Please enjoy reading our 2020 Winter Newsletter from The Leo House. Click here to visit a full version of the 2020 Winter Newsletter.

For the first time in its 130-year history, the doors of The Leo House closed on March 25th, 2020.

By March 25, 2020, the Corona virus was causing so much illness across the state and in the city of New York that both the governor of the state and the mayor of the city ordered the closure of many essential businesses including hotels. The Leo House closed that day and remained so until June 1st. There were no guests and most of the staff had been laid off. These factors took a severe toll on the business. When the doors re-opened on June 1st, guests started coming back, but slowly and very few in number. Travel restrictions and quarantines keep many from traveling to New York and at this point in time operating costs continue to rise.

Guests have appreciated what The Leo House provides every day: safety, cleanliness, great breakfasts, and a location close to the many cultural sites of the city. If you have the means, we ask that you consider making a contribution to help us continue what we do best. It is always a good time to support The Leo House for we put contributions to work to maintain the facilities and upgrade them when financially feasible.

Thus we need assistance to maintain the premises if you, too, appreciate its hospitality and care and to see it flourish for years to come.

How to Mail a Donation

There are several ways to make a contribution to The Leo House. One is the contribution envelope that you may have received during the physical mailing of our newsletter. Want to be added to our newsletter mailing list? Please email Sister Marilyn Ellickson at [email protected]. If you would like to mail a check, you can always send them to The Leo House directly at:

The Leo House
c/o Sister Marilyn Ellickson
332 West 23rd Street,
New York City, NY 10011

How to Make an Online Donation

You can make a contribution online by visiting our secure donations page on our website by clicking here, or by visiting our donations campaign on missio.org by clicking here.

The Leo House is grateful for any and all contributions.

Remembering the Deceased

For the past years Friends of The Leo House have given contributions as Memorials for deceased loved ones, relatives and colleagues. Prior to November 1, 2020, a “Book of Life” was prepared and all names submitted were listed. Staff and guests added more names of deceased family members, making the total close to 300 persons named.

At Mass in early November, the Book was blessed, placed on the altar and it remained there for each celebration of Mass during all of November, the month the Church remembers and prays for the faithful departed.

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, Keeper of the Book of Life”

We pray for all these named persons, who have passed through the doorway of death, and we pray for ourselves as well.

Support all these families and individuals who lost these loved ones and support them with Your Holy Spirit. Grant them the courage to embrace the mystery of death as part of life’s plan.

On this day of Remembrance of the Deceased, we celebrate the mystery of Your holy ones, among whom are all those named here.

For a list of Deceased Relatives and Friends Remembered by Benefactors, please visit our 2020 Winter Newsletter and visit page 3.

The Leo House History – The Matrimony Register 1886

A unique document resides in our Archives with many other items dating back to 1886 when it was first started. We found a Matrimony Register from January 15, 1886 containing over 1600 marriage records that took place at The Leo House when it was located at #6 State Street.

These records will be put in digital format because the 10lb book is in very fragile condition. If you know your relatives were married at The Leo House, the Matrimony Register probably shows a record of it. To read more about The Matrimony Register, visit page 3 of our 2020 Winter Newsletter.

Highline Park and The Edge Building

Highline Park is a new phenomenon in the immediate neighborhood of The Leo House. For the past few years has become one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. It also brought skyscrapers to the westside of Manhattan. In early 2020 a new “neighborhood” officially opened at the northern boundary of The Highline called Hudson Yard. It’s also home to a new skyscraper named “The Edge” which towers over the westside of Manhattan and the Hudson. The day it officially opened, Leo House guests were present on the 102nd floor and came back with the message, “You can see The Leo House really well from up there.” One has to see it to believe it so visit our 2020 Winter Newsletter for photos on page 4.

The Wall Street Journal features The Little Free Library at The Leo House

A reporter from The Wall Street Journal phoned and requested information about The Little Free Library at The Leo House. On October 14, 2020, Sister Marilyn Ellickson was asked questions about the one created here using two antique phone booths. This information was included in an article in The Wall Street Journal titled, ‘Coronavirus Gives Big Boost to ‘Little Libraries.’

Long ago they were used to make long distance calls out of the building; now obsolete because of cell phones. Five ‘little free libraries’ were in the city when this one started, now there are over 100. Why? The public libraries are currently closed for browsing, and people like sharing books; children especially enjoy the libraries. The WSJ article included the fact that our library has many travel guides and many paperbacks that one would read on an airplane.

Because we now have a library charter number from the foundation, TLH library and location is on an international map. An added plus – free publicity! The Leo House charter number is 43614. It’s fun scanning the international map, to see all the countries where little free libraries have sprung up. The map is on the website for the organization at: littlefreelibrary.org. The Wall Street Journal article was published on Oct. 20th and the reporter was Anne Kadet. Read the article in full by visiting the Wall Street Journal website here.