Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church

Forest Hills is one of the great loves of my life and had been for a while when we discovered OLQM. I now truly can’t see myself living anywhere else, and feel blessed to have the community our parish brings us and the spiritual enrichment. I never thought I would be the kind of person that said that my church is a major pillar of my neighborhood, but I also never thought I would miss it so much when I went on vacation recently. Every Mass we attend makes me feel a bit lighter, more energized, and fulfilled as I walk out the door. Some of our closest friends are people we met at church, and I have a feeling that will only continue over the years.
The church itself is among the most gorgeous I have seen in NYC, or really anywhere (and I have been cathedrals all over the globe.) Modelled after a gothic cathedral in the UK, the church is beautifully maintained and it brings me great joy to spend so much time there.
I made my Confirmation here last Easter through the RCIA program and was sealed into the Catholic faith fully, as well as the congregation and the neighborhood.

it’s odd to review a church on Unilocal — how do you quantify or qualify services rendered? you go voluntarily, and there’s no punch card for, say, a free appetizer or 10% off for being a consistent patron.
but that’s neither here nor there.
OLQM is an excellent, well-​organized and active church. it tends to get packed, and with a vibrant mix of parishioners from all backgrounds — it feels very much alive.
perhaps the real estate mantra of «location, location, location» plays some part in OLQM’s success — while all roads may lead to Rome, here they take a slight detour and lead to the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Ascan Avenue, where it’s hard to miss this huge church.
I feel like I get something valuable each time we go. the clergy here speak honestly.
the architecture, art, and statues on display are magnificent and well-​maintained. even if you are not religious, they can definitely be admired for aesthetic and historic purposes.
OLQM has an active online presence as well, with a modern website and a Facebook page which both get updated regularly.
the community here is very welcoming to newcomers, and getting involved is pretty easy.

I am really sorry I have to be so honest about this place but its actually quite disappointing. To be honest its very insulting that this church has such a mean receptionist to reach the rectory. I have been trying for the past month to speak to a priest because I am interested in getting married there next year. I feel so disappointed because I was raised catholic and I go all the time to this church, to not even feel welcomed by someone telling me right off the bat that since I am not from forest hills she doesn’t see a chance of me getting married there. She transferred my call straight to the voicemail of a priest whom I must say, I must have left hundreds and still no one returns my calls. If my only way is joining the church, then how about being nicer and telling me the steps instead of shutting me down. I guess hunting for the right church for my wedding has come to the conclusion that this particular church wont welcome you if your don’t live in FOREST HILLS PERIOD! What a way to advertise your church, I thought it was about the fate, I guess stay away from here then.

The Queen of Martyrs Church has been here for as long as I can remember.
The one thing that it has not done is change…@ all over time.
I have been to many other churches during my travels and have seen many different types of pastoring, congregations, and setups even with gigantic screens that allow you to read from them rather than bend your neck hunched over like the 18^th century.
The interior has vintage hanging lighting, with decades old displays that are faded, lacking color vibrance.
It has a certain smell that didn’t bother me for many years. But on Xmas 2014, I could not stand the claustrophobic environment of this church and walk out for some air.
Poor ventilation.
Cramped seating.
Choir: comprised of a very skilled body of singers who perform together fairly seamlessly.
There is a parking lot, considering forrest hills is impossible to park in at all.
Oddly, their facebook page seems to intermittently post priests passing from the clergy.
The current figure leading this church is Bishop Paul R. Sanchez, D. D. As I listen to this gentleman speak, I feel zero connection. This will differ with other people. To each their own.
Why do I come here?
Backwards compatibility…
I’ve been in/​out this church through different stages of life. Spanning troubles I though would destroy me, to crushing my goals and asking where to go from here.
My triggers are triggered here. Every time I step into this place, it’s a self-​check in how far I’ve evolved in all aspects of life. That is a very powerful thing.
This church is a powerful place to attend and build your beliefs over the long run.
Or whatever you go to «church» for…

Time to pray

I’ve been a parishioner at OLQM my whole life. In fact, I went to grammar school there. In addtion, I was an alter server and worked in the rectory, so this is truly my home parish.
I know it’s not cool to attend church anymore, but I go every week and take something spiritual back home with me. Hard to explain if you’re not a Roman Catholic. Faith plays a large role in my life, and here at OLQM the Good News is brought forward every week.
Even if you are not a Roman Catholic, it’s worth stopping in just to see the stained glass and impressive structures and statues. As a youth, I actually was able to get a birds eye view of the Church from above by sneaking up the choir loft, then scaling a small ledge and crawled along the top of the Church ceiling on a piece of wood that was pretty wide, but probably wouldn’t do it today. It lead to the bell tower, where me and another brave sole then climbed up to check out the old bell. We both worked in the rectory, so we had access to off limits areas. Very cool, if dangerous, memory.
Anyway, I know church scandals are all over the news, but if you can put that aside and give your faith another chance, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs will welcome you.

Very proper Catholic Church located in mostly Jewish Forest Hills. What do I mean by proper? Well, as soon as I walked in I got that «solemn» and holy church feeling.
The inside looks to be and felt clean. Very spacious and properly airy.
I only went to this church with a friend because she’s Catholic so I goofed off quite a lot. While the staff/​clergy didn’t look especially happy to see me, I think they were quite patient with me, especially when my friend and I started playing around with and tossing the holy water.

Beautiful Church!

We grew up across the street from the church and our family attended for over forty years, going back to before Bishop Denning’s time as Rector.
I was even sentenced to eight years of hard time, at OLQM Catholic Penitentiary as Denis Leary would say. If you haven’t seen «Late Night Catechism», you might not appreciate the humor. Sorry, but it’s funny. The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary were wonderful teachers and yes, I have many fond memories.
Both my younger brother and I attending OLQM School, and were Baptisms, had our First Communions and Confirmations here back in the Day. If you are interested in what it was like in the early years, may I suggest:
Others have written about the beautiful statues of the saints, the iconography throughout the church, and stained glass windows. The huge Rosetta, as you enter the church is very famous and has been photographed by many over the years. Here is a link to learn more:

Of all the churches I have seen around NY, this is one of the most beautiful. An impressive stone church that sits on the corner of Queens Boulevard and Ascan Avenue in Forest Hills. It was modeled after the English gothic cathedral at Durham and 2012 is its centennial year. Once you enter, the beauty really shines through. Stain glass windows including a large rose window over the altar are just lovely. While the church is quite large it still feels warm and inviting.
The priests here are friendly and seem to have a nice sense of humor. The congregation is loyal and provides a sense of community. There is a parking lot which helps with the busy area. There are 4 Sunday masses (8:30, 10, 11:30 & 1pm), as well as a Saturday evening mass at 5pm.
I attend mass as often as I can and was lucky enough to get married at OLQM. The grandeur of the church made our wedding day even more special.

Roman Catholic Church that is beautiful on the exterior as it is on the interior. Sermons are usually very relevant to today’s current times while beautifully tying into the Mass’ readings. Grounds are always nicely maintained.

A Roman Catholic Church in Forest Hills. Having to live in this area in a past life of adult times, sadly I did not have the opportunity to attend Mass. My former love, disappointedly, refuse to register at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs as members. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church is located on «Boulevard of Death» and Ascan Avenue is Queens’ largest Catholic Cathedral residing one square block. Gorgeous stained glass windows including Rosetta windows adorn the church.
I would occassionally pop inside for a prayer and seek Holy Water which the grounds are well maintained.