The Church of St. Mary is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the borough ...

, located at 1101 Bay Street,

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. St. Mary's is the second oldest of the 36 Roman Catholic parishes on Staten Island, having been established in 1852, after St. Peter's (1839), and before St. Joseph's in Rossville (1855).150 Years New
, ''Catholic New York'', July 2, 1998 (Retrieved June 6, 2012) In 2015, the parishes of St. Mary's, St. Joseph in Rosebank, and Immaculate Conception in Stapleton were merged to form the Parish of St. Joseph and St. Mary Immaculate.

Parish history

The parish was established in 1852 by Father John Lewis, who was born in France and arrived in the United States in 1851. At first, Father Lewis celebrated Mass in a private house before land was donated and in 1857 a church was built. The rectory was constructed in 1858. In 1862 Father Lewis purchased seven acres of land from the Parkiinson estate in Southfield for a cemetery. Besides the school, in 1864, Lewis built a convent, a parish orphan asylum, and a residence for the male teachers. Writing in 1877, one commentator stated, "Father Lewis is entitled to commendation for his zeal and fidelity in his efforts to promote the spiritual and temporal interests of his parishioners." In 1878 Fr. Lewis added St. Mary's Hall for lectures, concerts, dramatic performances and other meetings. Later, before St. Adalbert's Church was completed, Rev. Michael Slupek would celebrate Mass for Staten Island's Polish Catholics at St. Mary's Hall. In 1883 the Young Men's Literary Union Hall was constructed. In 1882 he built at his own expense, a chapel at Stapleton for the convenience of the aged and infirm of the parish. It was called the "Chapel of Ease of the Clifton Parish". In 2015, the parish of St Mary's merged with the parish of St. Joseph's Church.

Architecture

St. Mary's Church and rectory were constructed in 1857. Both were built of red brick, the church in North Italian Romanesque style with a central tower.

Pastors

*Rev. John Lewis (1852-1887) *Rev. Corkery (1887-1890) *Rev. James F. Mee (1891-1909) *Rev. Michael A. Cunniff (1909-1909 when he died) *Msgr Daniel J. McMackin, D.D. (1909-?), assisted in 1914 by Rev. Cornelius J. Cronan *Rev. Fredy Patiño (2016-2021) *Rev. Carlos Limongi (2021-present)

St. Mary's Parish School

The parochial school was established by the founding pastor, the Rev. Lewis, and conducted by 5

Sisters of Charity Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, but others are unrelated. The ...

of Mount St. Vincent-on-the-Hudson (who also conducted an academy) and 3 lay teachers. The school had, in 1914, 182 boys and 188 girls. The school was among 27 closed by the

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the boroug ...

effective June 2011.

,
RECONFIGURATION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING "AT-RISK" SCHOOLS ACCEPTED BY ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK
," Official Press Release, 11 January 2015 (Accessed 7 February 2015)

References

External links

Parish of St. Joseph and St. Mary Immaculate website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's Church, Staten Island, New York Religious organizations established in 1852 Roman Catholic churches in Staten Island Defunct schools in New York City 1852 establishments in New York (state) Catholic elementary schools in Staten Island Private middle schools in Staten Island