A Brief History:

The Parish of Most Holy Redeemer was founded in 1844 by German-speaking Redemptorist missionaries serving New York City’s large German immigrant population. Like many other sites in the East Village, its history can be traced back to a time when the area was known as Kleindeustchland or Little Germany. The current church was designed by the Munich architect, Joseph Walch, and construction was completed in October 1851. A Catholic publication of the day called Most Holy Redeemer “the most beautiful and largest (church) in New York,” and it soon earned popular acclaim as "The German Cathedral of the Lower East Side.”

Most Holy Redeemer was consecrated on 28th November 1852, by the Archbishop of New York, John Hughes, and the Pontifical Mass that day was celebrated by the Archbishop of Philadelphia, named John Neumann who was invited by his fellow Redemptorists to take part in the ceremony. Neumann was canonized by Pope Saint Paul VI in 1977 becoming the first male citizen of the United States to be raised to the altar as a saint.

In 1883 there was a fire at the parish school behind the church building on East 4th Street. At the time, there were 900 students enrolled in the school, 16 of whom perished. Investigations into the tragedy led to a number of new safety measures adopted across schools throughout New York City including fire escapes and wider hallways and staircases. 

On 18th February 1894, Most Holy Redeemer was one of the first churches, if not the first, to have electric lighting installed.

A major overhaul of the church began in 1912. Many of the renovations are still evident. With a tower that today reaches into the sky far beyond most of the structures of the East Village at 232 feet, it is hard to believe that it once was even taller. The 250-foot tower was reinforced and lowered to its current height and capped with a new copper dome and gold cross. The church’s original brick exterior was covered in some lower areas by polished granite and elsewhere with Indiana limestone. The white and black marble that runs approximately twelve feet up from the floor around the perimeter of the church was installed. Oak pews replaced the original black walnut pews and were rearranged to seat 800 people, as opposed to the original seating capacity of 1,200. The sanctuary murals of the Ascension and Pentecost were retouched and two new murals, Christ on the Road to Emmaus and Peter and John Curing the Lame Man at the Temple were added. These improvements in the sanctuary were accomplished by the Rambusch Company of New York City. The old stained glass windows were replaced by the present ones, designed and made by the company of John Zundel, Long island, New York.

In January 1914, John Rebeschung—a parishioner, handyman, and electrical mechanic—strung wires from the sacristy of the church to the bell tower in an attempt to ring one of the bells by means of electricity. On 11th January 1914, he proceeded to the sacristy, pressed a button, and to his excitement his experiment worked. His next task was to coordinate the bells so that they could be rung together and he was successful. Mr. Rebeschung earned the title of the inventor of this system of electric bell ringing, and Most Holy Redeemer became the first church and building in the world to have the system.

On 1st August 2015, the nearby Parish of the Nativity was closed and merged with Most Holy Redeemer creating a new entity to serve the Catholics of the East Village called the Parish of Most Holy Redeemer - Nativity. The Servant of God and founder of the Catholic Worker, Dorothy Day lived and died at Maryhouse on East Third Street directly between Most Holy Redeemer and the former Nativity Church. A shrine with a statue of the “Virgin of the Poor” which once stood in nativity Church was erected here at Most Holy Redeemer in honor of Dorothy Day’s legacy.

The mortal remains of 85 Redemptorist priests and brothers, who ministered to the people of the East Village, are interred in the crypt located directly below the church.

In 2018, the Redemptorist Order withdrew from the parish which is now administered by priests of the Archdiocese of New York. 

The Chapel of Relics

When the mortal remains of the martyr, Saint Datian, were discovered in the catacombs of Rome, the major relic was given to a noblewoman to be kept in her private chapel. When she was reduced to poverty and the Italian government was about to confiscate her property, she was advised to send the relic to the Redemptorist Fathers here at Most Holy Redeemer. The remains of the saint arrived on 12th August, 1892. A parish organization named the “Married Women of the Holy Family” made a gift of the Chapel of Relics to the church and the relic of St. Datian was installed there. A ceremony was held on 26th January, 1894.

Interred within the altar of the shrine is the major relic of the saint consisting of all his bones which have been enclosed in a small wooden box. This box is enclosed within a larger zinc case and over it was set the large wax figure that can be seen today.

We know that St. Datian was an early martyr but beyond that, nothing is certain about his life. There is speculation that he is the same Datian who was the prefect of Gaul under Emperors Diocletian and Maximian who acted in the Roman provinces of Spain. This Datian sentenced St. Vincent of Saragossa to torture and death in 304. During his martyrdom, Saint Vincent preserved such peace and tranquility that it astonished his jailor, who repented his sins and was converted. Perhaps the prefect Datian, was also inspired by St. Vincent’s witness and decided to repent and become a Christian, facing his own martyrdom as a result? Perhaps this is the same Datian whose mortal remains rest in peace here in the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer?

The Feast of St. Datian is listed in the Roman Martyrology as 30th October. 

Over the years, the Redemptorist Fathers collected many more relics to be placed in this shrine. There are 152 in total, the list of which is posted at the Chapel.
 

The Chapel of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

The original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is venerated above the principal altar of the Shrine Church of Saint Alphonsus in Rome on the Esquiline Hill. 

In 1866, Pope Blessed Pius IX entrusted the icon to the Redemptorists, telling them to “Make her known to the world!” Pius IX ordered the public display and veneration of the icon. In 1867, when the icon was being carried in a solemn procession through the streets, a young child was cured, the first of many recorded miracles attributed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

On 15th August 1868, the first copy of the icon was brought to the United States and placed in the private chapel of the Redemptorist Novitiate in Annapolis. On 12th December 1869, an exact copy was received at Most Holy Redeemer. Devotion to the image spread rapidly. Many cures and favors granted by Our Lady were reported. In 1870 the cure of a woman was announced from Saint Francis Hospital on Fifth Street. 

On 10th February 1871, a Papal Indult was received granting a 300 days indulgence to all who devoutly pray before the icon enshrined in Most Holy Redeemer.

In 1903, a solemn crowning ceremony of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was held. Pious women donated their jewelry—the crown is gold, set with twelve diamonds and precious stones. The altar of this chapel was consecrated on 15th December 1914.

Francis Cardinal Spellman designated this church a Pilgrimage Shrine in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in 1966.

Today, devotions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help are conducted at Most Holy Redeemer following the daily Mass when the Rosary is recited in her honor. A Solemn Mass is offered in this chapel every year on 27th June, the feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

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A Longer History:

The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on East Third Street has always been a home to the immigrant populations of the Lower East Side of New York City, from its inception as the "German Cathedral" to its present ministry to a largely Hispanic congregation. But no matter which ethnic group forms the church's base of parishioners, it has always been the pride of the Catholic population of New York's Lower East Side.


Redemptorists

The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, whose members are known as Redemptorists, was founded in 1732 by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori. Saint Alphonsus was born in 1696 near Naples, Italy. Shortly after his birth, Saint Francis Jerome, a Jesuit missionary, visited the family and took the infant Alphonsus in his arms, blessed him, and prophesied that he would live to 90, that he would become a bishop, and accomplish great things for the glory of God.
Alphonsus became a lawyer at 16 and practiced for eight years but was called by God to a higher life. In 1723 he was summoned by God to "leave the world and give yourself to me", and in 1726 Alphonsus was ordained a priest.

On November 9, 1732, Alphonsus, and companions, founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Savior, which name was changed to Most Holy Redeemer in 1748. For the next several years, Alphonsus and his companions set up houses in Italy and the Papal States, trained novices, and battled against many troubles which plagued the congregation. Alphonsus Liguori died on August 1, 1787, was beatified on September 15, 1816, and canonized on May 26, 1839.

Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, who was born in a German village, became a Redemptorist in 1784 in Italy, but shortly afterwards traveled to Poland and then to Vienna. He took charge of a charitable German organization, opened a free school for German children, and established an orphan asylum. Beginning in 1820 the Congregation of Most Holy Redeemer started to spread around Europe. It is from this branch of the Redemptorists which the founders of Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street come. 

