On your left, look for the stately brick building featuring a wide arched entrance and a distinct stone cross mounted high on the facade.
Welcome to the headquarters of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Now, in the Catholic Church, a diocese is basically a geographical district under the pastoral care of a bishop. And this one is pretty special. It encompasses just Brooklyn and Queens, making it one of the very few dioceses in the entire United States that is one hundred percent urban territory. If you glance at the map on your app, you can see just how uniquely densely packed this jurisdiction really is.
Back in 1801, Catholic immigrants from Northern Ireland started pouring into the area to work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There were no Catholic parishes here at the time, so folks actually rowed or ferried across the East River to Manhattan just to attend Sunday Mass. Finally, in 1853, the Pope established Brooklyn as its own diocese and appointed John Loughlin as the first bishop. You can see a historical photo of Bishop Loughlin on your screen. Loughlin was a remarkably busy guy. During his thirty eight years in charge, the Catholic population here exploded from around fifteen thousand to nearly four hundred thousand. He started building a massive, glorious new cathedral in 1868, but he actually halted the construction halfway through so he could funnel all those funds into orphanages, hospitals, and local charities instead.
Today, the Diocese of Brooklyn operates nearly two hundred parishes serving one and a half million Catholic residents. And with a flock that large, they have definitely seen their fair share of modern drama. For instance, in May 2020, a burglar broke into Saint Augustine Church in nearby Park Slope and managed to steal a solid gold tabernacle. A tabernacle is the ornate, highly secure box resting on the altar where the consecrated communion bread is safely kept. The thief completely emptied the sacred contents onto the floor and made off with the box, a two million dollar piece of history.
But wait, there is more. In late 2023, the diocese made international pop culture headlines thanks to singer Sabrina Carpenter. She filmed a music video for her song Feather inside the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church right here in Brooklyn. The video featured Carpenter dancing around the sacred sanctuary with various provocative items placed right on top of the altar, all while appearing to wear no pants. The local bishop was absolutely shocked when the video dropped. The church pastor who had approved the filming had to issue a very public apology to the parish and was promptly disciplined by the diocese. You really never know what is going to happen in this borough.
From pioneers rowing across the East River for Sunday Mass to international pop star controversies, this local institution has truly seen it all. Whenever you are ready, let us keep moving.
