In September 1905, Dr. Brophy, in poor health, was sent to Rome by the Bishop. He visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation at San Valentino, Torio, Italy. At this time, Dr. Brophy also received the privilege of a private interview with Pius X. Bishop Mundelein, then a young priest, was present at the interview which he tells about in these words…
“KNEELING AT THE FEET OF HIS HOLINESS, FATHER BROPHY ASKED HIM TO GRANT AN EXTRAORDINARY PRIVILEGE TO HIS CHURCH, BEGGING THAT OUR LADY OF SOLACE BE MADE A SHRINE IN PERPETUITY WITH SPECIAL INDULGENCES FOR ALL WHO VISIT IT. HIS HOLINESS LISTENED WHILE FATHER BROPHY SPOKE OF THE MANIFOLD AMUSEMENTS OF CONEY ISLAND AND OF HIS LITTLE CHURCH SET SO NEAR THE HEART OF ALL THE RUSH AND GLARE. THEN THE HOLY FATHER SMILED: ‘IF THE PEOPLE WILL TURN ONLY A MOMENT FROM PLEASURE TO PRAYER LET THEM BE REWARDED.”
Thus, Dr. Brophy’s request was granted. Our Lady of Solace Church became a recognized Roman Shrine with the privilege of the Portiuncula Indulgence. It is truly ironic and unique that the island of pleasure, the playground of the world, was the very place chosen for the special remembrance of the souls in purgatory.
In 1925, Dr. Brophy’s dream of a magnificent permanent church building and parish complex was finally realized under the administration of the parish’s second pastor: Rev. Walter Kerwin, late of St. Sebastian’s R.C. Church in Woodside, Queens. The Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace, as it stands today, was erected at the site located on the northwest corner of West 17th Street and Mermaid Avenue. A tasteful combination of the best of overall Romanesque, Tuscan roof and Neapolitan brick styles with grand apse mosaics and ornate gold-leaf tooled wood ceiling brought to the church a spacious, ornate and acoustically perfect structure. The overall atmosphere brought to the near cathedral-sized structure the prayerful intimacy of a small country church. Stations of the Cross, hand-painted in fine oil paints with almost photographic renderings surround the church interior on its walls between its colorful leaded stained glass windows. Its historic tracker organ, originally built in 1865 by Odell and rebuilt in 1884 by Hilborne Roosevelt for the Second Reformed Church of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was acquired from the Second Reformed in 1924, the year before the new church’s completion. An entire parish campus was constructed that included a school and convent (that still stand today), and a magnificent spired neo-Gothic three-story rectory on a hill occupied the space between the church and school. Built on the corner of Mermaid Avenue and West 19th Street, the structure pre-dated the church by a few years. It was adjacent to the school and church sites whose construction commenced in 1924..
Attached to the church building with its baptismal chapel in its base was an imposing 185-foot tower that could be seen from miles away. Its Meneely-powered chimes consisting of massive fire bells were donated by the New York City Fire Department and the Tilyou family, owners of Coney Island’s greatest and last surviving of its original three great theme parks, “Steeplechase, the Funny Place.”
Sadly, Dr. Brophy never lived to see the fulfillment of his work. The energetic and devoted young founder and pastor died of pneumonia in September of 1908 at the age of 39. A plaque honoring Dr. Brophy was moved from the original church to the lobby of the current church during its dedication Mass where it remains today.
Over the decades, the destinies of the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace and America’s Playground would be inevitably intertwined. Coney Island lost Dreamland to a massive fire in 1911. In 1944, Luna Park from Surf Avenue to Neptune Avenue suffered the same fate. The surviving section of the park from Neptune Avenue to the subway yard continued to operate for the remainder of the season; then it, too, closed. During the decades of the fifties, sixties and seventies (the era of Robert Moses’ much-vilified “urban removal”), Coney Island spiraled into decline as poverty, drugs and gang violence took over the streets. With devotion and defiance, the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace continued to stand against these elements. By 1964, its great chimes had been silent for nearly a decade. They were restored that spring, but that summer was the last for the great Steeplechase Park. At the moment of its closing, two bells sounded, one from Steeplechase’s tower and one from Our Lady of Solace indicating the passage of time.
