In the heart of Manhattan lies Greenwich Village, a young, bustling neighborhood, crisscrossed by commuters who seem too busy to think about God.
Nestled in the Village is St. Joseph’s Church, staffed by two Dominican priests and a cooperator brother, in addition to other friars in residence who serve in other ministries including the Catholic Center at NYU. These Dominicans have managed to break through the hustle and bustle and create a thriving space for Catholic intellectual life in the city.
Fr. Boniface Endorf, O.P., the pastor, and Fr. Jonah Teller, O.P., the parochial vicar, baptized 19 adults this Easter — a record since the Dominicans arrived in the Village in 2003.
Why is the parish attracting so many converts?
When parishioners arrive at St. Joseph’s, they find a constellation of intellectual opportunities.
“They find orthodoxy,” Fr. Jonah explained. “They find good liturgies and solid preaching. There’s the additional excitement of being around something vibrant.”
The friars currently serving the parish went through formation at a unique time in the Province’s recent history. For the last two decades, the Province has bucked national trends by welcoming large vocation classes, filled with younger men who were drawn to the Order due to its orthodoxy, intellectual commitment, reverent celebration of the sacred liturgy, fraternity, and zeal for the salvation of souls.
St. Joseph’s Church also boasts another sign of Dominican dynamism: It hosts a Thomistic Institute chapter, where attendees have the opportunity to hear lectures from Catholic academics on topics with titles ranging from “Is Free Will an Illusion?” to “The Neuroscience of Vice and Virtue.”
It is no surprise that this ministry, which started on college campuses, has spread quickly at this parish filled with young professionals. With six lectures a year, the Institute draws a large crowd of young adults to each event.
Fr. Boniface is not surprised at this popularity: “They’re interested in knowing their Faith beyond the superficial level—what does the Faith have to say about what’s going on around us? Not just current events, but philosophical issues, where our speakers share their publishing and research.”
Young professionals are facing a complex, fast-changing world. When futures feel uncertain, the steadiness of the Church provides an anchor.
“People are very interested in seeing the depths of the Faith, and how it applies,” Fr. Boniface said.
He noted other popular lecture topics such as: What does St. Thomas Aquinas have to say about friendship and the isolation we experience in the West? What do we now know about the brain on a biological level, and how does that connect with traditional virtue theory in the Church?
In wine, there is truth
Another ministry that packs people in is In Vino Veritas.
Centered around an initial talk on a spiritual or intellectual topic, participants then take the discussion into their own hands. Sharing wine – it’s an “in vino” event – they have the opportunity to discuss topics in depth on Sunday evenings.
The success of the evening lies in the atmosphere created by the friars, who balance concern for intellectual material with an easy-going, fraternal mood.
“Everyone is so welcoming there,” shared Kaitlyn Colgan, one of the participants. “It’s a great way to get connected into the parish and to meet other young adults who are Catholic, and it’s really a great discussion. I think you can show up as you are, and have the opportunity to learn and grow.”
Adoration too
When the spiritual life is working hand in hand with the intellectual life, sparks fly. It is no coincidence that St. Joseph’s, in addition to its robust intellectual calendar, hosts the Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel, the first (and so far only) spot for perpetual adoration in Manhattan.
Newcomers can introduce themselves to the parish secretary, and gain access to the Chapel at any time day or night in this “City that Never Sleeps.”
To Fr. Boniface, the greatest blessing of the Chapel has been vocations: The parish has seen three men accepted into the Dominican Order, and one woman to the contemplative Dominican nuns, in addition to the many couples who have seen their relationships confirmed and deepened.
“God, if you give him that opening in your life, he’ll raise you up,” remarked Fr. Boniface.
For a young person in the constant churn of New York City, finding consistency in intellectual life and religious practice can be difficult. Fr. Boniface knows this struggle well, and has a clear-eyed vision for how St. Joseph’s can be an anchor even as parishioners are usually only there for a short time, before moving on to their next career.
“We have two to five years to form [the parishioners] as deeply as we can in the Faith,” he said.
But when they’ve left, they bring the vibrance of St. Joseph’s with them.
“We are forming the future leadership of the Catholic Church in this country,” he said.
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