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History of Calvary-St. George's
The life of a parish is like the life of a family, and the Parish of Calvary-St. George's traces its roots back to 1749 when Trinity Church established the Chapel of St. George on Beekman Street in lower Manhattan. Over the years the congregation developed in strength, until in 1811 it became a self-supporting parish of the Episcopal Church, and in 1846 moved to Stuyvesant Square. In the meantime the ministry of Calvary Church began in 1832 and moved to Gramercy Park in 1846. And the Church of the Holy Communion was built on what is now the Avenue of the Americas in 1844.
The Reverend Samuel Moor Shoemaker served at Calvary for 28 years (1928-1952). Shoemaker’s role in the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is still remembered. As Bill Wilson wrote in A.A. Comes of Age, “It is through Sam Shoemaker that most of A.A.’s spiritual principles have come…Sam is one of the great channels, one of the prime sources of influences that have gathered themselves into what is now A.A.” The Parish is proud of its connection to this program, and continues to provide meeting space for A.A. groups each week.
Artists, writers, and musicians are an important part of our history. Harry T. Burleigh, called one of the saviors of spirituals, was born in 1866, grandson of former slaves. He sang in St. George’s choir for more than 50 years. “He literally sang his great heart out to the glory of God, and especially so in those haunting spirituals,” said the Rev. Elmore McKee, a rector at St. George’s. Burleigh’s “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” arrangement inspired Dvorak’s “Symphony From the New York.” The two composers worked together during Dvorak’s stay in New York. Few have had so long and rich an influence on the life of a parish as the beloved Harry T. Burleigh.
During the 19th century, the three congregations sought to balance a commitment to the Lord with a deep desire to serve the community. Programs were developed, hospitals established, including St. Luke's, and efforts were made on a personal and corporate level to express the biblical and theological recognition of the deep worth of personhood. There was a real concern for justice and the pursuit of Truth, as well as giving value to aspects of life that were sometimes seen as peripheral to the religious experience. Health and dental clinics, fresh-air camps, and the first trade schools in the city were operated by the Parish. Soup kitchens were opened and fresh water was supplied for tenements before the city could provide it.
In 1975, the three congregations merged to form one, and later the Church of the Holy Communion was sold to meet the needs of an economic crunch. In a sense The Parish of Calvary St. George's is very new. But there is strength to be found in the knowledge that generations of the Parish family, in times equally trying, have been faithful in their efforts to be the Church in New York City.