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In 1972, St. James Cathedral celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding as Long Island’s first Catholic Church. Six years later, St. James marked its 125th anniversary as the diocesan seat. Over the years the neighborhood surrounding the Cathedral, downtown Brooklyn, had become less residential. What was once a thriving neighborhood had become a business district, which more often than not emptied out after the workday. In June 1973, St. James parochial school, the first in Brooklyn, closed after 150 years.
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In 1977, a Team Ministry organized by Father James Hinchey developed an outreach to disaffected Catholics while seeking to enhance the Cathedral’s role as the center of diocesan life. St. James sponsored a series of lectures that received national attention. In two of its programs, “The Shepherds Speak” and “Women as Prophetic Witnesses,” bishops and women leaders addressed audiences at St. James on the major ecclesial issues of the day. In addition, the team ministry promoted the arts and various forms of prayer and meditation at the Cathedral.
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