End of an Era as Our Lady of Pity Church in the South Bronx is Demolished

Our Lady of Pity Church, which was deconsecrated by the Archdiocese of New York in November of 2017, is almost gone as its being demolished to make way for affordable housing.

The rectory and school building are already gone and all that remains are just three walls and the roof of this structure from the neighborhood’s past.

All that’s left of Our Lady of Pity

The parish of Madonna del Suffragio (Our Lady of Pity) was founded in 1908 by Italian immigrants from Ponza, an island off the coast of Italy halfway between Rome and Naples.

Our Lady of Pity Church
Before…
…and after.

In 1929, the current church was built to serve the fast-growing community of Ponzese living in the neighborhood.

Now, all that will soon remain is rubble as the last, visible mark of the Italian community from Ponza in Melrose is erased forever.

And for this Puerto Rican kid who grew up across the street from OLP and attended Sunday mass as a child, a piece of my past is also gone but will never be forgotten.

Below are pictures I took two years ago when they began the slow process of removing anything of significant value as well as hauling away whatever was left behind.

- Advertisement -Newspaper WordPress Theme

Latest news

The Bronx General Post Office Has Been Sold for $44 Million—But Will It Finally Be Revived or Join a Legacy of Broken Promises?

Another chapter has turned for one of The Bronx’s most iconic buildings. The Bronx General Post Office, located at 558 Grand Concourse at East...

Soundview Ferry Route to Expand, Linking The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Rockaways in NYC Ferry Overhaul

Since before NYC Ferry first launched its Soundview route in 2017 connecting The Bronx to Manhattan by water, Welcome2TheBronx has been vocally advocating for...

Construction begins on the tallest building at The Hub

Construction has finally begun on the final phase of one of the largest developments in The Bronx after years of delays. Building E, at the...

The Bronx General Post Office Has Been Sold for $44 Million—But Will It Finally Be Revived or Join a Legacy of Broken Promises?

Another chapter has turned for one of The Bronx’s most iconic buildings. The Bronx General Post Office, located at 558 Grand Concourse at East...

Soundview Ferry Route to Expand, Linking The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Rockaways in NYC Ferry Overhaul

Since before NYC Ferry first launched its Soundview route in 2017 connecting The Bronx to Manhattan by water, Welcome2TheBronx has been vocally advocating for...

Construction begins on the tallest building at The Hub

Construction has finally begun on the final phase of one of the largest developments in The Bronx after years of delays. Building E, at the...