1950s)
- Magazine: Nueva York Hispano (launched 1964)
- Food distribution ministry (current)
- Bilingual sacramental preparation
Visit, Location & Contact
Our Lady of Esperanza is located at 624 West 156th Street, New York, NY 10032, between Broadway and Riverside Drive in Washington Heights, Upper Manhattan — directly adjacent to the Audubon Terrace cultural complex (Hispanic Society of America, American Numismatic Society, etc.). The parish office can be reached by phone at (212) 283-4340, and the official website is ourladyofesperanza.org. The church sits within the Audubon Terrace Historic District and remains an active, easily accessible parish home in northern Manhattan.
- Address: 624 West 156th Street, New York, NY 10032
- Phone: (212) 283-4340
- Website: ourladyofesperanza.org
- Nearest transit: 1 train at 157th Street; MTA buses along Broadway
- Audubon Terrace Historic District (designated 1979)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Adrian Buisson (Assumptionist)1912–1952
Founding pastor; previously led Our Lady of Guadalupe (W. 14th St.); served 40 years and oversaw the 1924 expansion; retired at age 90.
- Rev. Francis Soutberg1952–1955
Succeeded Buisson as pastor.
- Rev. Bernard Guillett1955–
Assumed the pastorate in 1955.
- Rev. Monsignor Peter O'Donnelllate 20th century–2000s
Served as pastor into the 2000s.
- Rev. Edward Russellas of 2023
Current pastor; oversees ministries including food distribution partnerships.