The Seed Is Sown

In 1832, less than sixty years after the Revolutionary War, the United States was fast becoming a world power. New York City was a thriving metropolis, second only to London among the ports of the world. Immigrants were flocking to the United States, most of whom settled in New York City, where they found many opportunities to earn a living.
The bulk of the immigrants in New York at this time were Irish, followed by a large German population. Many of the immigrants were fleeing religious persecution in Germany by Bismarck. However, there was no church in New York for the nearly 1,000 German Catholics in the city. In June 1832 a small band of Redemptorists came to New York from Vienna. The three priests and three brothers visited Father Felix Varela, the pastor of Christ Church on Anne Street. Father Varela was born in Spain and knew only a little German, but he was dedicated to ministering to the German Catholics in the city. 

During the Redemptorists' stay with Father Varela, they discovered the neglect of the Germans. Although the Redemptorists had to leave New York, they made a plea that others replace them. On August 15, 1835, Fathers Joseph Prost and Peter Czackert came to New York. They tried to locate Father Varela, but learned that Christ Church was no longer in operation. They were sent to Father Raffeiner, the "Apostle of the Germans", whose church was located on Pitt and Delancey Streets. Unfortunately, Father Raffeiner's church, the first one for Germans in the city, was damaged by fire, but the Redemptorists were able to find him in his temporary home. 

Fathers Prost and Czackert stayed with Father Raffeiner longer than expected, and when Father Raffeiner had to travel to minister to his far-flung ministry, Father Prost replaced him in the city. When Father Raffeiner returned, Father Prost traveled westward in the United States.

On March 7, 1841, a third band of six Redemptorists arrived in New York, among whom was Father Gabriel Rumpler. He said Mass the next day at the newly erected Saint Nicholas Church which was located on Second Avenue between Avenue A and First Avenue.The priests stayed only a short while in the city and then departed for Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

In the ten years after the arrival of the first group of Redemptorists, New York City had matured. The New York and Harlem Railroad was running from Central Park to what was then the City of Harlem. The first horse cars were traveling between Prince Street and 14th Street. The Croton Aqueduct was in place, allowing city residents to get clean, clear water from the Croton River.

Although there were scars left in the city below Canal Street by a devastating fire in 1835, there were visible signs of prosperity and rebuilding throughout Manhattan. The city, which included only Manhattan at that time, was expanding toward Houston Street. Above Houston Street the city was still mostly farmland or swampland.
The Catholic Church in New York City was also going through a transformation during these ten years. Increasing immigration brought thousands of Catholics to the United States, and the lack of priests became more acute. Trusteeism, that is, the management of the church by laymen, was being abused and damaging the spirit of the church. Father Raffeiner, who was now pastor of Saint Nicholas, was a victim in the fight against Trusteeism. Before it was finally abolished, Father Raffeiner resigned as pastor of Saint Nicholas and went to Williamsburg, where he built the Church of the Most Holy Trinity.

Two pastors succeeded Father Raffeiner at Saint Nicholas, but each one lasted only a year. The church was then left with no pastor, so the trustees wrote to Bishop John Hughes, requesting a replacement. Bishop Hughes wrote to Father Alexander Czvitkovicz, who had come to the United States in 1841 as superior of the Redemptorist mission, and asked him to take over Saint Nicholas. Father Czvitkovicz appointed Father Gabriel Rumpler to this task, and Father Rumpler with two lay brothers shortly arrived at Saint Nicholas.

Very quickly Father Rumpler faced two problems. Although Trusteeism was a death blow by the diocesan synod in 1841, some die-hards refused to let the system go, many of whom were entrenched at Saint Nicholas. The other problem Father Rumpler faced was the inadequacy of only one church in lower Manhattan for all the German Catholics. It became apparent to him, as well as other priests, that a new church was necessary to be able to minister to a growing German congregation and to have a parish free from the poor governance of the trustees.

The Church is Built

On January 12, 1844, Father Rumpler purchased twelve lots on East Third and Fourth Streets for $32,000. The neighborhood up to Seventh Street was populated, but north of it there were no houses, only truck farms. The construction of the first temporary church began immediately. The terrain was mostly swampy, and the congregation volunteered its time to fill the land. The cornerstone was laid on February 20, 1844, and on Easter Monday, April 8, 1844, the church was dedicated. The first baptism was held on the day the church was dedicated. Most Holy Redeemer became known as the "spite church" to the trustees of Saint Nicholas because Father Rumpler and his congregation left their church to branch out on their own.

The first church was a temporary structure which looked much like a ropewalk. It cost $6,000 to build. The church was a long, narrow, unpretentious building, but the German people crowded into it every Sunday for Mass with great devotion. "There were three aisles. The church was illuminated by oil lamp and candles. In the center of the church was a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling in which candles were placed...There was a beautiful set of the Stations of the Cross erected in this church. The old church contained three altars, had only plain glass windows." This description was given by Mr. Dumpster, a farm hand at the Redemptorist seminary in Esopus, who was baptized by Father Rumpler.

Because this structure occupied only a portion of the twelve lots purchased by Father Rumpler, dwellings were built on the remaining land and rented out. However, the congregation grew very quickly, and it was necessary to start planning a larger, permanent church.

In the United States at this time there was a very hostile sentiment against immigration. The Native American Party called for a twenty-one year period to precede naturalization. This program was aimed particularly at Irish Catholics, but many German Catholics were frightened. In addition, there was also an anti-Catholic feeling in New York. The mayoral candidate in 1844, James Harper, had as a campaign slogan "No Popery", and he won the election.

Despite this anti-immigration sentiment, there was a wave of immigration in 1848/49 which was precipitated by a revolution in Germany. The Germans who stayed in New York City settled in "Little Germany", which was located along the Bowery between Houston Street and 12th Street. Many of these newly arrived immigrants were Catholics, and they were in need of a church. It now became imperative for Father Rumpler to begin work on the new church. With donations of money and time from the immigrant German laborers, construction of the permanent church was started on October 8, 1850.

Unfortunately, Father Gabriel Rumpler, who was transferred to Baltimore, could not see the plans to completion, and Father Joseph Mueller, the next pastor, took over the project. The dwellings which were built on the lots surrounding the temporary church were torn down. The new church required a deeper foundation, and the swampy land had to be reinforced. A twenty-eight foot foundation was dug, and sandstone and solid blocks were used to fill it in.

Construction proceeded very rapidly, and on April 21, 1851, the cornerstone was laid. The Most Reverend Bishop John McCloskey, Bishop of Albany, performed the ceremony. This event sparked the parishioners to work even harder to complete the church. On October 6, 1851, the cross raising ceremony took place. During the next year, the congregation worked feverishly to complete the building. They were willing to incur debts in order to see their church consecrated in the shortest time possible. Their dream came true on November 28, 1852, when the church was ready for consecration.

The consecration ceremony was performed by Most Reverend Archbishop Hughes, and the celebrant of the Pontifical Mass was the Most Reverend Bishop John Neumann CSSR of Philadelphia (now Saint John Neumann). The preacher was the Most Reverend Bishop John McCloskey. The crowds gathered outside the church long before it opened. The German Independent Rifles and various benevolent societies from New York, Brooklyn, Albany, Philadelphia, and Baltimore served as guards to restrain the crowd and clear traffic.

November 28, 1852, was a memorable day in the history of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer. Here stood New York's first consecrated church which also meant that it was free from debt. The Katolische Kirchenzeitung,a New York German Catholic newspaper, called it "the most beautiful and largest in New York", and from then on the church became known as the German Cathedral. It was a "labor of love...happily achieved" and "a monument of Catholic generosity and Catholic zeal", as stated by Bishop McCloskey in his sermon. Most Holy Redeemer was a church built by poor German immigrants which would remain a church for all immigrants of the Lower East Side.
The opening of the church was known throughout the city. The New York Herald on November 28, 1852, commented that "this magnificent church, situated on Third Street, near Avenue A, will be consecrated today. The ceremonies will be as usual upon such occasions, very grand and interesting."