The abandoned and historic Pavilion of Fun and its surroundings had been demolished early one morning in 1966 by the property’s owner, Fred Trump (who was pushing for luxury hotels, high-priced apartments and legalized casinos on the site), before the City Council could decree it a City Historic Landmark only a few hours later. A “truncated” version of Steeplechase did open in 1966 consisting of independently owned rides (including the former Avis Antique Car ride from the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair). It was “Steeplechase” in name only; most of it wasn’t even on the original Steeplechase site and the ride for which it was named was gone with the Pavilion of Fun. The facility was generally rundown, filthy and insignificant in comparison to the clean, sparkling theme park of the Tilyou era. Two of the three remaining great historic roller coasters, the Tornado and the Thunderbolt, survived for a few more years. The Tornado was claimed by fire in 1978; its location is now a vacant lot. With the final closing of the the Parachute Jump in 1978 and the historic Thunderbolt roller coaster in 1983, this sad incarnation of Steeplechase Park was gradually abandoned and completely closed. In 2000, the decaying and abandoned Thunderbolt was suddenly condemned and demolished by the City Buildings Department as “unsafe” on the orders of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (he saw it an “eyesore” next to the new Keyspan Park), just before the City Council was about to meet and consider landmark status and funding for restoration and new operation. Fortunately, were two bright spots that kept classic amusements from leaving Coney Island forever in spite of the City’s efforts to wipe them out completely. One was the establishment of Astroland Park, built on the site of the old Feltman’s Hot Dog Emporium, by Dewey and Jerome Albert. The Albert family later took over management of the landmark Cyclone roller coaster in 1974 after it was purchased by the City of New York. The other was when Tarrytown pushcart vendor, entrepreneur, restaurateur, and very frequent Coney Island vacationer Denos Vourderis purchased and saved the former Ward’s Kiddie Park in 1981. In 1983, he purchased the Garms family’s great Wonder Wheel as “ …a wedding present to his wife - a ring so big, everyone in the world would see how much he loved her - a ring that would never be lost. ” Together, they formed the ever-popular Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park.
During the late 1960's, the aging rectory of Our Lady of Solace on the northeast corner of Mermaid Avenue and West 19th Street had become more and more difficult and increasingly expensive to maintain. The rectory building and its manmade hilltop were eventually razed and replaced with a new building on West 17th Street adjacent to the convent. The main church parking lot now occupies the original site. The 185-foot bell tower had major structural issues; it was top-heavy and its foundation had been built too shallow to support the weight of the massive belfry as well as its total height. In 1989, the bells were removed and sold. Its ornate belfry as well as its top 100 feet were razed, but the lower portion was saved and still stands today. The original 1884 Roosevelt tracker organ had become far too expensive to maintain and repair. After 1969, it was rarely used and the passing decades of neglect and decay ultimately rendered it unplayable. Our Lady of Solace School was shuttered in 2003; the auditorium/gymnasium is still used by the parish for special events, and some classrooms for the Sunday Religious Education program.
From the dawn of the 1990’s (and especially over the first decade of the new millennium), Coney Island has experienced a reversal of its fortunes as new generations have discovered the remaining landmark amusements and a rich history. The annual Mermaid Parade draws more than a million people annually, evoking memories of George Tilyou and Steeplechase. The New York Mets’ minor league Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team plays at Keyspan Park. The sparkling new modern subway terminal greets visitors as they arrive, its facade, spires and running exterior lights patterned after the Surf Avenue entrance to old Luna Park. The National Historic Landmark Cyclone roller coaster and Deno’s ever-popular Wonder Wheel continue to thrill visitors. The original Nathan’s at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues still turns out its gastronomic delights and has visitors holding their stomachs during its nationally-televised Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest. Garguilo’s Restaurant, Coney Island’s “Cathedral of Italian Dining”, continues to prepare the finest in Italian cuisine as it has for a century. Major’s Meat Market, source of Coney Island history between cuts of the best and finest meats (not to mention its legendary MurderBurgers), is still a living landmark on Mermaid Avenue in the same building since 1932. The famed Steeplechase Parachute Jump (“Coney Island’s Eiffel Tower”) has been painstakingly structurally restored and stands proudly at the foot of Keyspan Park, once the site of the Pavilion of Fun and the World’s Largest Swimming Pool. It is hoped that it will soon thrill new generations as an operating ride. A number of small amusements located on land acquired by Joseph Sitt and Thor Equities have been shuttered and demolished to prepare for new construction. Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park will remain. Astroland, whose properties also were sold to Thor, will return for one more season in 2008; work on its successor is scheduled to begin in 2009. Carol Hill Albert and family will continue to operate the national-landmarked, city-owned Cyclone beyond Astroland’s closure. They have proudly maintained and operated it (as they have all their rides) to the highest standards for safety in the amusement industry.
All through these changes to the Coney Island area, the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace continues to stand proudly as it serves its parishioners and community. An impressive digital carillon emulates the great chimes of the past and emits from the church tower. A newly-installed (2004) Rodgers digital organ adds to the glory and spirit of the Mass. In January of 2007, the historic Roosevelt 1884 tracker organ was removed to be completely rebuilt and restored to the glory of its original-built condition. Upon its return in 2008, the current Rodgers organ will be moved to the front of the church as a chancel organ. The 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass brings the beauty of the Spanish language and customs of our newest citizens and parishioners to worship. The many prayerful and occasionally festive processions through Coney Island started by Dr. Brophy continue today. The Pastoral Planning Council and Liturgical Committee promote parishioner involvement in all aspects of the parish’s mission. The Our Lady of Solace Baseball League reaches out to the youth of the community through the pride of team spirit and athletic competition on the athletic grounds of Steeplechase Park and the ballfields of Kaiser Park. A new parish hymn to our Blessed Mother petitions her to help the least fortunate among us, to aid in the growth of the parish and its ministries; it has become an additional source of pride for its parishioners. More and more visitors who once simply “passed by” on the way to the shore are stopping to come in and discover (or rediscover) the beautiful church and stop in to pray or attend Mass. The annual Passion Play, staged by the youth of the parish, draws people from all over the region to be moved by its profound beauty each Palm Sunday. The once-shuttered Our Lady of Solace School has been leased by HeartShare Human Services of New York and the New York City Board of Education. Like Coney Island itself, and through the tireless efforts of its current pastor Rev. Patrick J. West, the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace has rediscovered its vitality and looks to a promising future in our Lord’s service.
