Church of the Holy Communion, New York

The parish was founded in 1844 by William Augustus Muhlenberg. The cornerstone was laid on July 25, 1844. The church was built with funds from Muhlenberg's sister, Mary Anna C. Rogers, the widow of John Rogers. The church building was designed by Richard Upjohn and consecrated on Dec. 13, 1846. The parish's ministry took the shape of a community-wide program, which was a novel concept for its day. It was the first church in New York to have free pews. It was one of the first to have weekly communion. Its sisterhood of women church workers (1852) opened new fields of church social ministry for women. Muhlenberg served as rector until 1860. A dwindling congregation stayed on until the early 1970s. In 1975 it merged with Calvary Church and St. George's Church, combining into one parish with three congregations under one rector. Soon after the merger the Church of the Holy Communion property was desacralized. See Muhlenberg, William Augustus; see Holy Communion, Sisterhood of the.