The new, grand church was a red brick structure in the Byzantine style, 80 feet wide and 127 feet in length. Four massive pillars divided the front. The church is described in The Catholic Churches of New York City as follows: "The interior pillars rise 34 feet above the side pillars, and above these shoots a spire 146 feet high. With its cross the church is 250 feet from the ground. There are three doors in front, surmounted by richly ornamented gables decorated with chambers and niches. The middle door has an 18 foot span, and is 24 feet high. Above this is a middle window 37 feet high, pouring through its stained glass a mellow light on the galleries, and side windows in happy proportion, supported by beautifully turned columns."

"Three domes rise above the altars to a height of 61 feet; the central one crowned by a belfry capped by a cross. There are three naves with massive pillars ranged on either side, supporting its many arches and the grained and richly corniced roof of azure set with stars."

At the time the most notable object of consecration within the church was the altar stone of the high altar. This was a large marble slab, about three-quarters of a foot thick, and it constituted the table of the altar. At the center of the stone a receptacle of copper was inserted into the marble. During the consecration ceremonies on November 28, relics of Saint Henry II, Emperor of Germany from 1002 to 1024, who was canonized by Pope Eugene III, were placed into this receptacle and sealed by Archbishop Hughes.

Although the church was consecrated in 1852, it was not completed until 1853. The first temporary church was still used for Mass, and when the new church opened its doors in 1853, the eastern portion of the first church was altered to serve as a rectory for the Redemptorists. Other portions of the old structure were removed and a garden was created. The open area of the garden allowed light and air to enter the eastern windows of the church. On June 29, 1853, the rectory was blessed by Father Bernard Hafkensheid before he returned to Europe.

The Early Years of Most Holy Redeemer Church

The United States and New York City continued to prosper and quiver with excitement. In 1848 gold was discovered in California, and many adventurers went West, leaving families fatherless.In the city businesses started moving uptown to 14th Street, and former costly mansions were converted into salesrooms for milliners and furniture dealers. The first Saint Patrick's Day Parade was held in 1852. Immigrants continued to flock to America, and from 1852 to 1854 a half million Germans came to this country.

While the city was changing from a rural town to an urban center, the Catholic Church and the Redemptorists expanded their territories as well. To meet the religious and spiritual needs of the immigrants, the Redemptorists established other churches in the city and the state. Most Holy Redeemer Church served as the mother church for many other churches, the first of which was Saint Alphonsus at Thompson and Canal Streets. The fathers from Third Street and other Redemptorists also built Our Lady of Sorrows on Pitt Street, Saint Joseph's on 87th Street, as well as churches in Poughkeepsie, Ellenville, and Albany.

At the same time, the New York diocese was large enough for division into the Sees of Albany, Buffalo, and New York, and by 1851 New York was made into an archepiscopal See. The vision of the ministry of the Redemptorists on Third Street went beyond building churches into ministering to the sick and poor. At a time when there were no welfare programs or government funds, the priests and parishioners took it upon themselves to care for the less fortunate. Redemptorists traveled all over the city visiting asylums, penitentiaries, orphanages, and almhouses. The parishioners raised money to build facilities where the poor and the sick could be cared for.

In 1849, a cholera epidemic broke out in the city, and the priests from Most Holy Redeemer traveled to Blackwell's Island, later changed to Welfare Island and now Roosevelt Island, contained an asylum for boys and girls, but until 1850 Catholic priests were barred from visiting the children. In 1850 permission was granted for Catholic priests to minister to the children, and the first Mass was said in November 1850. From then on the fathers taught catechism to the children, baptized them, and said Mass once a month.

The Redemptorists from Third Street expanded their ministry to Staten Island where there was a hospital for immigrants, and to Ward's Island, an island situated between Blackwell's Island and Randall's Island. Ward's Island sheltered immigrants who were too poor to travel farther inland in the United States. While untiringly working among the sick and the poor, several Redemptorists from Most Holy Redeemer contracted cholera and typhoid and died. Fathers Adolph Kittel and Wenceslaus Kubin were two of them, and they are buried in the crypt of the church.
The cholera epidemic left many orphans in the city and in the parish, and the Redemptorists of Most Holy Redeemer founded an asylum to care for some of these unfortunate children. At first a house on Third Street opposite the church was rented. Later larger quarters were opened on Thompson Street.

In 1857 Father Joseph Helmpraecht, pastor from 1854 to1860, drew up a plan for an orphanage which would care for all the German Catholic parishes in New York City. After a long battle to raise the funds and receive approval, Father Helmpraecht was able to purchase land on 89th Street and Avenue A (now York Avenue) for $22,000, and Saint Joseph's Orphanage opened on March 19, 1860. The School Sisters of Notre Dame, whose specialty was caring for the homeless and orphans, took charge of the orphanage.

In 1880 the asylum began to receive orphans committed by the courts, but as a result of an investigation of Catholic charitable institutions in New York City in 1911, the policy was abandoned.

As New York City continued to grow, Yorkville was no longer a rural, healthy area in which to care for children. The Redemptorists once again succeeded in obtaining land in Throggs Neck in Westchester County where a new orphanage was opened in 1893, again entrusted to the care of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Both orphanages continued to function for several years, but in 1906 the Throggs Neck facility was closed, and in 1918 the 89th street building was closed. Although these foundations closed, the Sisters of Notre Dame continued to care for children in an orphanage located next to the convent on Fourth Street.

The Good Fathers and Brothers

While there were many Redemptorists from Third Street who went outside the parish to care for people, there were others who stayed behind to deal with the day to day affairs of the church. Father Joseph Helmpraecht was known for his sanctity and his ability to attract people to services. Holydays and feast days were celebrated in the most solemn manner. Father Helmpraecht was also a father to widows and orphans, a helper and protector of the poor, and a consoler of the afflicted. He was so loved and in turn loved his congregation that his departure from Most Holy Redeemer greatly disturbed him and the parishioners. To save himself and his flock from the pangs of separation, Father Helmpraecht slipped out the rear entrance on Fourth Street into a waiting carriage. Father Leonard Petsch, pastor from 1862 to 1865 during the Civil War period, was known for his humility and tender heart. He hated to waste time and, therefore, had abrupt conversations, but he was loved and respected. Father Petsch installed a heating system which he felt would encourage the children to attend church. Although this was during the Civil War when workers and materials were scarce, Father Petsch was able to complete his plan for heating the church. 

At this time food prices soared, gold and silver vanished from circulation. Poor people begged for assistance at the rectory. Father Petsch tried to provide as much assistance as he could and was able to soothe his parishioners. During the Draft Riots of 1864, which began as an act of protest against the Conscription Act, there was a sudden attack by a mob upon Solinger's dry goods store at Avenue B and Second Street. The shopkeeper told the rioters, "If you are looking for money, go up to the Papists - they have lots of it." The mob ignored the shopkeeper and stormed his store and never approached the church.

Father Petsch's greatest achievement was the founding in 1865 of Saint Francis Hospital for the poor and the sick of the parish on East Fifth Street between Avenues A and B. The fathers from Third Street contributed and raised over $44,000 in just three years for the benefit of this hospital. The Sisters of the Poor of Saint Francis were given charge, and the fathers of Most Holy Redeemer served as its chaplains. The hospital was moved to 142nd Street and Brock Avenue in the Bronx in 1906, and the building on Fifth Street became an old age home. In 1927 there were 300 residents at the home.

Father Maximus Leimgruber followed Father Petsch as pastor in 1865, and he is remembered as a zealous priest and an outstanding preacher. Father Leimgruber instituted the General Blessing of the Sick which was a special day on which the sick could assemble for the blessing. In later years Most Holy Redeemer was the first church to introduce this General Blessing in connection with Our Lady of Perpetual Help devotions.

