Although one of the churches on this walk dates to early Dutch settlers of the Bronx (St. Ann’s built circa 1841), most are churches which were built by and serviced the immigrant communities of Mott Haven and the larger area of the South Bronx. As the Bronx’s population grew in the late 19th and early 20th century it swelled with the influx of German, Irish, and Italian communities. Most remain in service today, ministering to the Spanish-speaking, African American, and African immigrant populations of the South Bronx.

A collection of churches across New York City from the New York Public Library.

625-629 East 138th Street, St. Luke's Roman Catholic Church, September 1931. The original stone basement of the St. Luke's Roman Catholic Church was constructed in 1898 and served the largely Irish and Italian local population. The larger upper church was constructed sometime at the start of the 20th century. In 2013 the oldest working priest in New York City was pastor of St. Luke's. His name was Msgr. Gerald Ryan and he passed away in 2013 at the age of 93 after 47 years as pastor of this church.