New York Church and a Pub

4.9•149 ratings

New York, NY, US

550 members · Public group

What we’re about

"God is living in our cities. The Church is living in our cities..." Those were the words of Pope Francis in his homily at Madison Square Garden last September. It is in that spirit that I am starting this meetup group during this the Extraordinary Jubilee, or Holy Year of Mercy.
This group will have a simple mission: To visit and attend Mass at the various Catholic churches in the city of New York, then get together for fellowship at a local pub afterwards. That's it. No speed dating, speaker series, Bible study, joint socials with non-Catholic groups, or anything else. There are other Catholic groups that have those things covered. But unlike those groups, this group will not be tied to any particular parishes. We will get to experience Mass in as many Catholic churches as we can, as many different neighborhoods as we can, even as the number of Catholic churches in New York dwindles. Many of these churches have amazing stories to tell down through the generations.
This is neither a liberal nor conservative Catholic group so please keep politics out of it. All ages are welcome.
Keep the words of Pope Francis in mind: "...big cities are a reminder of the hidden riches present in our world: in the diversity of its cultures, traditions and historical experiences. In the variety of its languages, costumes and cuisine. Big cities bring together all the different ways which we human beings have discovered to express the meaning of life, wherever we may be."
If you'd like to celebrate being Catholic in the big city, this group is for you.

Upcoming events

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Sun, Jan 11, 2026 · 12:00 PM EST
Italian Mass at Old St. Patrick's, Brunch at Casasalvo
Old St. Patrick's Cathedral, Mott Street between Houston & Prince, New York, NY, US
You may have heard or read that New York is experiencing a Catholic revival, as are many other places in the US and around the world. So as we begin a new liturgical year, now is as good a time as any to restart and reinvigorate this group.

So let's celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of a new year of ordinary time, with a return to the scene of our very first meetup nearly 10 years ago: Old St. Patrick's Cathedral. We'll attend the noon Sunday Mass there, which is in Italian, the language of the Vatican. After Mass, join us for brunch at Casasalvo, the SoHo restaurant run by Chef Salvo LoCastro, who cooked for two Popes. You can read more about Casasalvo HERE.

Old St. Patrick's, completed in 1815, was the original See of the Archdiocese of New York. It was the second Catholic cathedral in the US and the second Catholic church in New York after St. Peter's. In fact Old St. Patrick's was built on land that St. Peter's had purchased for a cemetery. This was also the first Catholic church in the US dedicated to St. Patrick.

In its early days, the Church was a bulwark against anti-Catholic sentiment in New York. It was built behind high walls , its stained-glass windows designed to be outside the reach of rock-throwing from the sidewalk. The Ancient Order of Hibernians squared off against the Know Nothings to protect the Church many times in its early years. And they succeeded, though the original building was damaged by fire in 1866, only to be restored in 1868.

The parish was largely financed by and originally catered to working-class Irish immigrants, despite its proximity to what we now know as Little Italy. Italian immigrants arrived in the 1880s, followed by Chinese and Hispanic immigrants. Young professionals have found a home here in more recent years.

St. John Neumann, the first male American saint, and second American saint after St. Elizabeth Seton (baptized at Old St. Peter's), was ordained here in 1836. The first American Cardinal, John McCloskey, was elevated here in 1875.

Old St. Patrick's has recently been restored once again and remains as a testament to the Catholic faith in New York. As far as pop culture goes, scenes from The Godfather movies were filmed here, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s funeral Mass was held here in 1999. Actor Alec Baldwin married yoga instructor Hilaria Thomas at Old St. Pat's in 2012.

Once again, join us for Mass at noon, with the social to follow at Casasalvo. Whether you've recently discovered or re-discovered your Catholic faith or you've been with us all along, you're most welcome to this event. Please only sign up if you plan to join us for both. See you there!
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