[1] The parish was established on November 12, 1899, by Michael Corrigan, then Archbishop of New York, who appointed Edmund W. Cronin, a priest of the Archdiocese, to provide spiritual care for the Italian and English-speaking Catholics of the section of the city between East 97th and 110th Streets, from Second Avenue to the East River.

[3] The first permanent church was erected in 1901 to the designs of the architectural firm of Lynch & Comb (of 1133 Broadway) at a cost of $25,000.

In addition, Cronin commissioned the same architectural firm to build a four-story brick and stone rectory at 344 East 104th Street for $12,000.

[5] The midblock double-height Neo-Gothic church has a rendered symmetrical facade of three bays, a splayed plinth and a molded stringcourse running above between the first and (heightened) second floors.

The central bay has a depressed gable surmounted by an open bellcote with cast-bronze bell; the second story has a prominent quatrefoil rose window surmounted by a stop-ended hood mold over the first floor with three square-headed windows in round-headed recesses.

Both porch entrances are square-headed double varnished timber paneled doors set within a deep round-headed opening with quatrefoil and mouchette tympanums.

In the mid-20th century, the ethnic makeup of the neighborhood began to change dramatically, with the Italian population beginning to be replaced by the Puerto Rican community.