Catholic Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn - grandiose construction. Separately standing on the corner of 60th Street and 5th Avenue gray granite building in the Romanesque style dominates the small houses Brooklyn Sunset Park area.

The area is located on a hill with spectacular views of the bay and Manhattan are especially good at setting sun ("Sunset" and means "sunset"). Despite its bucolic name, the area has always been industrial. Many poor immigrants from Europe, worked at the local factories, docks and shipyards - Poles, Norwegians, Finns even, but most of all was the Irish. This is evidenced by the name of the place on which the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Irish Hill.

In 1893 he opened the first church here, more wood. She quickly became a small growing parish, and in 1905 the project of Franz Joseph Untersi built a new, so-called "lower church." "Lower" - because there is a "top": in 1928 the building was overbuilt and acquired present form. In fact, there are two churches: on the first floor - a more intimate, with an intimate atmosphere (there are served daily Mass), the second - a spacious, luxurious, large celebrations.

The monumental building with its distinctive bell low on the sides, a huge arched window on the facade and windows-rose looks as if it was moved here from Europe. The church was the last masterpiece of Franz Untersi - he did not live until the end of the year of construction.

From the beginning, the temple ministers to the Redemptorists - the monks of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Redemptorists, whose calling - to give people the Word of God, known by the fact that the care of the famous Byzantine icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. This ancient icon in 1865, the congregation gave Pope Pius IX, asked, according to tradition, to make way known worldwide. Since Redemptorists everywhere open church, dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. They usually keeps a list (a copy of) icons. The original is located in Rome, in the Church of St. Alphonsus, founder of the Congregation.

In Brooklyn's Basilica, of course, also have a list of precious icons. It was officially established in 1894, and since then many generations of immigrants to pray before this icon. Church and now continues the tradition of care of immigrants - are served here every Sunday Mass in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.