About Transfiguration and St. James/St. Joseph Parish · New York, New York
Transfiguration and St. James/St. Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish located at 29 Mott Street in the Chinatown neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City, under the authority of the Archdiocese of New York. Founded in 1827 by the Cuban-born priest Rev. Félix Varela y Morales as the fourth Catholic parish on Manhattan, it is the oldest Catholic parish in the city with continuous service. Known as the 'Church of Immigrants,' it has welcomed successive waves of Irish, Italian, and now predominantly Chinese congregants, and today offers Mass in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. It has been staffed by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers since the mid-20th century and was merged in 2015 with the parishes of St. James and St. Joseph to form its present combined configuration.
- Established
- 1827
- Patron
- The Transfiguration of the Lord (with St. James the Apostle and St. Joseph as co-patrons of the merged parish)
- Rector
- Rev. Roger Kwan
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Why belong here
Transfiguration is the largest Chinese Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of New York and welcomes worshippers of every background — it has been called the 'Church of Immigrants' since its founding because each generation of newcomers (Irish, Italian, and now Chinese from Cantonese-, Mandarin-, and Fujianese-speaking regions) has been embraced at the doors of 29 Mott Street. Visitors can attend Mass in three languages each week, send their children to the historic Transfiguration School (a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School open to children of all faiths since 1969), and join in distinctive community traditions such as the annual Assumption Procession through Chinatown, begun in 1994 by Fujianese immigrants. The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, with their worldwide mission experience, staff the parish and continue a 19th-century tradition of missionary welcome.
Mass times at Transfiguration and St. James/St. Joseph Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 30 minutes before each Sunday Mass (per parish schedule)
Parish History
The parish traces its origins to 1827, when the Rev. Félix Varela y Morales purchased the former Episcopalian 'Christ Church' on Ann Street to serve as the fourth Catholic parish established on Manhattan. The congregation successively occupied a former Scottish Presbyterian church on Chambers Street (from 1836) and, in 1853, the present building on Mott Street — making Transfiguration the unusual case of a Catholic parish that has lived in three different buildings, each originally built as a Protestant house of worship. The bilingual parish history page (English / 堂區歷史) celebrates 'the uninterrupted Christian service of this Church of Immigrants,' from Irish and Italian immigrant congregations in the 19th and early 20th centuries to today's predominantly Chinese community.
- 1827 — Rev. Félix Varela founds the parish on Ann Street
- 1836 — Congregation moves to Chambers Street
- January 28, 1853 — Archbishop John Hughes purchases the Zion Protestant Episcopal Church on Mott Street
- 1957 — St. Joachim's merges into St. Joseph's
- 2007 — St. James and St. Joseph merge to form St. Joseph/St. James Parish
- 2015 — St. Joseph/St. James merges with Transfiguration to form today's combined parish
Three Buildings, One Parish
According to the parish history page and the building's National Register listing, the Mott Street church was constructed in 1801 as a German Lutheran church, consecrated as Zion Protestant Episcopal Church in 1810, and acquired by Archbishop John Hughes for the Catholic Diocese of New York in 1853. It is a designated New York City Landmark (No. 0085) and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Georgian Gothic structure features a steeple and alterations designed in 1868 by Henry Engelbert.
- Built 1801 as German Lutheran Church Zion
- 1810 — consecrated as Zion Protestant Episcopal Church
- 1853 — purchased by Archbishop John Hughes for the Diocese of New York
- 1868 — steeple and interior alterations by Henry Engelbert
- 1966 — designated New York City Landmark No. 0085
- 1980 — added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #80002682)
Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers
Since the mid-20th century the parish has been exclusively staffed by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, the U.S. Catholic Foreign Mission Society whose roots in China and Asia shaped their readiness to minister to New York's growing Chinese community. Fr. Raymond J. Nobiletti, M.M., served 27 years as pastor (1991–2018), continuing as Pastor Emeritus until his death in 2021. Today's pastor, Fr. Roger Kwan — ordained by Cardinal Dolan in 2019 — was appointed administrator in April 2022 and named pastor by Archbishop (then-Bishop) Edmund Whalen.
