St. Charles Borromeo Church has served the Catholic families of Brooklyn Heights for one hundred and seventy-five years, occupying the same corner of Sidney Place and Aitken Place since 1869. Founded four years before the Diocese of Brooklyn itself, it was the borough's sixth Catholic parish, established by New York Archbishop John Hughes to serve a growing Catholic population across the East River. Today the Roman Catholic parish is best known for its richly decorated English Gothic church with stained glass from Munich and Innsbruck, an 1880 Odell tracker organ that has been in continuous service for more than a century, and Brooklyn's only Sunday evening "Last Chance" Mass, which draws commuters, shift workers, and visitors who have missed the morning liturgy.
Sundays at St. Charles: Family Mass, Cathedral Broadcast, and the "Last Chance"
The Sunday schedule at St. Charles Borromeo runs through three parish celebrations. The day opens with the 9 AM Morning Mass, which during the academic year also serves as the parish's "Family Mass" and is followed by religious education classes for children in the Mary McDowell School building next door. A Sunday Mass is also offered for the parish at 11:15 AM at St. James Cathedral Basilica in downtown Brooklyn and is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel. As evening falls, the 7 PM "Last Chance" Mass gives Brooklyn Catholics one more chance to fulfill their Sunday obligation before midnight. The evening Mass has been a St. Charles tradition for decades.
After the morning liturgy, parishioners gather for coffee and conversation on most Sundays. Lector, Eucharistic minister, greeter, usher, and altar server assignments rotate each weekend, with training and coaching offered to new volunteers. The Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, and daily Masses are livestreamed and archived for later viewing.
Weekday Worship, Confession, and Devotions
Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM on Mondays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 12:10 PM service is a Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion led by a deacon or lay minister. Confessions are heard Monday through Thursday from 11:45 AM to noon, immediately before the midday liturgy. On Wednesdays, a Holy Hour with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament runs from 12:45 to 1:45 PM, with Benediction closing the hour.
Devotions punctuate the week. A rosary is led online on Mondays at 5 PM by a parishioner, with the prayers displayed on screen for less than thirty minutes. Stations of the Cross are observed in the church on Tuesdays during Lent. On Fridays at 5 PM, the parish gathers for Evening Prayer, the ancient office of Vespers, led from a downloadable worship aid. On the first Sunday of every month, parishioners gather at 8:30 AM to pray the rosary before the 9 AM Mass and offer prayers for world peace afterward. The Anointing of the Sick is offered after the 11:15 AM Mass on the second Sunday of each month, and the parish hosts Holy Hour with Benediction on Wednesdays until 2 PM.
An English Gothic Church by Patrick Keely
The present church was designed in 1868 by Patrick Charles Keely, the prolific Irish-American architect responsible for hundreds of Catholic churches in North America. It is identified as Keely's 325th church. Completed the following year at a cost of seventy-five thousand dollars, the brick structure rises in the English Gothic Revival style with a central brick tower and metal steeple anchoring the front facade from Sidney Place. Three doors open into a shallow narthex and continue through three more doors into the main worship space, while a ramp on Aitken Place provides the accessible entrance.
Inside, the church opens as a single tall nave flanked by two narrow side aisles, each seven bays long. The choir at the eastern end holds the richest ornament: a freestanding chancel, a low white-marble screen, dark wood screens with backlit stained-glass panels, and a series of Gothic-revival sculptures. Slender compound piers carry pointed arches that span the nave and support one uninterrupted sloping roof. Above the entry, the great pipe organ dominates a balcony loft; at the opposite end, the great central stained-glass window rises behind the marble altar.
The side elevations reflect the interior rhythm with seven tall stained-glass windows. Most distinctive is the central bay, expressed as a shallow transept whose larger window, protruding wall, and individual roofline mark the crossing. A wide flight of steps leads up to the three portals from Sidney Place. The flat side walls of the brick structure, painted and stenciled in rich detail, carry the full program of late-nineteenth-century ecclesiastical art that draws visitors and parish historians today.
The 1880 Odell Tracker Organ
The Odell tracker organ, Opus 178, has been in continuous service at St. Charles since 1880, making it one of the oldest unaltered organs still playing in a Brooklyn church. Designed and built by J.H. and C.S. Odell, it is specifically referenced in Dr. Orpha Ochse's "History of the Organ in the United States" and considered a benchmark of Victorian-era American organ building.
