Fate Still Up in Air: Historic Little Italy Church Will Share Pastor with E. Village Church

Parishioners of Most Precious Blood, a Little Italy Church that is at the heart of the annual San Gennaro Festiva,l were told on Jan 14 that the church is not for sale presently and that a pastor from a church in the East Village will now jointly administer both parishes.

”The building is not for sale,” Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese said of the building on 113 Baxter St. which also has a door onto Mulberry St.

He also acknowledged that Monsignor Kevin Nelan, who is the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church on E. 14th St. will be “pastor of both parishes. Not uncommon.”

But lots of the questions remain unanswered. The parish was started in 1888 and a church that was originally intended to serve as a national shrine to the teeming Italian-American population that was flooding into lower Manhattan at the end of the 19th century opened in 1904. But over the years, the Italian-American population largely that gravitated to Little Italy when the first arrived in America saw subsequent generations move to the suburbs. As they did, the footprint of Little Italy grew smaller and several churches that once served the Italian-American community shut down.

Only one Mass was being celebrated each Sunday at Most Precious Blood in recent years and the archdiocese has not committed to maintaining even that limited schedule, as it may only focus on opening during weeks when street fairs are underway.

The largest is the San Gennaro Festival, celebrating a northern Italian saint from Naples whose feast day attracts up to one million people to the week long Italian food and cultural celebration each September.

“A representative of the archdiocese did meet with parishioners following Mass on January 14,” said Zwilling. “At that time, the parishioners were informed that the San Gennaro Mass, the Saint Vincent Mass, and the Saint Rocco Mass will all proceed as normal this year.”

Monsignor Nelan, the new pastor, did not return a call or email seeking comment by presstime.

At least one parishioner had filed an objection to the Jan. 1 decree from Cardinal Timothy Dolan that dissolved its ten-year merger into the Basilica of Old St. Patrick Cathedral. The Friends of Most Precious Blood, a recently formed not-for-profit, were said to be worried that the dissolution of the merger was a step toward selling the church property and ending the parish.

“My mom and dad were married in that church,” said John Delutro known as the “Canoli King” and the owner of Cafe Palermo, which he started in Little Italy 50 years ago and which is still attracting celebs and tourists. He also owns Baby John’s Pizza. “It’s very important to Italian Americans,” he said of the church, noting, “they are going to have to come together to save it.”

In 2018, the parish’s former rectory was sold for $14 million to a developer who built luxury condos on the site.

The archdiocese acknowledged it has received at least on objection to the dissolution of the merger with Old St. Patrick Cathedral and are examining the formal objection. And the Archdioces did not divulge plans beyond the current year for the church and parish and the three festivals it has committed to for this year. One source told Our Town Downtown that there is still $50,000 sitting in a checking account from last year’s San Gennaro Festival that he hopes to direct toward Most Precious Blood now that it is demerged. The Archdiocese did not divulge what its future plans may be.

“Further study and consultation will continue before any decisions are made,” said Zwilling.