- Bishop John W. Comber, M.M. — pastor 1967–1969, former Maryknoll Superior General
- Rev. Raymond J. Nobiletti, M.M. — pastor 1991–2018, Pastor Emeritus 2018–2021
- Rev. Roger Kwan — administrator from 2022, pastor from 2024
- Deacon Patrick So — assists at the parish
The Assumption Procession
Each year on the Sunday between the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6) and the Feast of the Assumption of Mary (August 15), the parish holds a Mass concelebrated by the pastor and visiting clergy, followed by a two-hour Marian procession through Chinatown with a brass band, a drum group, and the parish's statue of Mary carried by the Knights of Assumption. The tradition began in 1994 as an expression of gratitude and devotion by Fujianese immigrants and now draws nearly 500 to Mass and over 800 to the procession. It is one of the largest annual Marian events in the Archdiocese of New York.
- Begun in 1994 by Fujianese immigrants
- Procession route: Mott Street → Mosco Street → through Chinatown
- Brass band, drum group, Knights of Columbus, Knights of Assumption
- 29th annual procession held August 2025
Transfiguration School
Transfiguration School is the parish's Catholic elementary school, founded in 1832 by Father Varela — making it one of the oldest Catholic schools in New York City. It became open to children of all faiths in 1969 and won the U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools Award in 2011. The school operates across three campuses: the Early Childhood Campus at Confucius Plaza, the Lower School on Mott Street, and the Upper School at 37 St. James Place (the former St. James Elementary School building where New York Governor Al Smith received his only education).
- Founded 1832 by Rev. Félix Varela
- Open to children of all faiths since 1969
- 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award
- Three campuses: Early Childhood (Confucius Plaza), Lower School (Mott St.), Upper School (37 St. James Pl.)
- Director of Early Childhood Education: Helena (Lena) Ingersoll
Merged Communities: St. James and St. Joseph
St. James Parish on James Street was established in 1835 by Bishop John Dubois, with Father Varela organizing its first congregation; its 1837 fieldstone church (modeled on Minard Lefever's published designs) is the second-oldest Roman Catholic building in New York City. St. Joseph Parish on Monroe Street was founded c. 1923 by the Scalabrini Fathers to serve Italian immigrants; it was later designated a national parish for both Italian and Chinese populations, with Mass in English, Spanish, and Chinese. In 2007 the two parishes merged into St. Joseph/St. James, and in 2015 that combined parish was merged into the Church of the Transfiguration, giving the present parish its full name: Transfiguration and St. James/St. Joseph.
- St. James — founded 1835; second-oldest Catholic building in NYC
- St. James was the childhood parish of Governor Alfred E. Smith
- St. James housed the first U.S. branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (1836)
- St. Joseph — founded c. 1923 by the Scalabrini Fathers
- St. Joseph was a national parish for Italian and Chinese communities
- 2007 merger created St. Joseph/St. James; 2015 merger created today's parish
Chinese Catholic Community and Devotions
As Mott Street emerged as the heart of Manhattan's Chinatown after 1870, the parish gradually transitioned into a Chinese Catholic community, with Mass added first in Cantonese and then in Mandarin to serve successive waves of immigrants. The Maryknoll Fathers' long mission experience in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan prepared them for this ministry. Today the parish adds Chinese devotional touches to the liturgical year, including a flower offering to Our Lady and an incense offering to ancestors at Lunar New Year Masses, and a Chinese calligraphy workshop on Lunar New Year's Eve.
- Largest Chinese Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of New York
- Sunday Mass in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English
- Lunar New Year flower offering to Our Lady
- Incense offering to ancestors at Lunar New Year Masses
- Chinese calligraphy workshops on Lunar New Year's Eve
Visiting the Parish
The parish is located at 29 Mott Street at the corner of Mosco Street (formerly Park Street) in the Chinatown / Lower East Side neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. The phone number is (212) 962-5157. The parish website, transfigurationnyc.org, posts weekly bulletins and the current Mass schedule. Visitors are welcomed as they have been for nearly two centuries — at 'the Church of Immigrants.'
- 29 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013
- Phone: (212) 962-5157
- Website: transfigurationnyc.org
- Located at Mott St. and Mosco St. (formerly Park St.)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Félix Varela y Morales1827–1850
Cuban-born founder of the parish; purchased Christ Church on Ann Street in 1827.
- Bishop John W. Comber, M.M.1967–1969
Maryknoll missionary who had served in Fushun, Manchuria; later Superior General of Maryknoll.
- Rev. Raymond J. Nobiletti, M.M.1991–2018
Maryknoll priest who served 27 years as pastor; first responder on 9/11; became Pastor Emeritus upon retirement in June 2018 (d. 2021).
- Rev. Roger KwanAdministrator from April 2022; Pastor from 2024
Ordained by Cardinal Dolan in 2019; previously parochial vicar at St. Clare of Assisi–St. Francis Xavier, the Bronx.