Among the instrument's distinctive features are characteristic Odell stops, including a Clarionet Flute on the Great, a seven-inch Tuba on the Solo manual, and identical Swell and Great mixtures that include a tierce. The instrument is run today from a Kinetic blower; the original double-rise wind reservoir has long since lost its crank and feeders. The only appreciable interior alterations are coke-tin tuning sleeves fitted to the metal flue pipes. The organ has a reversible Swell-to-Great coupler, a full complement of composition pedals, and a swell box with two sets of tandem-acting expression shades.
Stained Glass from Munich and Innsbruck
The stained-glass windows at St. Charles are among the finest examples of late-nineteenth-century German and Austrian ecclesiastical glass in Brooklyn. Installed between 1894 and 1918, sometimes individually as memorial gifts, all are in the German style: rich pictorial imagery drawn from Renaissance painting techniques, lavish architectural framing, dense natural detail, and saturated color. Two studios supplied the windows. Meyer and Sons of Munich, with offices in New York, signed the Adoration of the Magi in the western nave. The Tyrolese Art Glass Company of Innsbruck, also with New York offices, signed the Saint Thomas Aquinas window on the same wall.
The great central window above the altar depicts the parish patron, Saint Charles Borromeo, distributing Holy Communion to a plague-stricken man on a stretcher, with an angel holding the paten and a crowd of plague victims, religious, and nobles pressing in. It is the only window in the church depicting St. Charles and is regarded as a near-exact likeness of the saint in his lifetime portraits. Three smaller windows above carry pairs of angels with scrolls referencing his catechetical work in Milan, the importance of the sacrament of Penance, and the crown awaiting him in heaven. The cardinal's coat of arms bore the Latin word Humilitas beneath a crown.
The other windows tell the story of salvation in pictorial sequence. On the south wall, starting near St. Joseph's altar at the east end: the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Baptism of Jesus, the Holy Family, the Last Supper (the larger transept window in the center), the Children Come to Jesus, the Resurrection, and the Agony in the Garden at the western end. On the north wall, starting at the back of the church and walking east toward Mary's altar: the Adoration of the Magi, the Sermon on the Mount, the Good Shepherd, Saint Vincent de Paul the Apostle of Charity giving bread to the needy in a three-light center window, Saint Thomas Aquinas before an allegorical figure of wisdom, the young Jesus in the Temple, and the Annunciation.
Fourteen Pastors and 175 Years
The parish was founded in 1849 by the first pastor, the Reverend Charles Constantine Pise, D.D., a poet, professor, and America's first Catholic novelist, who also served as the only Catholic chaplain in U.S. Senate history. His tenure, ending in 1866, saw the establishment of a parish school and the founding of a local conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The original church, a former Protestant Episcopal building purchased by New York Archbishop John Hughes, served the parish until a fire in 1868 forced new construction.
The second pastor, the Reverend Francis J. Freel, acquired land for the present church. He oversaw construction of the English Gothic building designed by Patrick Keely. Subsequent pastors expanded, decorated, and repaired the church and schools. The Reverend Thomas F. Ward installed Bavarian stained glass and wall frescoes; the Reverend James E. Bobier built a new $125,000 school in 1917; the Reverend Thomas J. O'Brien shepherded the 1919 golden jubilee and added a marble altar in 1924; the Reverend Ambrose P. Dunnigan added a kindergarten and expanded the convent; the Reverend Monsignor Ambrose S. Aitken prepared for the 1949 centennial.
During the pastorate of the Very Reverend Monsignor Charles E. Diviney from 1959 to 1978, the parish embraced Vatican II reforms: Mass in English, a redesigned altar, and updated music. Pews, air conditioning, lighting, and steeple repairs followed over the next two decades. The Reverend Monsignor Francis J. Murphy (1978-1989) and the Reverend Charles A. Kraus (1989-2007) guided the parish through steady growth and the celebration of the 150th anniversary. A fire in 2007 forced the closure of the parish school, which traced its roots to a basement classroom opened by Father Pise in the 1850s and had been staffed for many years by the Sisters of Charity, the Franciscan Brothers, and, from 1964 until 2002, the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
The Reverend Monsignor Alfred LoPinto, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, served as parish administrator in 2007-2008 and again in 2016-2017, laying the groundwork for long-term renovations completed in 2024. The Reverend Monsignor Edward P. Doran (2008-2016) restructured parish programs and leased the former school building to the Mary McDowell Friends School. The Reverend William G. Smith (2017-2023) led the parish through the COVID-19 pandemic with livestreamed Mass, remote ministries, and an emergency food pantry hosted at the church; he also launched "Charlie's Angels," a corps of parishioners who brought Holy Communion to the homebound. The fourteenth and current pastor, the Very Reverend Joseph R. Gibino, S.T.M., Ph.D., took up the role in July 2023, bringing his experience as Vicar for Evangelization and Catechesis in the Diocese of Brooklyn and as a former pastor of Holy Trinity in Whitestone, Queens.
