This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: luvzsun Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.researchresources.lookups.lookups/3262.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The following was excerpted from a featured story in "Catholic New York", (http://www.cny.org) July 6, 2000: "Most New York City Catholics of that era (1840 ) were poor immigrants. The Irish were concentrated in lower Manhattan, especially in the Sixth Ward, the "Bloody Auld Sixth," as it was called, where it was alleged that there was one grog shop for every six inhabitants. It is a matter of dispute among historians whether these Irish Catholic immigrants were regular churchgoers, but there can be no doubt about their generosity to the Church despite their extreme poverty. Many lived in rickety tenements without adequate light or sanitation that stood next to slaughter houses, stables and breweries. The men found work as day laborers, stage-coach drivers, construction workers or longshoremen, while the women often were employed as domestics. Most of the clergy who ministered to them were also Irish-born, like Father John Power, the pastor of St. Peter's Church on Barclay Street. A notable exception was Father Felix Varela, the Cuban-born pastor of Transfiguration Church on Mott S! treet, who was enormously popular with his Irish congregation." The NYG&B has more information re NYC Catholic churches/records at http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=110 Bill Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.