Father Rhabanus Preis, who had been at Most Holy Redeemer for twenty-four years between 1866 and 1894, spent his life in prayer and union with God. Father Preis had been ailing for some time, and during the Golden Jubilee of the parish, he was recuperating in Saint Francis Hospital. One of the fathers remarked humorously, "Father Preis, don't spoil our jubilee celebration by dying", to which Father Preis responded, "That would not happen if it depended on me."

The jubilee celebration and the torchlight procession had been completed. The fireworks and cannons had faded away. By dawn the next day, April 26, 1894, Father Preis had passed away. The sick and the poor flocked to the Purgatorian Altar not only to pray for Father Preis but to pray to him, and many felt that they received answers to their prayers.
In 1909, Father Joseph Schneider, a member of the community, was appointed rector of Most Holy Redeemer. While making the church his base between 1902 and 1904, he supervised the erection of a new powerhouse, laundry, and infirmary at Saint Mary's College in Pennsylvania. In 1904, he was appointed to find a new site for the seminary which he situated in Esopus, New York, and he then became Professor of Sciences in 1908.

During his rectorship Father Schneider worked with the same tireless energy in instituting several major projects at the church. He planned alterations for the church, school, rectory, and burial crypt. When on of the buildings on Fourth Street was no longer used for the school, he had the idea of converting it into an orphan asylum.
Many of the dedicated priests and brothers who labored at Most Holy Redeemer were buried in the crypt; their names are listed on the Purgatorian Altar. Unfortunately, in more recent times due to certain problems, burials have not taken place in the crypt.

The Church Continues to Grow

As the congregation of Most Holy Redeemer grew and more money could be raised, many changes and additions were made to the church building. In 1854 new bells were built in Germany and had been on exhibition at the Industrial Exposition in Crystal Palace, New York, were purchased for the church at a cost of $1,800. A new wooden, beautifully carved pulpit was built by Redemptorist Lay Brother Louis. Unfortunately, this masterpiece was removed in the 1970s, and its beauty is lost to us today. In March 1856 the Chapel of Our Blessed Lady was ready for use, and in October of the same year Saint Joseph's altar was finished. 

December 15, 1856, was a sad day on Third Street - Father Gabriel Rumpler, the founder, passed away. Father Rumpler was born in Alsace on January 3, 1814, entered the Redemptorist novitiate in Belgium in 1832, and was elevated to priesthood on March 10, 1838 in Holland. He volunteered to join Father Czvitkovicz for the American missions in 1841. Father Rumpler was only 30 years old when he preached his first sermon in Saint Nicholas Church.

After spending some time in New York City, Father Rumpler was transferred to Baltimore where he was appointed rector of Saint Alphonsus Church. In 1851 he ceded the burden of rectorship to Father John Neumann, who later became bishop of Philadelphia. Father Rumpler then devoted himself to training aspirants for the Redemptorist Order. In 1856 he was brought back to Third Street by a personal friend where he was cared for by the priests and brothers during an illness to which he succumbed at only 42 years of age.

While  our church was thriving, New York City grew as well. Construction began on Central Park in 1857, and on August 15, 1858, the cornerstone was laid for the new Saint Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. The Academy of Music on 14th Street and Irving Place was opened in 1854, and it became the operatic and cultural center of New York.
In 1869 the church celebrated its Silver Jubilee. A series of elaborate outdoor festivities were scheduled which had to be canceled because of the weather. However, Most Reverend John McCloskey, Archbishop of New York, consecrated two new bells and mentioned in the sermon that he had dedicated the old church twenty-five years ago.

The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer was not only a national church but was famous internationally. On August 15, 1868, the first copy of the picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was brought to the United States and placed in the private chapel of the Redemptorist Novitiate at Annapolis. On December 12, 1869, an exact copy was received at Most Holy Redeemer and kept in the sacristy until May 1870 when the miraculous picture was installed behind the communion rail on the wall next to the Altar of the Blessed Virgin. Devotions to Our Lady were started immediately. On February 10, 1871, a Papal  Indult  was received. This favor granted 300 days indulgence to all who devoutly pray before the picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Many cures and favors granted by our Lady were reported to the church. In 1870 the cure of a woman was announced from Saint Francis Hospital on Fifth Street. The following article from the New York Sun  on October 2, 1873, described the "remarkable exhibition of Roman Catholic faith" regarding devotions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Most Holy Redeemer.

"The church soon began to fill rapidly. The spaces in front of the pews and the altar steps were covered with kneeling, standing, or prostrate human beings. Some were stiff in their knee-joints and could not kneel. Others had great tumors on their faces or necks. Many were on crutches, some were blind. Others were harelipped or without any lips or noses. Many were evidently in the last stages of consumption. Others were pale and emaciated but with no other signs of disease. None were ragged or squalid, but the greater part were clad in the garments of genteel poverty....All over the congregation, which filled fully half the church, were both men and women, so rapt in prayer that they seemed totally oblivious of everything or human being around them."

In 1903 a solemn crowning ceremony of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was held. The crown was gold, set with twelve diamonds and other precious stones. A woman from Brooklyn presented the church with three jewels in 1897 as a beginning of a crown, a parishioner, Mrs. Loughlin, gave three diamonds, and another donated money for the project. In addition, the picture was set in a golden frame with two electric lights, and a glass plate was installed over the picture to secure its safety. On December 15, 1914, the new altar, which we see today, was consecrated. It was a gift of two sisters from the parish, Josephine and Anna Werckle, as a memorial to their father and mother. Devotions to Our Lady were started in 1870 when the picture arrived at the church, and in 1937 there was a marked increase in interest in Our Lady of Perpetual Help. In addition to the Wednesday devotions at the church, the fathers from Third Street were asked to conduct tridua and novenas in many churches around the city. 

Reverend Joseph Wirth, who succeeded Father Leimgruber, took an exceptional interest in the school. In August 1872 he purchased five lots on Fourth Street for a new school and thoroughly renovated the old school. In 1873 the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who had been living on Third Street, built a convent on Fourth Street. In that same year, the Brothers of Mary were contracted to take over the Boys' School. 

In the late 1870s the church was ready for some refurbishing and renovating. During April and May of 1878 the wooden side altars were replaced by marble altars. New and more beautiful and intricate stained glass windows were commissioned and installed by July 1878, and the burial crypt was enlarged and renovated. In March 1879 two new statues were received from Munich - Saint Alphonsus and Saint Therese - which were placed in the side niches of the Altar of the Blessed Virgin. In May 1879 a new high altar (which we see today) constructed of Italian marble was installed, and the original altar was used as an altar table.

Throughout history there has always been a distrust of new people with unfamiliar customs, and the German immigrants who had been settling in America experienced this. The Catholic Germans of the Lower East Side were very conscious of the bigotry directed against them by other nationalities and by other religious denominations who had been in New York some time. Building their own church and school was not enough to protect them from the prejudice they encountered, so the congregation of Most Holy Redeemer continued to expand its school and made the church and school the center of its life.

The parishioners formed many societies with social and spiritual purposes. The Jaeger Society, also known as the Independent German Rifles, was formed in 1852, and in 1875 the society outlined its two-fold purpose: To protect Church property against the attacks of the enemies of the Catholic Church and to enhance church ceremonies by attending important functions in military garb.  Throughout its history the Jaeger Society fulfilled its purpose by protecting the church when there were rumors of plots to burn it down, and particularly during World War I when it defended Germans against bigotry. In later years the organization became a sick and death benefit society. The early history of the church records other societies that were established. The Saint Aloysius Benevolent Society can trace its history to 1857, although its official organization was dated February 14, 1864, during the pastorate of Father Leimgruber. The group was a young men's benevolent society fostering spiritual and social activities, as well as rendering material aid during a member's illness and providing a death benefit.