The Parish Patron and the Sisters of Saint Joseph
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) was Archbishop of Milan and a Cardinal, Papal Secretary of State under Pope Pius IV, and a leading figure of the Catholic Reformation. He was a principal drafter of the first universal Catechism of the Catholic Church, an innovator of religious education for children in what is now known as Sunday School, and a tireless minister to plague victims in 1576 Milan. His feast day is November 4, and he is the patron saint of learning and the arts. His decision to remain in the city to care for the sick when civil authorities and nobles fled is the very scene depicted over the altar.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Brentwood, Long Island, served in the parish school from 1964 until the school closed in 2002. The congregation traces its origins to Le Puy-en-Velay in southwestern France in 1650, when the Jesuit priest John Pierre Medaille and Bishop Henry de Maupas sent the sisters to work among the poor, care for orphans, conduct homes for working girls, catechize prisoners, and nurse the sick. Five sisters of the original community were martyred at the guillotine during the French Revolution. The sisters came to Brooklyn in 1856 and have since ministered across Long Island, Puerto Rico, and beyond.
Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing
The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of each month, with a parent registration and preparation class held on the second Sunday of each month at 2 PM. The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated each year on Pentecost Sunday in May, with a preparatory class for adults and older teens who wish to affirm their Catholic faith.
Couples seeking the Sacrament of Marriage are asked to contact the rectory at least six months in advance. Pre-Cana instruction is offered within the parish by a long-standing marriage educator who meets with each couple privately and often supports them in the years that follow. The Anointing of the Sick is offered after the 11:15 AM Mass on the second Sunday of each month for those facing hospitalization or serious illness. In emergencies, the Pastoral Associate or another priest is available through the rectory for viaticum and anointing at home or in the hospital.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults welcomes those inquiring about becoming Catholic. The parish-run program begins each fall and culminates at the Easter Vigil. Adult faith formation continues through regular classes, prayer groups, and online Bible studies offered throughout the year.
Family Faith: Sunday Religious Education for Children
The Family Faith Program prepares children of the parish for full participation in the sacramental life of the Church. Each Sunday begins with the 9 AM Family Mass, followed by approximately one hour of catechesis in the Mary McDowell School building next door to the rectory. Catechists use the Loyola Press "Christ Our Life" series, supplemented by Scripture and Catechism of the Catholic Church references, to teach the Catholic faith to children from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Students prepare for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion during their second year of instruction, usually the second grade. Confirmation preparation occupies the seventh and eighth grades and ends with the spring celebration of the sacrament. Tuition is one hundred dollars per student, with an additional twenty-five dollar fee for First Communion and fifty dollars for Confirmation. Parents are recognized as the primary religious educators of their children, and the program calls on families to engage in weekly review and prayer together. The program is always in need of assistant catechists willing to spend several Sunday mornings a year sharing the faith with the parish's youngest members.
Adult Formation: Bible Study, Faith Sharing, and Book Groups
Adult faith formation at St. Charles Borromeo ranges from intensive study of a single biblical book to literary discussion in two parish book clubs. The Bible Study and Faith Sharing group gathers online each Sunday from 5 PM to 6 PM for alternating weeks. Bible Study sessions read an entire book such as Isaiah, Psalms, or one of the Gospels along with scholarly commentary, with parishioners taking turns facilitating and occasional guest lecturers invited in. On off weeks, the group meets for Faith Sharing, an informal discussion of the upcoming Sunday's readings.
The Sunday Book Group meets on the second Sunday of the month after the 11:15 AM Mass. With a focus on fiction by twentieth- and twenty-first-century award-winning authors and occasional biographies or classics, the club draws its annual list at the September meeting from member nominations. The Brownstone Brooklyn and Beyond book group meets weekly on Thursdays at 7:30 PM via Zoom. Originally formed in 2019 with Grace Church Brooklyn Heights, the Episcopal parish next door, it grew online during the pandemic and now draws members from across Brooklyn, Long Island, and several other states. The group's selections typically have a Christian or spiritual focus, including occasional encyclicals and pastoral letters.
