3 1 – 1 8 9 6 ) ▁established ▁the ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Comm iss ariat ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁It ▁was ▁from ▁this ▁location ▁that ▁Rev . ▁V ass ani ▁and ▁Father ▁God f rey ▁Sch illing , ▁O . F . M . ▁( 1 8 5 5 - 1 9 3 4 ) ▁began ▁to ▁plan ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁" H oly ▁Land ▁in ▁America " ▁and ▁a ▁Holy ▁Sep ul cher . ▁▁ ▁They ▁en vision ed ▁building ▁on ▁a ▁high ▁hill ▁on ▁St aten ▁Island , ▁over looking ▁the ▁entrance ▁to ▁New ▁York ' s ▁har bor . ▁These ▁plans ▁were ▁later ▁dropped . ▁ ▁Event ually ▁the ▁plans ▁changed ▁to ▁a ▁wood ed ▁hill top ▁in ▁Brook land , ▁Washington , ▁D . C .. ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁Fr . ▁God f rey ▁purchased ▁the ▁McC een ey ▁Est ate ▁in ▁Brook land ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁found ▁a ▁monaster y ▁and ▁church . ▁ ▁The ▁six ▁Brothers ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁abandoned ▁McC een ey ▁house . ▁After ▁purch asing ▁the ▁site , ▁Fr . ▁Sch illing ▁visited ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land ▁and ▁took ▁measurements ▁and ▁photograph s ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁S ites . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁ground ▁was ▁broken , ▁and ▁the ▁corner stone ▁was ▁laid ▁on ▁the ▁Fe ast ▁of ▁St . ▁Joseph . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁holy ▁shr ines , ▁gard