The Archconfraternity of the Holy Family was introduced into the parish on March 25, 1861, and later divided into four branches,one of which was the Married Women of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Family.

The Lower East Side of New York continued to be a receptacle for immigrants to the United States, but there was a shift in the composition of the immigrant population in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Although Irish and Germans still came to America and New York, the latest wave of immigration was coming from southern Europe, mainly Italy. The advent of elevated trains on Third and Sixth Avenues in 1878 and the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 allowed the population of New York's Lower East Side, which was now becoming more affluent, to move to the suburbs of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

The End of the Century

The last quarter of the century was an exciting time in the history of the world, the country, and the church. It was a time of growth and new ideas. The Industrial Revolution was changing the lives of people all over the world. The Bell Telephone was organized in 1878. The first electric lights were installed in New York City on September 4, 1882. The Catholic Church was growing in the United States, and in 1875 Archbishop John McCloskey, the second archbishop of New York, became the United States' first Roman Catholic Cardinal.

Many of the immigrants to New York's Lower East Side left their countries to escape poverty as their society changed from an agricultural one to an industrial one. To house the newcomers, tenements popped up all over the Lower East Side, and many of these are still standing. Life here was not easy, but the Catholics among the new immigrants embraced the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer as their own. The magnificent church, whose spire could be seen from miles around, became a haven for the Italians and a symbol of hope in their new homeland.

The church continued to thrive throughout the remainder of the 1800s. New life was injected into its various societies, and lectures were given frequently in the parish hall. Excursions, fairs, and entertainment were held for the benefit of the school and the church which made possible some much needed improvements. Marble flooring was laid in the sanctuary of the church, and the statues of the 12 Apostles were purchased from Munich. A statue of the Blessed Virgin was obtained in 1888 for the side altar, and in 1893 the flooring of the lower chapel was refurbished.

Some time in the late 1880s or early 1890s, the church obtained water from the Shrine of Lourdes, and there are numerous letters indicating favors granted by Our Lady to those who used the water. On August 25, 1897, a woman came to the rectory and told Brother William that her child had scurvy of the gums which several doctors had failed to cure. After giving the child Lourdes water three times, the disease was cured. A woman from Springfield, Massachusetts wrote, "About the middle of September I was troubled with great pain in my ear. I could hardly stand it. I took a little Lourdes water sent to me from Third Street and put it into my ear. Almost immediately the pain left me and I felt cured."

Another special acquisition by the church at this time were the relics of Saint Datian. The remains of this Roman martyr had been kept by a noble woman in her private chapel in Rome. When she was reduced to poverty and the Italian government was about to confiscate her property, she was advised to send the relics to Most Holy Redeemer Church in New York. The remains arrived in the United States on August 12, 1892. The Married Women of the Holy Family made a gift of the Chapel of Relics to the church, and the relics of the saint were installed there. A ceremony was held on January 26, 1894.

The relic of the saint consists of almost all the boxes which have been enclosed in a small wooden box. The wooden box was enclosed within a larger zinc case, which was then put in an area below the altar. Over it was set the large wax figure which we see today. The Feast of Saint Datian is celebrated on October 30.

Over the years stories have circulated that the remains of Saint Datian are really those of a policeman who was shot while guarding the church. These are only rumors. There was, however, an incident involving a policeman. On October 26, 1897, when someone tried to tamper with the poor boxes, the burglar alarms sounded. Brother William ran out to Avenue A and blew his burglar whistle which summoned Police Officers Frederick Smith and Conklin. The policemen searched the church, found the poor boxes, and noticed that the doors near the Blessed Virgin altar leading to the school were open. Police Officer Smith disappeared through the passageway and came upon the burglar outside the sixth grade boys' classroom. When the burglar could not escape through the doors leading to the street, he turned and fired on Officer Frederick Smith.

Brother William and Father Aloysius Englehardt found Officer Smith slumped over. Officer Conklin pursued the burglar, Constantin Steiger, and finally caught him. Father Englehardt administered Last Rites to Policeman Smith, although he was not yet a Catholic, not having completed his religious instructions. The funeral for Policeman Frederick Smith was held at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on October 30, 1897, which is also the Feast of Saint Datian. The funeral procession wound through the streets of the parish, past the school where Frederick Smith was shot, past his house, and the police station.

The Chapel of Relics holds many other relics, including those of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. There are approximately 180 relics in the reliquaries in the shrine, and a list can be found posted to the left of the altar. Some especially noteworthy relics are from the Manger of Our Lord, the Pillar of Scourging, the Holy Cross, the Girdle of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mantle of Saint Joseph and of Saint Ann, mother of Mary, Saint Lazarus, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Anthony of Padua.

During its first fifty years, the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer succeeded in being a spiritual refuge for the German population of New York's Lower East Side, as well as the founding church for many others throughout the city, New York State, and the surrounding states. Its priests and brothers had also tended to the physical needs of the poor and sick through its various ministries. The school continued to provide the finest education to the children of the neighborhood. At the end of the first fifty years, the parish consisted of 2,664 people, and the school had an attendance of 667 children.

The parishioners of the church, many of whom still suffered from prejudice against immigrants, looked to the church as the center of their life.They continued to work actively within the many societies of the church and supported the school. The church and school became much more than just a spiritual center. The congregation socialized as well as prayed at Most Holy Redeemer.

To commemorate the Church's fiftieth anniversary, a Golden Jubilee was held in April 1894 after much preparation. The neighborhood surrounding the church from Houston Street to the river celebrated as well. Flags were displayed on every street, and on Second, Third, and Fourth Streets, flags hung from every window. Services and celebrations started on Monday at 10,00 am with a Pontifical Mass and continued throughout the next three days with ceremonies by the Jaeger Guard, Vespers and Benediction, a torchlight parade, and a reception at the school.

Two works of art were acquired at this time which are still found in the rear of the church. The Pieta and the Crucifixion, which were carved of wood, had been on display at the Columbian Exhibit in Chicago in 1893 and had been seen by some parishioners of the church. The Pieta, which depicts the Sorrowful Mother holding her dead Son across her lap with Saint John at her side and Joseph of Arimathea in the rear, was purchased and donated by a parishioner, Catherine Springer. The statue grouping was blessed on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows in 1895.
Before the Crucifixion could be acquired for the church, it was donated to a chapel in Staten Island. In 1896 the Mayer Company in Munich, Germany, completed a duplicate, and it was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Grein and blessed on June 26, 1896. To top off these beautiful additions to the church and possibly through the prodding of the parish, the street in front of the church was asphalted on May 21, 1897.

Turn of the Century          

New York City was growing and moving uptown at the turn of the century. Twenty-third Street was now the city's shopping center. The improvement of transit facilities gave impetus to the scheme to annex Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and parts of the Bronx to New York City in 1874. Jimmy Walker, who would become mayor of New York City, attended La Salle Academy which was a business school at this time. There were still 2,000 farms in the city, and more than 1.5 million New Yorkers lived in slums. The area bordered by the East River, East 14th Street, Third Avenue, the Bowery, and Catherine Street was the most populated area in the city. 

Although the composition of the immigrants coming into the United States was gradually changing at the turn of the century, Germans and their descendants still made up the majority of the population of the country. Prejudice against German immigrants still ran high, and the and the Germans of Most Holy Redeemer kept mostly to themselves, revolving life around the church and school. A bowling alley and shooting gallery opened on September 23, 1901, and a bowling club was organized.

Notes written by the rector of the church in 1901 show that the parishioners and also the priests and brothers enjoyed many activities together. Neighboring church communities which were also comprised of immigrants joined with Most Holy Redeemer in holding events. "The Italians attached to Saint Brigid's Church, 8th Street and Avenue B, had an entertainment in our hall tonight. Admission 10 cents. Reserved seats 15 cents. The audience...seemed to enjoy the performance very much."

