About Saint Teresa · New York, New York
Saint Teresa Parish (stteresany.org) is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of New York, located at 141 Henry Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Founded in 1863 by Irish Catholic immigrants, the parish took over the Gothic Revival building that had been erected in 1841-42 as the Rutgers Presbyterian Church on a plot donated by Colonel Henry Rutgers. St. Teresa's is a multicultural community that reflects every wave of immigration on the Lower East Side — Irish, German, Slavic, Latino and Asian — and today celebrates Mass every Sunday in English, Spanish and Chinese. The parish is still served today by the devotion of its people, after surviving a dramatic 1995 ceiling collapse and a complete renovation completed in 2002.
- Established
- 1863
- Patron
- St. Teresa of Ávila
- Rector
- Fr. Alexis Bastidas (canonically installed March 9, 2019)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New York
Why belong here
St. Teresa's welcomes families of three languages into one Lower East Side church: every Sunday the Mass schedule moves from English to Spanish to Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese. Active faith formation runs year-round for children, teens and young adults, with a charismatic prayer group, a multi-language RCIA process, sacramental preparation for baptism and First Communion, and youth and young-adult nights in the parish hall. Daily Mass in Spanish, a Friday Spanish Solemn Benediction after Exposition, and Saturday confession in the half-hour before the Vigil Mass give parishioners a steady rhythm of worship in a building rich with 1880s murals and what is said to be New York City's oldest working public clock.
Mass times at Saint Teresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM
- By request
Adoration times
- Friday: 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the main church, concluding with Solemn Benediction in Spanish)
Parish History
St. Teresa's was founded in 1863 to serve the Irish Catholic families pouring off the East River piers into the Lower East Side's tenements. The new parish took over the Gothic Revival building constructed in 1841-42 as the Rutgers Presbyterian Church on land donated by Colonel Henry Rutgers. Societies such as the St. Vincent de Paul were active from the outset, ministering to poor Irish families. The parish has mirrored every wave of immigration since: Germans and Slavs in the twentieth century, Latinos later on, and most recently Asian New Yorkers, which is why Mass is now celebrated in English, Spanish and Chinese.
- Founded 1863
- Building originally the Rutgers Presbyterian Church (1841–42)
- Hand-wound public clock — said to be the oldest working one in New York City
- Three restored 1880s murals: St. Patrick teaching the pagan kings of Ireland, St. Teresa teaching her sisters, the Crucifixion
The 1995 Ceiling Collapse and the Restoration
In 1995 the vaulted ceiling gave way and roughly 60,000 pounds of plaster fell into the basement parish hall. The congregation worshipped for months in a local synagogue while they raised only enough to fix the basement floor. Many advised closure, but Pastor Fr. Dennis Sullivan and his parishioners refused. As the Lower East Side began to gentrify in the late 1990s, the parish sold the former school lot and adjacent air rights to fund a complete renovation — new roof, salvaged interior appointments, and the painstaking restoration of three 1880s murals. The church reopened in early winter 2002 and was rededicated by Cardinal Edward Egan in early 2003.
Schools and Religious Communities
First pastor Father James Boyce established a boys' school in 1865, expanded it in 1867, and in 1872 invited the Ursuline Sisters to open the Ursuline Convent and Academy for girls. The boys' school ran until 1940, the girls' academy until 1901 (Ursulines left 1911). After the school was condemned and closed in 1942 — and later torn down — the Presentation Sisters continued to serve the parish until 1999, joined over the decades by the Cenacle Sisters, Maryknoll Sisters, Hastings Franciscans, Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, and Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine.
- Ursuline Sisters — Ursuline Convent and Academy (1872–1911)
- Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Riverdale
- Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1939–1999)
- Cenacle Sisters, Maryknoll Sisters, Hastings Franciscans, MSBT, Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine
Patroness — St. Teresa of Ávila
The patroness of the parish is St. Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582), the Carmelite reformer, Doctor of the Church, and mystic. Born in Spain to Jewish converts, she entered the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation in 1536, underwent a profound spiritual conversion in 1555, and went on to found the first Discalced Carmelite convent at St. Joseph's in 1562 against fierce opposition. She died on October 4, 1582, was canonized in 1622, and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970. Her devotional following in Catholic Europe, including Ireland, contributed to her being chosen as patroness of this Lower East Side church in 1863.
Worship Schedule
The parish runs Masses throughout the week in three languages, with a special Friday block of Exposition and Solemn Benediction. The Saturday Vigil is bilingual; Sunday Masses cycle from Chinese (Cantonese/Mandarin) to English to Spanish to Mandarin. Daily Mass is in Spanish.
