Saint Peter's Healthcare System in Early Stages of Plan to Reconstruct St. Vincent's Chapel

Saint Peter's Heathcare System is in the process of planning the reconstruction of a historic chapel at its Easton Avenue hospital campus.

Through bankruptcy sales at St. Vincent's Hospital -  located in New York City's Greenwich Village until its doors were shuttered in 2010 - Saint Peter's acquired parts of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel.

The purchase price for the chapel was $200,000, plus an additional $207,000 to dismantle the chapel and place it into storage, according to Garrick Stoldt, chief financial officer for Saint Peter's Healthcare System. 

"We purchased the liturgical appointments and stained glass windows with the intent of reconstruction a chapel on these premises," said James S. Choma, chief development officer for Saint Peter's.

The next step is a feasibility study on the project to see where the chapel can be constructed on Saint Peter's property, how much of the chapel can be reconstructed and how much it will cost. A yet-to-be structured fundraising campaign will follow, Choma said.

The chapel is a historic piece of New York, not unlike the hospital itself, which treated victims of the Titanic and the World Trade Center attack in 1992 as well as victims on Sept. 11.

The chapel will be open to the those from the public who want to see it, in addition to hospital clientele, Choma said.

"That chapel has already been a place of worship as the hospital responded to 911," he said. "(There are) historic and emotional sentiments surrounding that chapel."

Choma said the feasibility study is set to begin in January, and will likely last for about two months.