Diaries of our church for the same year also show community outings to Plum Beach, Saint Joseph Orphan Asylum, and Long Island Sound. The parishioners of the church mourned in unison the death of President McKinley; on September 19, 1901, the church bells tolled from 3,00 pm to 4,00 pm and services were held.

But not all Germans in the city were Catholic; many were Protestant, particularly Lutheran. Many parishioners of Most Holy Redeemerhad relatives and friends who belonged to The German Lutheran Church of Saint Mark, located on Sixth Street. Saint Mark's held its annual outing on June 15, 1904, and the congregation of Saint Mark's and their friends and relatives who were parishioners of Most Holy Redeemer boarded the General Slocum.  

The excursion boat slowly made its way up the East River with 1,600 happy passengers. Just as the General Slocum neared Hell Gate in the East River, a fire broke out. The captain made a decision to press on to the nearest island rather than head toward the shore. The rapidly spreading fire and the error in the captain's judgment caused the deaths of 1,200 passengers. The whole city listened to the news in horror, and the details of the tragedy spread even around the world. There was no house in the neighborhood that did not have at least two coffins, and one house had as many as twenty-seven.

A Solemn Requiem Mass held at Most Holy Redeemer was attended by Protestants as well as Catholics. Although the Mass was celebrated at 5,30 am, the church was crowded to overflowing. The following Sunday the tragedy of the General Slocum was the topic of the sermons in every church of the diocese. Even William II, Emperor of Germany, sent a message of sympathy to President Theodore Roosevelt.

 Although the General Slocum disaster was not forgotten, other events of the period brightened life in the city. One particular event in 1904 changed the life of the citizens of New York City. On October 27, a subway was opened from City Hall to 145th Street, a distance of nine miles. Archbishop Farley blessed the new subway, and Mayor McClellan delivered a moving speech. By nightfall that evening, 35,000 passengers had the thrill of riding the subway. 

The heralding of the subway system in New York City, coupled with sad memories of the General Slocum disaster, also changed life at Most Holy Redeemer. The German parishioners who could not forget the horrible tragedy of the summer excursion moved away from the parish. The subway gave others the mobility to discover areas of the city out of their locale and then the opportunity to settle in those less populated neighborhoods or "suburbs". As a result, church records of Most Holy Redeemer show a marked decline of the parish by 1908.

The first years of the 20th century brought many changes to life in the United States and New York City. Indeed, life was changing around the world. The Industrial Revolution had created a new class of people - those working in factories, even children, for pennies a day. The industrialization of society depleted workers from the agricultural industry and left it debilitated. These low paid factory workers migrated to overcrowded cities and many areas of cities around the world turned to ghettos.

On March 25, 1911, a tragic event took place not far from Most Holy Redeemer Church. The Triangle Waist Co. was located at 22 Washington Place near Greene Street, one block east of Washington Square Park. A fire broke out at the end of the day in the factory, and in only ten minutes 441 workers died. Unsafe working conditions prevented the factory workers from escaping from the building. This horrible episode in history sparked union activities in the city and throughout the United States.

An unrest circulated among this new class of workers in the United States, and also among the farmers in other parts of the world. The discernment with their lives led workers to revolt in thought and then in action around the world. New York's Lower East Side, where most of the city's laborers lived, became a hotbed of "liberal" ideas. Marxist activities were formulated around the Tompkins Square Park neighborhood and carried out in other parts of the city. There were early signs of union activities spurred on by the deplorable conditions in factories. Although the parish of Most Holy Redeemer sat in the middle of the fomenting revolution, the German, and now increasingly Italian, congregation for the most part did not join in.

In 1912, the year that the Titanic sank, Father Joseph Schneider, rector of Most Holy Redeemer, was appointed Provincial of the Baltimore Province. Although the parishioners were unhappy to see him go, they were jubilant because of the honor given him. Father Schneider had the reputation of a builder, and before his departure from Most Holy Redeemer, he planned many renovations and alterations. Father Lieberth, who succeeded Father Schneider as rector, carried out these extensive plans which took six years to complete.

The front of the church, which had been of common red brick, was covered with polished granite and smooth, white Indian limestone.The great tower was redesigned in the Romanesque style and lowered from 250 feet to 232 feet. The cupola of iron tiles was covered by copper, and on the top of the cupola a richly gilded cross was placed. The bells were reset. New light oak wood pews replaced the old solid black walnut ones. The sanctuary murals of the Ascension and Pentecost were retouched, and two other murals, Emmaus and Peter and John at the Temple, were added. The company of Zundel from Long Island designed the present stained glass windows.

Of course, none of these wonderful renovations, alterations, and refurbishings could have been done without the generous support of the parishioners. In each stained glass window the name of the parishioner whose contribution made the work possible was memorialized. Plaques engraved with the names of generous donors had been set alongside altars throughout the church.

One parishioner in particular, Mr. Rebeschung, a handyman and electrical mechanic, was experimenting with another idea. On January 11, 1914, he strung wires from the sacristy to the bell tower in an attempt to ring one of the bells by means of electricity. He proceeded to the sacristy, pressed a button, and to his excitement his experiment worked. His next task was to coordinate the bells so that they could be rung together, and he was successful. Mr. Rebeschung earned the title of the inventor of this system of electric bellringing, and Most Holy Redeemer became the first church or building in the world to have this system.

World War I and the Aftermath 

At this time World War I was ravaging Europe. Fortunately, the United States, for the most part, was unaffected. However, there was a growing prejudice against German-Americans. Dachshunds were kicked on the street and then were renamed Liberty Pups. Sauerkraut was renamed Liberty Cabbage. German language lessons were banned in schools. This distrust and hatred were felt by the Germans of Most Holy Redeemer. The Jaeger Society worked hard during World War I to defend German-Americans against bigotry and to protect church property.

Father Joseph Schmidt was pastor of the church during the war. Because of partly successful bombings at Saint Patrick's Cathedral and Saint Alphonsus on Canal Street and because arson was again rampant, Father Schmidt took all possible precautions to protect the church. The war also brought other difficulties, including food and fuel shortages. There were various kinds of rationings and social activities to aid war victims such as Liberty Bond drives, the Catholic War Drive, and clothing drives. The parish participated in all of these projects.

Throughout the dark days of the war there were also bright times. In 1916 a celebration commemorating the Golden Jubilee of the restoration of the picture of Perpetual Help was held, as well as the American Catholic Federation Convention. Most Holy Redeemer served as host to a group which attended the convention.

Another celebration was held, this one in honor of Father Elias Schauer who celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of his profession. Father Schauer first came to Most Holy Redeemer in 1864, shortly after his ordination. Ten years later he was made Provincial, and during his term he opened many houses in the United States and Canada. He returned to Most Holy Redeemer at the age of 72 and became the faithful chronicler of parish events.

In 1915 the parish started to decline noticeably. Each year the congregation decreased in numbers. There have been many opinions about what contributed to the decline. Some say the Slocum disaster caused the beginning of the decline. Others feel that World War I had much to do with it - many men of the parish never returned home. Another cause of the decline was the Spanish influenza. A theory put forth by a Redemptorist historian was that because of the "undesirable element of Socialists and Communists into the neighborhood, nearly all the descendants of the old German families have moved elsewhere." The most probable cause was that the latest wave of immigrants were non-Catholic.

Although the congregation declined, the Redemptorists at Most Holy Redeemer continued to minister to the parishioners and were kept busy in many ways. Confessions, communions, baptisms, and marriages were more numerous. Devotions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help increased. The fathers conducted tridua and novenas in many churches around New York. Our Lady's cause was being spread all over the city and neighboring areas. A church was erected on Bleecker Street and given the name Our Lady of Perpetual Help. A portable bronze image of Our Lady's picture was donated by a parishioner for use at devotions.

During these years the parish societies continued to thrive. There were many organizations and activities in which the parishioners could participate between World War I and World War II. The Saint Aloysius Benevolent Society had become a sick and death benefit society by World War II. Married Women of the Holy Family and the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary were successors of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Family.

