History of the Parish

History of the Parish

 
 
In 1962 Bishop Kellenberg of our Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, created the parish of St. Paul the Apostle, and appointed Rev. Daniel Potterton as its founding pastor. When the local Jewish community heard that the newly-created parish had no place to meet, they offered the Jericho Jewish Center, and it was there that Father Potterton held the first parish meeting and began the plans for the parish.
 
Property for the church was first considered in Muttontown, on Route 106, but this was soon abandoned when the clay base was found to be unsuitable to support the church building. The first parish Mass was offered in the hall of the Lion’s Club of Hicksville, New York; and later, Mass was offered in the Jericho Fire House. Other places used for Sunday Mass were the Twin Theater in Hicksville, New York, and the C. W. Post College Little Theater.  In 1965, the Doane property near the rectory was purchased, and a year later ground was broken for the new church.  Daily Mass was then offered in the rectory.  We are today a parish of some 1,800 families drawn from Brookville, Jericho, and parts of Hicksville, Westbury, Muttontown, and Syosset, New York.
 
 
 

21 priests have served in our parish since its beginning in 1962, they are:

Msgr. Daniel Potterton as Founding Pastor (1962-1970)

Rev. Daniel Ryan (1962-1968)

Rev. Harold Paul (1966-1968)

Rev. Patrick Fleming (1963-1976)

Rev. Thomas Kane (1968-1971)

Rev. Gordon Maher (1968-1970)

Rev. William Galloway as Pastor (1970-1975)

Rev. Thomas Colgan (1970-1972)

Rev. Diarmuid McGann (1971-1974)

Rev. Frank Costello (1972-1975)

Rev. Eugene Murphy as Pastor (1975)

Rev. Lawrence Chadwick (1975-1978)

Rev. Mario Costa as Pastor (1975 to 2002)

Rev. Aloysius Tracy as resident (1976-1981)

Rev. Patrick O’Connor (1976-1977)

Rev. Francis Casey (1977-1982)

Rev. Michael Heenan (1979-1981)

Rev. Charles Collins (1981-1983)

Rev. Arthur Anderson (1982 to 2003)

Rev. Charles Guarino as resident (1983-1985)

Rev. Robert Clerkin as Pastor (2002-2013)

Rev. James F. Pereda, J.C.D. (2013-)

The Dominican Sisters who have served our parish are:

Sister Jean Veronica McCarthy, O.P.

Sister Ann Rogers, O.P.

Sister Joyce Osgood, O.P.

Sister Alice Reichmeider, O.P.

Sister Bernadette DeMayo, O.P.

Sister Regina Kraft, O.P.

Sister Mary Ellen Harnett, O.P.

Sister Kathleen McCarthy, O.P.

Sister Barbara Schwarz, O.P.

Sister Eileen O’Connor, O.P.

Sister Eva Ernandis, O.P.