About Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace · Brooklyn, New York
Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace is the only Catholic parish serving Coney Island, Brooklyn, founded in 1900 and designated a Roman Shrine with the privilege of the Portiuncula Indulgence by Pope St. Pius X in 1905. Located at 2866 West 17th Street in the Gravesend/Coney Island neighborhood, it is the spiritual home of a diverse, bilingual (English/Spanish) Eucharistic community ministered since 2012 by the Vocationist Fathers (Society of Divine Vocations, S.D.V.). The parish survives both a century of urban change and the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and it continues to welcome the crowds who live on or visit the famous seaside neighborhood.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- Our Lady of Solace (Madonna del Consolazione / Nostra Signora del Consolazione)
- Rector
- Rev. Eric Ugochukwu, S.D.V. (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brooklyn
Why belong here
Our Lady of Solace is the only Catholic parish in Coney Island, which gives it a unique mission: serving both year-round residents and the visitors who pour into Brooklyn's famous seaside neighborhood. It is a bilingual English/Spanish Eucharistic community with daily Mass, perpetual weekday Eucharistic Adoration (9:00 AM to 4:00 PM), Tuesday and First Friday Exposition and Benediction, a weekly Saturday Novena to Our Lady of Solace, and the rare Portiuncula Indulgence granted by Pius X to anyone who visits. The parish is also a living link to Catholic Coney Island history, with its 1917 Eucharistic hand chimes still ringing, Stations of the Cross from the original church, and a belfry made from timbers of the original Loop-the-Loop and housing the old Steeplechase Park bell.
Mass times at Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 4:00–4:45 PM (in the church, before the Vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the Adoration Chapel
- Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament: 6:00 PM on Tuesdays and on the First Friday of each month
Welcome to Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace
Since 1900, Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace has been the only Catholic Faith Community in Coney Island. The parish describes itself as 'a Eucharistic community proclaiming in Word and Sacrament, the Life, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,' committed to welcoming everyone who comes to live on or visit Brooklyn's famous seaside neighborhood. The parish is bilingual English/Spanish and serves a diverse population through daily Mass, perpetual weekday adoration, and a wide range of ministries.
Our Parish History
The parish was founded on November 4, 1900 (Feast of St. Charles Borromeo) in a former dance and beer hall called the Palm Garden, and relocated to its present Mermaid Avenue campus in 1902. In 1905, founding pastor Rev. Joseph Francis Brophy obtained the Portiuncula Indulgence from Pope St. Pius X, making it a recognized Roman Shrine. The present Spanish neo-Romanesque church, designed by Robert J. Reiley, was dedicated on the Solemnity of the Assumption, August 15, 1925. Since 2012 the parish has been administered by the Vocationist Fathers (Society of Divine Vocations, S.D.V.).
- 1900: First Mass celebrated in the abandoned Palm Garden dance hall
- 1901: 26 lots acquired on West 17th Street and Mermaid Avenue; dance hall rolled to the new site
- 1902 (Aug. 31): Relocated church dedicated by Bishop Charles Edward McDonnell
- 1905: Pope St. Pius X grants Shrine status and the Portiuncula Indulgence
- 1908: Death of founding pastor Dr. Joseph F. Brophy at age 39
- 1916: New rectory opened; 1917: school; 1919: convent
- 1925 (Aug. 15): Present Shrine Church dedicated on the Feast of the Assumption
- 1957: ABC 'Crossroads' airs 'Coney Island Wedding' episode starring Dick Foran
- 2012 (Jan.): Vocationist Fathers (S.D.V.) assume administration of the parish
- 2012 (Oct.): Hurricane Sandy devastates parish; church reopens within days for Mass
- 2015: Major renovation; 1917 Eucharistic hand chimes restored
Our Parish Staff
The parish is staffed by Vocationist Fathers (Society of Divine Vocations, S.D.V.) and lay collaborators in liturgy, religious education, and administration.
- Rev. Eric Ugochukwu, S.D.V. — Parish Administrator
- Rev. Thomas Kuttikkatt, S.D.V. — Parochial Vicar
- Ms. Abigail Gonzalez — Parish Secretary
- Ms. Anna Sue Ambrosio — Administrative Assistant
- Ms. Karla Ponce — Administrative Assistant
- Mrs. Maria Garces — Director of Religious Education
- Mr. Robert Weigel — Director of Music
- Mr. Celestino Reyes — Parish Maintenance
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education for children and adults preparing for the sacraments is coordinated by Mrs. Maria Garces, the parish Director of Religious Education. The program prepares students for First Eucharist, Confirmation, and ongoing catechesis, and supports families in bilingual (English/Spanish) faith formation. Inquiries and registration are handled through the Parish Office.
- Director of Religious Education: Mrs. Maria Garces
- First Eucharist and Confirmation preparation
- Family catechesis in English and Spanish
Music and Liturgy
Liturgical music is led by Director of Music Mr. Robert Weigel. The parish is also home to a set of Eucharistic hand chimes first gifted in 1917; after more than a decade of disuse they were carefully repaired and restored during the 2015 renovation and are still rung at Sunday Masses.