Today, over one hundred years later, in keeping with Dr. Brophy’s dream and the words of Pope Pius X, the souls in purgatory are not forgotten. Every month, on the third Sunday, a special Purgatorial Mass is offered for all enrolled in the Purgatorial Society of Our Lady of Solace.
One Sunday in 1900, thousands of miles away from San Valentino, Torio, Italy, some people from Coney Island had heard a sermon about faith being “…as the grain of a mustard seed.” On the way home from St. Finbar’s Roman Catholic Church one of the party called out, “If our faith is loyal, behold our church already built!” As he spoke, he rubbed off a dirty pane of glass to show the interior of a disused dance hall, once known as the old “Palm Garden,” the home of a thousand spiders and sparrows.
Early in the summer, a priest on the Italian missions in Brooklyn sent a little brass medal of Our Lady of Solace from San Valentino, Torio, Italy, to the household of the man who had spotted the possible site and had made a petition for a chapel.
Months passed and the committee continued its work. Once, a group of Italian children was sent to the Bishop’s house with a bouquet of flowers and this message. “To our dear Father, the Bishop, begging him not to forget his Coney Island children.” Then, in October 1900, the long-awaited priest arrived: Brooklyn-born Reverend Joseph Francis Brophy, D.D., who was later nicknamed “The Apostle of Coney Island.”
When Dr. Brophy (he went by his educational title of “Doctor” as opposed to the ecclesiastical title of “Father”) was shown the dance hall he hastened to get permission to adapt it to its new uses. An army of small boys dislodged the tenant spiders and sparrows. Everything was then washed down. Benches from a nearby park were set in order to be used as pews. Two saloon screens marked off the sacristy. The confessional was a nightmare. It was made of reversed billboards and on the “wrong side” depicted astonishing feats of jugglers and told of the desirable qualities of a certain brand of beer. An old chest was turned on its side to serve as a temporary altar. The Altar Society brought linens, candles and vestments for the celebration of Mass. On November 4, 1900 on the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo the first Mass of Our Lady of Solace Parish was celebrated in the newly decorated former dance hall.
The old, abandoned Palm Garden had become the first church of Our Lady of Solace in Coney Island. However, in the spring of 1901, it became obvious that a more suitable and a centralized location for the church was necessary. Dr. Brophy realized that God’s work had to take in the crowds that surged to Coney Island from every tribe and nation or the church and parish would fail. He envisioned the growth of a work that would make Coney Island the place of national pilgrimage for the souls in purgatory, for whose comfort Our Lady bears the “solace.” He selected some lots on 17th Street on the corner of Mermaid Avenue which provided a direct route to the city. Unfortunately, the lots were not for sale. So, in his usual manner, Dr. Brophy prayed. Shortly thereafter, a lady donated to him one of the lots, and by May of 1901, twenty-six lots in all belonged to Our Lady of Solace Parish. With the land finally acquired, the problem then was how to move the church building. It was lifted off its foundation and mounted on rollers. Unfortunately, as it was being transported from the Nassau Depot to its new location on Mermaid Avenue, it got stuck halfway through the route! As it was unable to reach its planned destination, the church was put down at a temporary location on Railroad Avenue.
On the day of the re-opening of Our Lady of Solace Church, a great wind had caused the Flip-Flop Railway, which was Coney Island’s first “Loop-the-Loop” ride, to collapse. The timbers were saved by Steeplechase Park founder and owner George C. Tilyou for Dr. Brophy, who used them to erect a small tower and belfry. This housed the fire bell that originally rang from the tower of the first Steeplechase Park. On the bell were engraved the following words:
WE LIVE FOR THOSE WHO LOVE US
FOR THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE TRUE
FOR THE GOD THAT REIGNS ABOVE US
AND THE GOOD THAT WE MAY DO.
Our Lady of Solace Church had indeed grown strong since its humble beginnings. Bishop McDonnell, seeing that the people of Coney Island were in earnest, presented the little church with a piece of baked stonework, which was a copy of the statue of Our Lady of Consolation in San Valentino. It is a group of six figures which form an allegorical picture; angels are represented beside our Lady and her Son, breaking the chains of the captive souls in Purgatory.
The former Palm Garden dance hall, later Our Lady of Solace R. C. Church. When this picture was taken in 1914 at its second location at a leased lot on Railroad Avenue, it had become the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace eight years earlier. Note the small tower and belfry to the right constructed from the timbers of the felled Flip-Flop Railway.
