LIC Catholic Church Gets $20K From NY Landmark Conservancy Group

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — A Catholic church in Western Queens received a $20,000 grant from a New York-based group focused on landmark conservancy.

St. Raphael Roman Catholic Church, located on Greenpoint Avenue and Hunters Point Avenue, was granted $20,000 from the New York Landmarks Conservancy to help fund roof replacement.

The church is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic Church in Queens.

“Our grants help maintain historic religious institutions that often anchor their communities,” said Peg Breen, president of the organization.

The Church of St. Raphael was built between 1881 and 1885. The sacred site is attributed to the Irish Catholic architect Patrick Keely.

The church replaced an earlier wooden church that had also served as a funeral chapel for nearby Calvary Cemetery.

St. Raphael’s Church reaches about 7,000 people, serving local residents in English, Spanish, and Korean.

The church is open for dance festivals, weekly ESL classes, classes for developmentally disabled adults, and a food pantry. The church leases its former parochial school to a public school.