- Daily Mass — Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM (Spanish)
- Saturday — 12:00 PM (Spanish); Vigil 5:30 PM (English & Spanish)
- Sunday — 9:00 AM Chinese (Cantonese/Mandarin); 10:15 AM English; 11:30 AM Spanish; 2:00 PM Chinese (Mandarin)
- Friday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament — 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM, concluding with Solemn Benediction in Spanish
- Saturday Confession — 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM, and by request
- Holy Days — 8:30 AM (Spanish); see bulletin for changes
Sacramental Preparation
Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation are prepared through a layered set of programs depending on the age of the candidate. Adults enter the RCIA, a multi-year process that culminates at the Easter Vigil; children with significant prior years of religious education receive their sacraments at the normal time; children with none are enrolled in a special RCIC program.
- Babies and children through kindergarten — parents/legal guardians arrange at the rectory (bring birth certificate)
- Baptismal preparation class for parents — second Tuesday of each month, 7:30 PM at the rectory (English)
- English-language baptisms — Saturday following the second Tuesday, 1:00 PM
- Spanish-language baptisms — Saturday following the second Tuesday, at the 12:00 PM Mass
- Children older than 5 — baptized after two years of Christian education via RCIC, normally at the Easter Vigil
- Adults — baptized, confirmed and receive First Communion at the Easter Vigil after RCIA (typically a two-year process)
First Communion
Children receive their First Communion once they have reached the age of reason (7 years old) after at least two years of religious education. Adults wishing to make their First Communion must enroll in the RCIA program for at least one year and receive the sacrament at the Easter Vigil. Enrolment is through the parish office at 212-233-0233.
Vocations — Priesthood and Diaconate
The parish publishes dedicated vocation pages pointing interested men either to the ordained priesthood (celibate) or to the Diaconate (married or celibate). Both pages direct inquirers to speak with a priest at the rectory and to the relevant Archdiocese formation programs.
- Become a Priest — contact rectory at 212-233-0233, or visit archnyvocations.org for the Archdiocese of New York vocation office
- Become a Deacon — contact the pastor at 212-233-0233, or visit the Archdiocese's Diaconate Formation program
Youth, Young Adult & Family Ministry
St. Teresa's runs an active multi-age faith-formation and community program in its Parish Hall, with weekly nights for teens (ages 11–17) and young adults (ages 18–28), seasonal family events, and Spring enrichment art classes open to the entire Lower East Side community. Activities combine faith-sharing, outings and social gathering with catechetical and sacramental milestones.
- Teens (ages 11–17): 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Parish Hall
- Young Adults (ages 18–28): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Parish Hall
- Spring semester enrichment art classes for Grades K–12 — $25 registration; open to community
- Family events: Easter Egg Hunt, Mothers Day Paint event, parish field trips
Charismatic Prayer Group
A Charismatic Prayer Group is among the listed ministries on the parish site; the page exists at stteresany.org/charismatic-group as a continuing devotional community within the parish.
Pastoral Staff
The current canonical pastor is Fr. Alexis Bastidas, canonically installed on Saturday, March 9, 2019, in a Mass to which all parishioners were invited. The site also lists Fr. Ricardo Garcia as Administrator (reachable through the rectory at 212-233-0233, [email protected]).
- Fr. Alexis Bastidas — Pastor (installed March 9, 2019)
- Fr. Ricardo Garcia — Administrator (212-233-0233, [email protected])
Contact and Visiting
The parish is situated at the corner of Henry and Rutgers Streets in Lower Manhattan, with the rectory reachable by phone or by the business email below. The website at stteresany.org lists separate pages for parish history, worship schedule, sacramental preparation, vocations, and youth ministry.
- Address: 141 Henry Street, New York, NY 10002 (corner of Rutgers Street)
- Phone: 212-233-0233
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stteresany.org
- Diocese: Archdiocese of New York
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James Boyce1863–
First pastor; established the boys' schools (1865, 1867) and invited the Ursuline Sisters to open the Ursuline Convent and Academy for girls in 1872.
- Fr. Dennis (later Monsignor) Sullivanserved until 2003
Led the parish through the 1995 ceiling collapse and the major late-1990s restoration funded by the sale of the parking lot and air rights; oversaw the church's reopening in 2002 and rededication by Cardinal Egan in 2003.
- Fr. Donald Baker2003–2015
Succeeded Monsignor Sullivan; served twelve years as pastor.
- Fr. Jose Serranoafter 2015
Succeeded Fr. Baker as pastor before Fr. Alexis Bastidas.
- Fr. Alexis Bastidasinstalled March 9, 2019–
Canonically installed as pastor on March 9, 2019; described as 'our new pastor' on the parish site.