St. Joseph Church in Chinatown

The Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, founded by Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini in Italy, are a Catholic congregation created to serve the needs of Italian immigrants coming to America to escape poverty.

The Church of St. Joseph, or San Giuseppe, was founded in 1923 at 5 Monroe Street to serve Italian immigrants on the Lower East Side. Its school opened in 1926, run by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. With Masses in English, Spanish, and Chinese, the parish became a spiritual home for both Italian and Chinese communities. Over time, demographic shifts led to mergers: first with St. Joachim (1957), then St. James (2007), and finally with the Church of the Transfiguration in 2015. Today, its twin domed towers remain a landmark over the tenement skyline.