Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church - The Bronx, N.Y.   Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church - The Bronx, N.Y.
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Blessed Sacrament Church
(Roman Catholic)

1170 Beach Avenue at Gleason Avenue
The Bronx, N.Y. 10472








Blessed Sacrament Church was founded in 1927 to serve residents of the Soundview area of the East Bronx, and to ease overcrowding in Holy Family parish. Ground was broken for a combination church and school building on April 1, 1928; the cost of the excavation, estimated to be between $25,000 and $30,000, was the gift of Samuel R. Rosoff, subway builder. The Gothic Revival building was dedicated by Cardinal Hayes on September 29, 1929.

Among the notable alums of Blessed Sacrament School is Justice Sonya Sotomayor, the first Hispanic to be seated on the Supreme Court of the United States after being appointed by President Barack Obama in August 2009. Sotomayor attended Blessed Sacrament's grammar school in the 1960s and was class valedictorian in 1968.
           
J.H. & C.S. Odell & Co.
New York City – Opus 586 (1928)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 18 registers, 16 stops, 16 ranks


J.H. & C.S. Odell of New York City prepared specifications and a contract (Oct. 1, 1928) for the Rev. Edward A. Loehr, Pastor, that stated Odell would build and install a two-manual organ with electro-magnetic action for a consideration of $8,700. The status of this organ is unknown.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
8
   Open Diapason
73
8
   Melodia (wood)
73
8
   Dulciana
73
4
   Harmonic Flute
73
8
   Gamba
73
8
   Capped Horn
73
       
 
      
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon
73
8
   Stopped Diapason (wood)
73
8
   Violin Diapason
73
4
   Rohr Flute (wood & metal)
73
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   Aeoline
73
8
   Vox Humana
73
8
   Vox Celestis [TC]
61
    
Cathedral Chimes
20 tubular bells
 
      
 
      
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Sub Bass (wood)
32
8
   Stille Gedeckt
SW
16
   Bourdon
SW
        
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal   Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'
    Swell to Pedal   Great to Great 16', 4'
    Pedal to Pedal Octaves   Swell to Swell 16', 4'
               
Piston Combinations
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 operating on Great Organ
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 operating on Swell Organ
               
Pedal Movements (page missing, but suggested)
    Balanced Swell Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Crescendo Pedal    
           
Sources:
     Bronx Catholic blogspot: http://bronxcatholic.blogspot.com
     "Bronx Plot is Sold to Catholic Church," The New York Times (Nov. 13, 1927:N18).
     "Cardinal Blesses New Trinity School," The New York Times (Sept. 30, 1929:14).
     Fernandez, Manny. "The Children at the Judge's Bronx School," The New York Times (July 16, 2009).
     "Ground is Broken for Bronx Church," The New York Times (April 2, 1928:19).
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     Shelley, Thomas J. The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York 1808-2008. Strasbourg: Éditions du Signe, 2007.
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specification of J.H. & C.S. Odell Organ, Op. 586 (1928).

Illustrations:
     The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York 1808-2008. exterior of school.
     Bronx Catholic blogspot: exterior showing church with school above.