- Director of Music: Mr. Robert Weigel
- Sunday parish choir
- 1917 Eucharistic hand chimes (restored 2015)
Outreach and Charity
The parish runs a weekly Food Pantry on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Russolillo Parish Center, with pickup at the rectory basement entrance (closed on national holidays). The pantry serves Coney Island residents in need and reflects the parish's mission to a neighborhood that mixes year-round residents with millions of seasonal visitors. The parish also participates annually in the Diocese of Brooklyn's Annual Catholic Appeal.
- Monday Food Pantry: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Russolillo Parish Center
- Pickup at the rectory basement entrance
- Participation in the Annual Catholic Appeal
The Vocationist Fathers
Since January 2012 the parish has been administered by the Society of Divine Vocations (Vocationist Fathers, S.D.V.), a religious congregation founded in Naples, Italy, by Rev. Justin Russolillo to provide affordable religious formation for those called to religious life. Our Lady of Solace is the Vocationists' first community in New York State. The former convent chapel on the parish campus was renovated into the Our Lady of Divine Vocations Chapel, where weekday Masses and daily Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament are celebrated.
- Founded in Naples, Italy, by Rev. Justin Russolillo
- First Vocationist community in New York State
- Our Lady of Divine Vocations Chapel (former convent chapel)
- Daily Exposition in the Adoration Chapel
Holy Family Memorial Garden
The Holy Family Memorial Garden is the parish cemetery and memorial columbarium located on the parish grounds. It provides Catholic burial and memorialization options for parishioners and their families.
The Shrine Statue and Parish Hymn
Two cherished devotions of the parish are highlighted on the parish website: the Shrine Statue of Our Lady of Solace and the parish's own hymn. The hymn and statue both reflect the parish's 1905 identity as a Roman Shrine with the Portiuncula Indulgence, granted personally by Pope St. Pius X at the request of founding pastor Dr. Joseph F. Brophy.
- Shrine Statue of Our Lady of Solace
- Parish Hymn
- Portiuncula Indulgence granted 1905
Travel Directions and Visiting
The parish provides a dedicated Travel Directions page on its website. The Shrine Church sits at the corner of West 17th Street and Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn, within walking distance of the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue subway terminal (D, F, N, Q lines) and the B36, B64, B68, B74, and B82 MTA local bus routes. The Parish Office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed on weekends and national holidays.
- Parish Office: Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Closed Saturday, Sunday, and national holidays
- Travel Directions page on olsbrooklyn.com
2015 Renovation
Throughout 2015 the Shrine Church underwent an extensive renovation, documented in a photo gallery on the parish website. The renovation culminated in a Dedication ceremony and included the restoration of the parish's historic 1917 Eucharistic hand chimes, which were returned to use at Sunday Masses.
- May 2015: Renovation phase
- October 2015: Renovation phase
- November 2015: Renovation phase
- December 2015: Renovation phase
- Restoration of 1917 Eucharistic hand chimes
- Dedication ceremony
History Highlights
Our Lady of Solace is more than a parish — it is a piece of New York City Catholic and Coney Island history. Its founder, Dr. Joseph F. Brophy, was immortalized on ABC's 'Crossroads' in 1957; its bell tower was built from timbers of Coney Island's first Loop-the-Loop ride; and the parish remains the only Catholic faith community serving the neighborhood.
- 1957 'Coney Island Wedding' episode of ABC's Crossroads
- Belfry built from Loop-the-Loop timbers
- Original Steeplechase Park fire bell
- Only Catholic parish in Coney Island
Masses for Holy Days of Obligation
Mass times for Holy Days of Obligation are posted on the parish's online Parish Calendar; national holiday Masses are celebrated at 9:00 AM in English.
- See Parish Calendar on olsbrooklyn.com
- National Holidays: 9:00 AM (English)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Francis Brophy, D.D.1900–1908
Founding pastor; Brooklyn-born; nicknamed 'The Apostle of Coney Island'; obtained Shrine status and Portiuncula Indulgence from Pope St. Pius X in 1905; died of pneumonia in September 1908 at age 39.
- Monsignor Alphonsus Areese1908–1914
Previously pastor of Our Lady of Pompeii; served the parish until 1914.
- Rev. Walter Aloysius Kerwin1914–
Succeeded Msgr. Areese in 1914; built the rectory (1916), school (1917), convent (1919), and the present church dedicated August 15, 1925.
- Rev. Armando Palmieri, S.D.V.2012–
First Vocationist pastor; took over parish in 2012 from the Diocese of Brooklyn; led recovery from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012; converted the convent chapel into Our Lady of Divine Vocations Chapel.
- Fr. West (last name not on public site)ended 2011
Diocesan pastor whose successful tenure led Bishop DiMarzio to transfer him to Corpus Christi, Woodside, Queens, in 2011 to turn that parish around.