St. Francis Xavier Church (Manhattan)


St. Francis Xavier Church is a Roman Catholic church in Manhattan at 30–36 West 16th Street between Fifth Avenue and the Avenue of the Americas in the Flatiron District neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

History

The original church was founded in 1851 by Jesuits from the village of Fordham. Its original sanctuary, designed by William Rodrigue, was the scene of a panic on March 8, 1877 when someone shouted "Fire!" in the church during a Mass; seven people died. This church was torn down in 1878.

Architecture

The cornerstone of the new church was laid in May, 1878 on land immediately to the west of the old church. Built over the next four years, the current church has been in use since 1882. Designed by Irish-born architect Patrick Charles Keely in a "Roman Basilica" style,—the church has a Neo-baroque exterior with a façade of bluish-gray granite quarried from Monson, Massachusetts by the W.N. Flynt Granite Co.. The main entrance is sheltered by a gabled portico. The stained-glass windows in a pre-Raphaelite style, by the Morgan brothers, frequent collaborators of Keely. The church was dedicated by Archbishop Michael Corrigan on December 3, 1882.
A campaign for the extensive restoration and preservation of the church began in 2001 and was completed in 2010 under the direction of EverGreene Architectural Arts and Thomas A. Fenniman, architect.

Popular culture

The church was featured in the 2014 film John Wick, as a front for the Russian mob.