On the Bowery, Questions About the Catholic Church’s Shifting Mission

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By David Gonzalez

The Sheen Center complex encompasses 2 Theaters, 4 rehearsal studios and an Art Gallery.

NEW YORK---The Bowery was once synonymous with being down and out, but, Mr. Howard said, services for homeless men have become harder to find there. He used to work at the Holy Name Center for Homeless Men, a stalwart presence on Bleecker Street since the 1940s, where each day about 100 men took morning showers, grabbed a meal and got their mail. The Archdiocese of New York closed the center in 2011, citing “changing demographics” and low demand. It renovated the building and turned it into a Roman Catholic cultural center containing a 250-seat auditorium, a black box theater, rehearsal rooms and a small gallery. The building will also house eight campus ministry volunteers. [link]

Men lined up outside St. Joseph House on the Lower East Side on a recent morning.