5 Extraordinary Catholic sites in New York

St. Isaac Jogues is one of the best known American saints, but did you know that he lived and died near Albany, New York?

That’s just one of many fascinating facts in New York’s Catholic history. A few decades later, the same site was the birthplace of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

Despite New York’s early encounter with the faith, a rough road lay ahead during the colonial era. At one point, it was a capital offense for Catholic priests to even enter the state of New York!

Thankfully the tides turned and waves of Catholic immigrants—Italian, Polish, Irish, and later Hispanic—made New York the strongly Catholic state it is today. 

In New York City alone, some 36 percent of the population is Catholic, making it much more Catholic than the rest of the country (which is 22 percent Catholic). 

The long and rich history of Catholicism in New York makes it a special place for pilgrimage and prayer, not to mention enjoying some beautiful art and history. 

Check out five fascinating Catholic sites in the Empire State, plus one interesting bonus.

If you’re interested in New York City in particular, don’t miss our Catholic sightseer’s guide, our pilgrimage to Dorothy Day’s New York, and how Mother Seton and the Catholic Church saved New York City.

This church has an absolutely fascinating history, and you can check out the full story here. These are a few of the highlights.

The “mother church” of old New York, St. Peter's was founded five years before the present day U.S. government! During English rule, Catholic worship was prohibited in New York. But after the Revolutionary War, New York City was the temporary capital of the United States, bringing many foreign ambassadors and businessmen to the city—a number of whom were Catholic. 

A small group of city residents began to attend Mass privately at the home of the ambassador of Spain. As the congregation grew, they launched a plan to build a church of their own. Their chaplain, a Capuchin from Ireland, reported that the first pastor would need to know at least six languages to serve this diverse congregation—English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Irish! 

The Catholics of New York sought the help of the French Consul who made a formal request to New York City for a piece of land to lease for a church. The Protestant Corporation of Trinity Church leased them several lots.
This same church proved to be a generous friend, later canceling their back rent and selling them the land for a small sum. The cornerstone was laid on October 5, 1785, and the first Solemn High Mass was offered in the new church November 4, 1786.



Quite a few famous New Yorkers attended the parish over the years. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was received into the Church here, and the order of sisters she founded staffed the parish’s first school. Venerable Pierre Toussaint and Servant of God Mother Adelaide of St. Theresa both attended this parish. And you can, too, on your next visit to New York. 

This magnificent basilica has a nearly miraculous history. In 1916, after a devastating fire destroyed his church, the elderly pastor decided not to fix the spire but to “cast out into the deep” with a wild hope instead. 

With no funds and a burned and ruined church, he declared his vision to build a beautiful shrine to rival the majestic churches of Europe—an homage to his patroness, Our Lady of Victory.

Incredibly, with the help and prayers of countless people, he pulled it off. You can read the full story here, and make sure to visit this masterpiece of a church when you’re in New York.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs is the site of the 17th-century Mohawk village of Ossernenon where three Jesuit missionaries were killed during the 1640s for their faith. 

Father Isaac Jogues and two lay Jesuits, René Goupil and John Lalande, traveled from France to the New World to evangelize the Indigenous peoples. They, along with five Jesuit priests martyred in Canada, were canonized as the eight North American Martyrs in 1930. 

They are the first and only martyred saints of North America. At the same place, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk/Algonquin woman known for her holiness, was born in 1656. 

Today you can visit this historic site: Walk the grounds, tour the Saints of Auriesville Museum, and learn all about these four great saints of New York. 

Msgr. Roger Landry, who has served as a chaplain at the shrine during its summer season, said that the site, “because of its association with four great saints and heroes of our faith, probably is, after the tabernacles that adorn our Churches and the souls of newly baptized babies, the holiest place for Catholics in the country.” He urged everyone to visit the Shrine to “experience its enormous spiritual riches” for themselves.

This stunning landmark has a rich and meaningful history. It was built in the mid-1800s, a time when America was rife with anti-Catholic prejudice. Albany’s bishop, John McCloskey, wanted to give his flock “a great cathedral of which all could be proud.

It took years to build, but it was well worth the wait. With its soaring towers and luminous windows, it certainly did make many Catholics proud. As it still does today. 

If you’re among the 14 million or so tourists who head to Niagara Falls every year, don’t miss a stop at this special spiritual site while you’re there. 

Here’s the description straight from the shrine website:

What’s not to love? It’s the perfect spot to take a little breather to pray and rest in Christ in the midst of your busy vacation.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine, Fonda

Yes, we already featured a site from St. Kateri’s life, but this place is too special not to include too. 

Not only is it a shrine and museum for our first American Indian saint, but also the site is dedicated to the history of St. Kateri’s people, the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee:

The shrine works closely with local Native American communities, hosting frequent cultural events, and an Akwesasne Mohawk Choir often sings at Mass.

Besides the St. Kateri Shrine and Caughnawaga village, you can find the following at this unique place:

You could easily spend a whole day (or more!) visiting, so it’s the perfect place to visit from anywhere in New York.