Catacombs by Candlelight

The catacombs beneath the Basilica of Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral are a rare architectural anomaly in Manhattan. While New York City expanded rapidly during the nineteenth century, burial space in the growing metropolis became scarce. To solve this, the church constructed these subterranean chambers between eighteen-oh-nine and eighteen-fifteen, using them to house the deceased in a series of family and clerical vaults. These vaults are now the only active Catholic catacombs in New York City, serving as the final resting place for bishops, soldiers, and prominent residents who helped shape the early identity of the city.