St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church Complex, Roman Catholic church complex in Ridgewood, Queens, United States.
St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church Complex stands in Ridgewood, Queens, as a group of parish buildings: the 1926 church, a four-story rectory of 1910, a school built in 1909, 1913 and 1950, and a convent of 1914. The church is Italian Renaissance Revival in brick, stone and terra cotta, with a gable roof, a three-stage bell tower on the projecting center bay, and Corinthian columns.
The complex was built in the early 1900s to serve the growing Catholic community in Ridgewood and has remained a parish center since its founding. It gained official recognition when added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, acknowledging its architectural and religious heritage.
The parish takes its name from Saint Matthias, chosen by the apostles to replace Judas. Its Italian Renaissance Revival church, finished in 1926, has a three-stage bell tower above the projecting center bay and Corinthian columns, details a visitor can pick out from Catalpa Avenue.
The complex holds regular Mass services in the main church building and offers various programs in the school spaces. Visitors should know that the site spans multiple buildings, and different entrances may be used depending on which activity or program you are attending.
The original 1908 church building still stands on the property, now used by the parochial school rather than for worship. The present church replaced it after World War I: its basement was finished in 1919 and the cornerstone of the upper church was laid on October 5, 1924.
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