So you’ve just landed in New York, United States and perhaps you’re wondering where a church close by is? One such church is Corpus Christi, Woodside. The church is in somewhat close proximity to La Guardia Airport, New York, about a 7 minute drive. In fact, it’s so close you can still see and hear the planes as they depart from the airport. Talk about convenience! But before we take a look at the church you might be wondering who we are? ChurchMapped is an upcoming travel website showcasing churches around the world. If you’re looking for a church to see on your holiday or vacation or a place to worship, we’re the place to visit. Be sure to check out www.churchmapped.com for more information on when we fully launch. We also offer a games, dating, job search and music service too. Be sure to click “subscribe” to keep up to date with the latest developments of ChurchMapped as well as info on your favourite churches around the world. Also visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/churchmapped and follow us on Twitter @ChurchMapped. Our English website is www.churchmapped.com. Now back to where we were. Outside, the church itself features Christ crucified on a Cross, the Blessed Virgin Mary nearby as well as what appears to be St. Anthony holding Christ as a child as well as a lily. In art, men such as St. Anthony are often shown holding a lily as a symbol of purity. Corpus Christi, Woodside traces its origin back to June 18th 1937. It came as the result of a request by Bishop Thomas Molloy, then the bishop of Brooklyn, asked a certain Fr. Charles J. Cary to build a church in the Woodside area of New York, which he happily agreed to. Bishop Molloy himself was fairly influential. Born in New Hampshire in 1884, he founded around 102 churches during his life. Corpus Christi, Woodside is one such church. The church was dedicated on July 13th 1941. During the Second World War, the church also played a part in assisting organisations such as the Red Cross in helping those affected by the war. The church continued to grow in size as veterans from the Second World War settled in the Jackson Heights neighbourhood. The church underwent a renovation in 1988 to commemorate its 50th anniversary and reopened that year, a bit like Guardian Angels Church in London, England right now that is in the process of commemorating its 150th anniversary. Do check our travel guide out. You might be wondering what “Corpus Christi” actually means. It’s Latin for “body of Christ”, as Catholics believe the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. We alluded to it in our previous travel guide of Guardian Angels Church in London, England. Be sure to check it out! But the name is significant for two other reasons. Firstly, when groundbreaking for the church was started in 1938, First Communion was celebrated the next day on the feast of Corpus Christi, which is May 23rd. Talk about coincidence! But another reason it’s important to note its name is that Corpus Christi, Woodside features 24 hours Adoration. We spoke about Adoration in our previous travel guide of Guardian Angels Church in London, England. Namely, it describes the devotion of worship in front of the Eucharist. That provides a convenient apt time to explore inside the church. Let’s do so! Inside the church features significant individuals in the Catholic Church such as St. Mother Teresa and St. John Paul II. It’s also noteworthy that a poster of Our Lady of Guadelupe is in the church. She is of particular significance to those from Mexico. In the 21st century, the church has increasingly catered to those who speak Spanish as well as those from the Philippines, India and Pakistan. If you have just landed in New York, we’re sure Corpus Christi, Woodside will be excited to welcome you and inquire as to where you’re from. That’s it for this episode of ChurchMapped. In our upcoming travel guide, we’ll be visiting St. Patricks’ Cathedral, which is also in New York. If you would like to see another church in the United States, be sure to check our travel guide of the Cathedral of St Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota. Until next time!