ALBANY, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — Before Thursday night’s fire destroyed the church at 70 Second Avenue in the south end of Albany it had been standing there since 1880. It got its start as the first German Catholic Church to become part of the city skyline.
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“They gave us a legacy of domes and steeples and spires and the whole skyline of our city was unique. I’m hoping somehow that the tower can be saved,” said Jack McEneny, the Albany County Historian. He went on to say, “This was a German Roman Catholic Church, Our Lady Help of Christians. And it was for many people, it was the hub of this neighborhood.”
The historian said the church changed hands over the years, mostly serving the catholic community. “Father Peter Young took it over and he named it Mother Teresa. I can remember coming down here at like a 5 o’clock mass. If you miss whatever your regular parish mass was, that was the makeup,” said McEneny.