Saint Helena's Altar Society, formed in 1885 by Father Ziegler, for the purpose of defraying the expenses in maintaining the altars and the church, was still in operation. The Blessed Gerard Altar Society was established when electric lighting was installed in the church. The society's purpose was to help with the expenses connected with the installation and maintenance of the lighting. Members paid a monthly contribution of 10 cents.

The Holy Name Society was established in 1924 in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus. This society, one of the oldest in the Catholic Church originating in Lyons, France, in 1274, had for its special purpose the making of reparation for the insults offered to the Holy Name of Jesus by blasphemers. The Parents' Association was organized by the rector, Father John Behr, in 1936. Its purpose was to aid in the education of the poor children in the school, and it conducted social events to defray the tuition.

The Cadets and the Band had their origin with the Catholic Boys Brigade which was established by Father Francis Schmidt during his rectorship. In 1921 the group  was reorganized by Father Alphonse Schumacher and became an efficient, well-trained organization that could compete with any in the city. It was invited to various city armories to participate in competitive drills for Fife and Drum Corps. The Girl Scouts, which was introduced in 1929, became known as the Girl Cadets in 1935. This group served the church in its festive ceremonies and also participated in various activities with outside civic groups.

The Holy Redeemer Players were established in 1933 by Father John Fleckenstein, and the group sponsored card parties, bingo, and plays. Even in the 90s, the group was still active in organizing social events.

It had been a dream of many, many boys in the parish to serve as an altar boy, and this dedicated group existed into the 70s. Today women have joined the men in serving the church at Mass and other services. The honor and privilege of being made an Oblate of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer has been bestowed upon some members of the congregation in recognition of their charitable service to the Redemptorists. Two other groups of dedicated individuals are the ushers and the choir. The ushers are more than parishioners who take up collections; they also maintain order in the church. 

Music has always been very important to the Redemptorists, and, therefore, they have taken great pride in the choir. Most Holy Redeemer was famous for its choirs. Concerts which included organ recitals and vocal programs were held in the church. These events featured famous opera stars and musicians. Mr Alphonse Weiss was the choir director and organist for thirty-six years from 1890 to 1926. He was a composer of hymns for children and was often called to play at the Metropolitan Opera House. The main organ, which was installed during the 1912 renovation by the renowned Clarke Company under the supervision of Mr Weiss, is now in disrepair.

World War I saw many changes around the world. The Russian Revolution ended rule by the czars and totally changed the economic, religious, and social lives of the Russian people. Many Russians and Ukrainians emigrated to the United States, and they set up enclaves in New York. As a result, several Russian Orthodox churches were  built on the Lower East Side.

Immediately following the war the United States experienced a short depression, then came Prohibition in 1920 and the beginning of the Roaring 20s. Throughout the 20s illegal activities flourished in New York as well as in other large cities throughout the country. Speakeasies were opened  where contraband liquor was served, and gambling parlors started to crop up. Gangsters demanded "protection" money from legitimate shopkeepers and businesses to protect them from other gangsters. The Stock Market Crash on October 25, 1929, which precipitated the Great Depression, put an end to the false prosperity of the 20s and somewhat curtailed illegal enterprises.

Union ideas, fueled by the Depression, fomented in the city. On March 6, 1930, the biggest union demonstration in the history of New York City was held in Union Square which was attended by over 100,000 people. As mentioned before, the congregation of Most Holy Redeemer kept away from these activities for the most part.

Church life during the 20s and 30s remained the same as it had always been with most of the parishioners still comprised of immigrants who preferred to keep together. Small events during this time made life joyful for the congregation, One of these was the dedication on September 1, 1929, of the new shrine of the Little Flower. Another notable event took place on October 4, 1931: the opening of Sunday school for public school children.

In 1933 Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was elected mayor of New York City. He loved the city very much and tried to bring it out of the doldrums of the Depression. The Mayor read comics over the radio to citizens who could not afford a newspaper. He pushed for work projects in the city to give jobs to the unemployed. In 1935 the first project houses were opened on Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue called "The First Houses". Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt was present for the ceremony. The apartment complex stands today, in excellent condition, and the courtyard behind them is still a peaceful place to sit, relax, or read. In 1939 Mayor LaGuardia was successful in attracting the World's Fair to New York City which was an economic boon to the city as well as a once-in-a-lifetime experience for New Yorkers.

Unfortunately, the peace that the United States experienced for just a short twenty years was abruptly interrupted by World War II on December 7, 1941. Although first hostilities and then war had been ravaging Europe for several years, America had not been touched. But by 1941 the United States began fighting both a Pacific front against the Japanese and a European front against the Germans and Italians. The war took its toll on Most Holy Redeemer in many ways.

The congregation of the church still remained German with many Italians, and these two groups of Americans were discriminated against during the war. Also many parishioners were called to serve in the war which left families without husbands, fathers, and brothers for several years. Some men never returned home. Women parishioners started working in factories and taking on other jobs that were traditionally done by men. Many of these jobs were to support the war effort such as making clothing and parachutes for the armed forces. 

The congregation of Most Holy Redeemer also supported the war effort in other ways. The church participated in bond drives as it had done in World War I, and the Cadets and the Band joined each neighborhood block in raising the block flag in honor of the men from the block who were serving in the war. The Church, as well as its parishioners, was affected by fuel and food rationing.

The hardships of the war did not prevent the supporters of the church from maintaining the church building. In 1942 the rector, Father Michael WIll, started a campaign to clean up the church and to begin work on the centennial celebration. Pointing of the brickwork on the exterior of the church started immediately. In 1945, one year late, Most Holy Redeemer had its 100th anniversary with three days of celebration. In 1946 the church celebrated the end of the war with a Victory Dance sponsored by the Holy Name Society.

At the end of the war some normalcy returned to the country, the city, and to the church. Prosperity returned to the United States and to the city. Two large housing complexes were started in the neighborhood - the Stuyvesant/Peter Cooper Village north of 14th Street, between First Avenue and the East River, and the projects east of Avenue D, north of Houston Street.

The general prosperity enabled the parishioners of Most Holy Redeemer to refurbish the church building during the rectorship of Father Edward Koch. The marble flooring was in need of replacement and resetting, the interior lighting was outmoded and inadequate. The exterior of the building needed cleaning. Trees were planted outside the church. It took two years to complete the work, and on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1947, the church was ready.

Prosperity was not all that returned to Third Street. Father John Krimm, who had labored as a young priest at the church in the past, returned as rector following Father Koch. Father Krimm had served as a chaplain in the army in Japan during the war. His pet project was to bring back old-timers to the church and his zeal in this undertaking was rewarded. There was a renewal in parish spirit, and school enrollment soared to over 900 students. Father Krimm had constructed a convent for the School Sisters of Notre Dame on the top floor of the school building. He inaugurated daily Holy Mass in the convent for the Sisters.

In October 1954 the status of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer was changed. The church had been a national parish to care for German-speaking people anywhere, but in 1954 it became a diocesan territorial parish with defined boundaries: from the south side of Fourth Street to the east side of First Avenue to the west side of Avenue B to the north side of Stanton Street to the west side of Clinton Street to the east side of Allen Street.

Hispanic Congregation 

After World War II there was an outpouring of Puerto Ricans in search of jobs to the mainland, particularly to New York City. Puerto Rican immigration peaked in 1953, the year Robert F. Wagner Jr. was elected mayor of New York City. Typical of many of the immigrant populations who had settled in New York City over the last 125 years, the Puerto Rican immigrants settled on New York's Lower East Side. Most of the new immigrants were baptized Catholics, and Most Holy Redeemer was ready to accept them into the flock. Father Henry Voss was rector of the church at this time.

The Redemptorists had been working in Puerto Rico since the end of the 1800s, and more than half of the fathers in the province spoke Spanish, including Father Voss, who had spent time in Puerto Rico as a young priest. At first he set up an altar in the crypt chapel for Sunday Masses and sermons in Spanish. As attendance increased, the 10,00 am Sunday Mass in the main church was designated as the official Spanish Mass.

