St Lucy Parish was founded in 1884 the church was built in 1895 serving the large working class neighborhood that once covered the area now taken up by the Holland Tunnel and it's access areas. The church was closed in 1986.
The church was designed by Jeremiah O'Rourke, a Newark architect who was responsible for at least a dozen other Catholic churches in the state. The tower is quite similar to that of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield, which O'Rourke also designed.
The statue of St.Lucy still stands guard in her niche over the rose window.

The church father say a nightly prayer that the church will just fall down but St.Lucy seems to be a stubborn patron and in spite of all the damage the Archdiocese has dished out it still stands.

Tags:   St.Jude St.Lucy Jersey City New Jersey Hudson County

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Robust Romanesque styling is carried out in all the buildings of the complex. The attitude seems to be to not do anything to the building in hopes that it falls down by itself but it was built to last and will probably still be here when the girls at the archdiocese are long gone .

2024 update: Speaking of the girls at the archdiocese, those guys think big. The whole complex has been sold to a developer. The Iron Bound section is hot and they probably made enough to keep them in comfort for a while.

Tags:   St.Jude St.Lucy Jersey City New Jersey Hudson County

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If you drive into New Jersey via the Holland Tunnel St. Lucy's will be on your right towering above the handful of buildings in this former densely populated blue collar neighborhood not plowed under by the Port Authority.

4/6/16 update: Went past yesterday, it seems the Archdiocese is still waiting patiently for the building to collapse. Massive new condo construction is going on a block away that will bring thousands of people to the parish but to get then in the door you have to be pro-active, not something we are very good at.

4/10/21 update: The St. Lucy complex has been sold and is slated for partial destruction. From the plans I have seen the church will partially remain but be used as some sort of public space for residents of the tower that will loom over the row of church buildings. A odd note in the design is that the top of the tower will be accessible from the residential building. The rest of the buildings, rectory and school, seem to become facades only.

Now the cardinal can get that pretty new red outfit with the matching shoes.

Tags:   St.Jude St.Lucy Jersey City New Jersey Hudson County

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Figurative windows have been removed (and hopefully any important objects) but much of the stained glass in this church was not figurative. The lack of figurative glass is probably a reflection of the economics of the original parishioners.
The non figurative glass was probably perceived by the boys at the archdiocese as being of little or no value. Anyone who has ever been to an antique shop or salvage yard knows differently. The up side of this is whoever gets the contract to tear down the building can turn a fast buck on the remaining 19th century glass.
As you can see the building is open to the elements and an easy mark for vandals hopefully some of the glass will survive the archdiocese not so benign neglect.

Tags:   St.Jude St.Lucy Jersey City New Jersey Hudson County

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The St.Lucy complex takes up a full block front. The church, rectory and school all in a dramatic neo-romanesque style. The school is used as a shelter. So although it seems the archdiocese is praying for the church to fall down by it self the other buildings are serving a good purpose.

Tags:   St.Jude St.Lucy Jersey City New Jersey Hudson County

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