Music at St. Charles: Piano, Cantor, Flute, and the Odell Organ
Music holds a central place in the worship of St. Charles Borromeo. The Music Ministry is led by Sergio Sandí, a Costa Rican-born pianist trained at the Manhattan School of Music, current Doctor of Musical Arts candidate, and recipient of the Costa Rican National Prize in Music as best solo performer. Soprano Coco Leung serves as cantor, and flutist Ann Bordley adds a third instrumental voice to the core ensemble. Additional professional musicians are hired for the great feasts of Easter and Christmas and as needs arise.
The parish choir sings regularly at Sunday worship, including the 7 PM "Last Chance" Mass, and for celebrations of Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, and other major feasts throughout the liturgical year. New singers are welcome; no formal training is required, and all voice parts are open. The 1880 Odell organ continues to provide the primary instrumental accompaniment to congregational singing, in addition to solo repertoire at principal liturgies. The parish hymnal-missal, Gather Third Edition, was introduced in 2019 with an expanded music library and a tab-indexed prayer book used across the pews.
Lay Ministries and Parish Governance
The parish is governed by a Parish Pastoral Council and a Finance Council, both of which work with the pastor in the manner set out in canon law. The Pastoral Associate, Deacon Daniel D. Maher, coordinates sacramental preparation and many outreach efforts.
Lay liturgical ministries include lectors, Eucharistic ministers, hospitality ministers and ushers, adult altar servers, the music ministry, and a sacristan team that prepares the altar each week. Lectors and Eucharistic ministers are trained in a one-day diocesan program, after which assignments are typically no more than twice per month. The Family Fellowship group welcomes young parents with children, organizing faith-sharing gatherings and family-friendly social events. Other councils and committees include the Worship Committee, the Altar and Garden Committee, the Facilities Committee, the Catholic Professionals Ministry (which meets on the second Tuesday of each month), a Vocations Committee, an Activities Committee that organizes the annual parish cookout and Lenten fish fry, and a media and technology team that broadcasts the parish's livestream and bulletin.
Welcoming the Stranger: Accessibility and Inclusion
Inclusion is central to the parish's statement of mission, expressed in part through the long-running Parish Advocates for Persons with Disabilities ministry. Two trained advocates are available to meet with parishioners and visitors by phone, email, or in person to discuss specific accommodations and concerns.
The church is wheelchair and stroller accessible, with an entry ramp on Aitken Place and accessible meeting spaces and restrooms in the Parish House, Office, and Rectory. The sanctuary retains open space at the rear of the nave to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. The sound system has been refined for clearer sound for those with hearing impairments, and large-print name tags identify ushers willing to provide assistance. Gluten-free hosts are available for those with celiac concerns. Homilies and announcements are routinely posted online, and Zoom participation makes every parish gathering available to those who cannot attend in person. Children with varying abilities participate in catechism alongside their peers.
Serving Brooklyn: Catholic Charities, HeartShare, and the Food Pantry
For more than a decade the parish has been a "super sponsor" of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens's annual holiday toy drive, partnering with the local Custom House restaurant to gather gifts for families served by the agency's network of community programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic the church building hosted an emergency food pantry operated in coordination with the Catholic Charities headquarters nearby, serving Brooklyn neighbors including many recent asylees.
The parish is an ongoing supporter of HeartShare St. Vincent's Services, raising money each year for gift cards that help students in the agency's foster-care network as they pursue college or post-secondary programs through the American Dream initiative. Parishioners volunteer at the toy drive, the food pantry, and the HeartShare appeal, in addition to coaching, mentoring, and advocacy roles in the wider Brooklyn community. The Welcoming the Stranger initiative gathers the parish's outreach and accessibility efforts under a single banner.
Stewardship and Giving
Parishioners are invited to give through the Sunday collection, planned and one-time online gifts, and regular offertory envelopes mailed or picked up at the rectory. Online giving runs through WeShare, where gifts can be directed to the General Collection, a requested Special Intention Mass, the Family Faith Program Tuition, or flowers for the altar. Donations by check made out to "St. Charles Borromeo Church" and mailed to the rectory office are also welcomed; tax documentation is provided for gifts placed in offertory envelopes.
Beyond financial support, stewardship at St. Charles includes the gifts of time and talent: serving as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, greeters, ushers, altar servers, choir members, and catechists. The stewardship committee calls parishioners to "seek first the Kingdom" with the words of Proverbs 3:9 and to consider the many ministries that depend on a widening circle of volunteers. Names may be added to the parish mailing list for weekly email announcements listing upcoming events and parish needs.