History

The parish used a temporary chapel until they could construct a permanent church building. Construction began on a permanent edifice on June 10, 1833. John Doran designed the church in the popular style of the 1830’s: Greek Revival. St. Joseph Church is a good example of New York Greek Revival buildings from that time; however, few other examples remain today. 

The church building was completed and dedicated on March 16, 1834. Records of the dedication reveal an impressive list of ecclesiastics, who would become within a short time important figures in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Besides Bishop Dubois, who was the celebrant of the Pontifical Mass, present were Father John Hughes, who became Bishop of New York (1842) and then Archbishop in 1850; Father John McCloskey, who became Pastor of St. Joseph's and then coadjutor Bishop of New York (1843-1847), Archbishop (1864-1885) and the first U.S. Cardinal in 1875; also present was Father William Quarter, who became the first Bishop of Chicago in 1844. These and others were assembled with Father John Cummiskey, who had been Pastor, and Father Constantine Pise, who was Pastor since 1833, joined by hundreds of parishioners and friends to worship and thank God in an edifice wherein "beauty and simplicity are admirably blended," as reported in the press. 

The following was printed in the N.Y. Catholic Diary and Weekly Register concerning the Dedication High Mass:

"On Sunday, the 16th, the new Catholic Church … [on] Sixth Avenue, was dedicated for the worship of the God of Heaven and Earth, with all the imposing ceremonies of the Catholic Church. Never before have we witnessed anything more impressive, more solemn, or more august, than the grandeur of the Divine Service, more effective than the sublimity of the Church music which was introduced by the Italian Opera Company, and appropriately selected from the ritual of the day. At half past ten o'clock, the church was crowded, not however inconveniently... About one third of the congregation were of different religious creeds, and the deepest interest, which the solemnity of the occasion inspired, was found depicted on every countenance... After the Gospel, the Rev. Dr. Pise preached an appropriate and excellent sermon... which occupied an hour (and) was listened to with rapt attention.”

Over the last few years the church building has undergone significant restoration. In 2018 a confessional was built in the church and now confessions are offered every day. The interior of the church saw significant repairs in 2019 that included a new air conditioning system and extensive work on the church ceiling to repair serious water damage. From 2019-2020 the exterior of the church was restored. Besides a new roof, the entire exterior of the church was repaired. Most of the exterior wood had rotted through and the metal was in very poor condition. All these were replaced with exact reproductions of the original and the church now looks as it did when new. In addition, the exterior lighting was restored giving the church building a majestic appearance during the night. Significant repairs also have been completed on the parish’s school building, currently being used by the Academy of St. Joseph. The original statues taken out of the sanctuary in 1972 have been repaired and returned to the sanctuary in hopes of restoring the beauty of the original sanctuary. The original baptismal font has also been repaired and returned to use. In 2021 the parish basement was renovated to form a new parish hall named after the first Dominican pastor, Fr. John McGuire OP. In 2022 the 19th century parish bell was restored to use and its beautiful sound is heard again. On July 30th, 2023, St. Joseph completed the first perpetual adoration chapel in Manhattan, the Divine Mercy Perpetual Adoration Chapel.