From humble beginnings in 1876 while meeting in a converted Plymouth Baptist Church at 487 West 51st Street, the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary built its present building in 1884. The Victorian Romanesque edifice, designed by Napoleon Le Brun & Sons, is one of the largest churches in midtown. In 1965, Sacred Heart of Jesus was the first in the archdiocese to reconfigure the interior to reflect the requirements of the Second Vatican Council.

Meet our new Pastor, Father Gabriel Piedrahita

Father Gabriel comes to SHJ Parish with a vast pastoral experience. He has served as a missionary priest in South America, Africa, Germany, Switzerland, and the US for the past 23 years. He speaks 5 languages including English and Spanish.

During his time at the Church of Our Savior in the South Bronx, Father Gabriel worked with a variety of parish groups and he developed a strong parish community. He also built a strong partnership with the local community organizations and other churches to improve the quality of life for the parishioners and the most vulnerable members of the neighborhood.

For the last 2 years, Father Gabriel has been serving the people of St. Peter’s Church in Haverstraw, NY, where he enthusiastically has been leading parish groups in a vigorous campaign to reach out to families and conducting Bible studies in their homes.

He is part of a multidisciplinary coalition to develop a model of cooperation between clergy and clinicians in the mental health field to assist patients and their families in a continuation of healing. Father Gabriel has strong ties with Fordham University, his alma mater, where he is member of the Partners in Healing coalition and presents workshops on Parenting and Addiction treatment.

He has also worked in the field of drug treatment and mental health with such prominent organizations as Daytop, Beth Israel and Mt. Sinai Hospitals.