NYC’s 10 Best Churches for Easter Sunday (5 to 1)
5. The Riverside Church. 490 Riverside Drive, Morningside Heights. Interdenominational, affiliated with and members of American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. A gothic architectural beauty hidden on the West side in New York City. The most beautiful stained glass work of any building in New York City thanks to the contributions from the Rockefellers. Services feature music, especially choral performances and pipe organ music. Easter Sunday service at 8:45 AM and 10:45 AM.
4. Abyssinian Baptist Church. 132 Odell Clark Place, Harlem. Baptist. Due to racism in local NYC churches, a group of African American and Ethiopian men and women started their own in 1808, the Abyssinian Baptist Church. Abyssinian is the one of the most well known of all activist churches within Harlem. Abyssinian Baptist Church maintains a strong gospel music tradition and includes it frequently during services. Call 212-862-7474 for Easter service times.
3. Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. 980 Park Avenue at 84th Street, Upper East Side. Catholic. Known for its pipe organ, the largest in New York City, and Italian Renaissance architecture with master marble work, this church was completed in the late 1800s. As a side note it was the church where Jackie Kennedy was baptized. Easter Masses:
- Saturday, April 3rd. Easter Vigil at 8:00 PM.
- Sunday, April 4th. Easter Masses at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM and 7:30 PM.
2. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. 460 Madison Avenue, Midtown. Catholic. Believe it or not, this beautiful gothic cathedral was once thought to be planned too far outside the city to consider building. Thankfully, those in favor won and the construction of Saint Patrick’s commenced in the 1850s. Since 1906, St. Patrick’s Cathedral of New York has been serving mass and celebrating the Easter Holiday in the Lady Chapel. Easter mass starts with a Saturday Vigil at 8:00 PM and follows on Sunday at 7:00, 8:00, 8:45, 10:15 AM (*Tickets Required), 12:00 PM, 1:00, 4:00 for Spanish Mass, and 5:30 PM. See: 10 Best of Architecture in New York City – Buildings and Bridges and NYC’s Top 10 Churches to Visit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
1. The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, Morningside Heights. Episcopal. The largest church in the United States. A new concept at the time, this church was built to welcome the large number immigrants moving to New York City from all over the world in the late 1800s and early 1900s making it a melting pot of faiths and cultures. Take an available tour of its massive interior. Easter service schedule:
- Holy Saturday – April 3. 7:00 pm The Great Vigil of Easter and Choral Eucharist – This Service is in place of the regularly scheduled daily services.
- Easter Day – April 4. 8:00 am Holy Eucharist, 11:00 am Festival Eucharist of Easter – Limited seating for public, visit www.stjohndivine.org for more details, and 4:00 pm Festival Eucharist of Easter
NYC’s 10 Best Churches for Easter Sunday (10 to 6)
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