The HIspanic parishioners became more and more involved in the church, and more Spanish speaking priests came to work at Most Holy Redeemer to hear confessions, preach sermons, make sick calls, and generally minister to the congregation. The Legion of Mary was set up during the 50s which did work among the HIspanic parishioners. The members visited homes, validated marriages, and guided public school children who were not receiving religious instruction.    

At the end of Father Voss's tenure at the church, a fire broke out in the tower which was quickly put under control by the New York City Fire Department. Unfortunately, the tower bells had been damaged and silenced. In 1959 Father Gerard Kuhn took over the rectorship from Father Voss. Father Kuhn was an enthusiastic young priest, and he immediately set out to continue the work of Father Krimm in revitalizing the parish. He inspired people, and the parishioners loved him. Father Kuhn touched not only church life, but the school and the entire neighborhood as well.
The neighborhood of the Lower East Side (now known as the East Village) went through dramatic changes during the 1960s and 1970s, as did other areas of New York City. As residents became more affluent during the prosperous 50s and 60s, they moved  from the neighborhood. The majority of the population of the area were poor, the lower middle class, and the new immigrants. Apartment buildings, many of which were built in the 1800s, fell into disrepair, caught fire, and were boarded up. The standing buildings became unsafe and were often overrun by drug addicts and squatters. Civil rights demonstrations were taking place all over the city, and Tompkins Square Park was the site of many rallies and marches.

In the early 1960s  parcels of land running from Second Street, from Avenue A to First Avenue were cleared of buildings, and a new apartment complex, called Village View, opened in 1965. This building project helped to revitalize the neighborhood somewhat and brought new parishioners to Most Holy Redeemer.

Throughout the unhappy days of civil and social unrest in the city and the neighborhood, the church and its loyal parishioners still stood proud. A bright spot in the parish was the opening of the Cardinal Spellman Center on Second Street. This center was a haven for neighborhood children who could enjoy arts and crafts, cooking classes, and sports.Most Holy Redeemer Schoolsent representatives from each eighth grade class to participate in weekly youth group discussions. One activity of this youth group was to participate in the movement to seek canonization for Blessed John Neumann.

In 1966 Francis Cardinal Spellman made a visit to Most Holy Redeemer to officiate at a solemn Mass and at the rededication of the church as an official pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The school children eagerly participated in this event by singing in the choir and by serving as altar boys. The Cardinal spent several minutes praying at the shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Father Kuhn was succeeded by Father George Rosenkranz, who was a native son of the parish - his parents were married here and he was born and baptized in the parish. During his tenure the church changed in many ways due to the Second Vatican Council. Father Rosenkranz set up a large portable altar in order to offer Mass facing the congregation. Masses were said in English or Spanish, the languages of the people, and Latin was dropped, and the parishioners directly participated in the Mass. "Folk" Masses were held with guitars and singers alongside the altar. The possibility of confession face to face was now made available.

Many of these changes disturbed the traditionalists, but others were excited by the new approach. A lay retreat movement was started by Father Rosenkranz, and fifty men of the parish made a retreat at San Alfonso in West End, New Jersey. The 125th anniversary held in 1968 was enthusiastically anticipated by all parishioners. The celebration included a solemn Mass and a dinner/dance.

As Most Holy Redeemer Church approached its 130th year in the 1970s, once again renovations became necessary. The church was in dismal condition: the roof leaked, the paint peeled, the organ was in disrepair. During the alterations the floor of the sanctuary was extended to reach out into the congregation. In keeping with lay participation and more direct contact between the laity and clergy, sermons were no longer given from the wooden pulpit, and, therefore it was removed.
Unfortunately, not all the work could be completed or even undertaken. Refurbishing of the organ was started and some of the pipes were dismantled, but the work was discontinued. Today the magnificent instrument, which once thrilled the congregation at Masses, special occasions, and concerts, lays silent and partially dismantled.

Throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the Hispanic congregation grew and encompassed many more nationalities than Puerto Ricans. The new immigrants to the East Village  now come from other Caribbean islands and Central and South American countries. The new parishioners are as committed in their religious fervor as were the original German immigrants.

Most Holy Redeemer was once again revitalized by its parishioners and several organizations flourished at the church. The Legion of Mary reached out to Hispanics in the community. There were several other organizations: the Holy Name Society for men and the Holy Family Society for women; the Youth Group, the Daughters of Mary, Religious Education for Children, and Children's Liturgy for the youth; several other organizations were very active including: Santo Nombre, Madres Cristianas, Ministers of Care(an outreach program to to people with HIV/AIDS and families), Support Life Ministry(which includes Outreach to the Elderly and Outreach to Expectant Mothers), Family Ministry, RCIA(a program for adults seeking Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation), Evangelization Ministry, English as a Second Language, and, of course, the choir.

The parishioners take pride in their faith and love of God, and it was not uncommon to see processions with banners in the neighborhood or block fairs on Third Street. In May 1994 a procession started out at Immaculate Conception Church on 14th Street near First Avenue and proceeded to Most Holy Redeemer. In 1993 a carnival was held in front of the church, and many of the children took part with painted faces. Another street fair took place on September 17, 1994.

One of the visible signs of love and devotion of the parishioners of Most Holy Redeemer has been the undertaking in 1992 of extensive renovations in preparation for the 150th anniversary of the church. Under the leadership of Father Joseph Tizio, renovation plans were drawn up and a fundraising campaign was put in place. The refurbishing of the church building cost in excess of a quarter of a million dollars, and the majority of the contributions came from the congregation and alumni. The extent of the work was massive, but the results are breathtaking.

A large portion of the work was for structural alterations which were imperative. The roof was redone and the interior was repainted with painstaking attention to every detail. The communion rail was removed, and a new altar and baptismal font were built from it. Four of the six confessionals were dismantled, and three of them were made into shrines to Saint Anthony, Saint Gerard, and Saint Alphonsus. 

The floor of the sanctuary was further extended into the congregation, and some of the front pews were removed. The church was cleaned and polished. Unfortunately, the renovations were so extensive and costly that again refurbishing of the organ was not possible.

The gala 150th anniversary was kicked off by the celebration of Mass by John Cardinal O'Connor on April 9, 1994. The church was packed with current and former parishioners. The Mass was said in both English and Spanish, and the choir and organ joined in hymns of both languages. "It was a real New York moment, as a multiethnic congregation marked the 150th anniversary of the 'German Cathedral', Most Holy Redeemer Church, still artistically splendid in its changed neighborhood in Lower Manhattan", as quoted from Catholic New York, April 14, 1994.

The jubilee Mass was followed by a dinner/dance at the Ukrainian National Home on Second Avenue. The parishioners, staff, Fathers Tizio and Hollander, and visiting clergy danced, ate sang, reminisced, and generally had a wonderful time. Father Arthur Wendel, a former rector of Most Holy Redeemer during the 1980s, and whose family had been in the parish since 1888, entertained the group by his beautiful singing.

The spirit of Father Gabriel Rumpler is still alive at Most Holy Redeemer. Originally built to satisfy the spiritual needs of mostly German immigrants, Most Holy Redeemer stands today as a pillar of faith serving America's most recent immigrants in a primarily Hispanic community.

What better way to conclude this history and continue our faith journey than with the words Bishop John McCloskey preached on November 28, 1852, at the dedication of our current church: "God has blessed the fruit of your hands and the sweat of your brow - you will show that there is within you the same faith, that the generosity burns in your bosoms, and that there is the same zeal in all your actions and in all your thoughts. Oh! Then let us rally around that altar and that sacrament."         

(Taken from Most Holy Redeemer, New York, New York: 1844-1994 - Jounral Committee: Reverand Jospeh Tizio,, C.SS.R, Reverand Jerome Holland, C.SS.R, Doris Marchia and Rose Maneri)