St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church (Manhattan, New York)

The parish of Saint Francis de Sales began in eighteen ninety four when Reverend Joseph Hoey held the first mass in the ground floor of a rented house. The congregation grew rapidly, and within a single year, the space was deemed too small for the local Catholic community. By eighteen ninety five, leaders had already laid the cornerstone for a basement church to accommodate the rising attendance. This basement served as the initial place of worship until the full structure was completed in nineteen oh three.