The Celtic cross at the top of the church is an indication that the parish was originally largely Irish-American; today there are more Dominican-Americans than Irish.

At the time of its founding, Inwood was considered to be "the unofficial capital of the Irish diaspora", and the parish was largely made up of Irish-Americans.

A five-story brick convent was located at 620 Isham Street; it was built in 1950 and was designed by architect Paul C. Reilly.

Despite the change of the parish's ethnic make-up to be largely Dominican-Americans, there are still ties to the church and New York's Irish community.

As a memorial, a twisted cruciform piece of steel from the World Trade Center stands in the churchyard, with a sign saying "Ground Hero".