Church of the Most Precious Blood

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The Church of the Most Precious Blood is a Roman Catholic parish located in New York City. The parish is under the authority of the Archdiocese of New York, and is the National Shrine Church of San Gennaro. Located on Baxter Street with an additional entrance on Mulberry Street, the Church of the Most Precious Blood is part of Manhattan's Little Italy neighborhood.During the Feast of San Gennaro, which is held yearly in September, a celebratory Mass is held at the church on the last Saturday of the festival. After the Mass, a statue of San Gennaro is taken from its home within the church on a procession through the streets of Little Italy. The building of this church was begun by the Scalabrini Fathers in the late 19th century. The Scalabrini Order built the foundation but ran out of funding. The Franciscans then took over the parish and completed the church building.In 2015, this church became part of the parish of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. Most Precious Blood is home to several vibrant religious societies in addition to the Figli di San Gennaro, including: the Community of Sant Egidio, the Craco Society, and the San Angelo Society. Besides the strong Italian tradition, the Vietnamese congregation has also grown in recent years.