Blessing of our Parochial School and Convent
fig. Blessing of new parochial school and convent of St.
Joseph the Worker Parish in East Patchogue took place
Sunday. Pictured from left to right are the Rev. Jere J.
Dineen, pastor of the church; the Rev. F. Leo Cunningham,
pastor of St. Francis de Sales R. C. Church, Patchogue;
the Rev. James McKelvey, pastor of St. Mary's R. C. Church,
East Islip, and the Most Rev. Walter P. Kellenberg, D. D.,
bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre.
The Most Rev. Walter P. Kellenberg, D.D., bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, blessed the new parochial school and convent of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in East Patchogue Sunday.
Approximately 1,500 persons gathered at the site to witness the Shepherd of the Diocese invoke the blessing of God upon their new school and convent. Forty priests from the Diocese of Rockville Centre and Brooklyn were present for the ceremonies. Representatives of the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of Charity, New York Community, gathered at St. Joseph’s for the occasion.
Assisting Bishop Kellenberg were the Rev. Leo F. Cunningham, pastor of St. Francis de Sales R. C. Church, Patchogue, who was deacon; the Rev. James P. McKelvey, pastor of St. Mary’s R. C. Church, East Islip, as subdeacon. The Very Rev. Msgr. John R. McGann, secretary to Bishop Kellenberg, was master-of-ceremonies. The Rev. Robert T. Wickman of the Diocesan Chancery office was the preacher. After the blessing of the school, Bishop Kellenberg administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 250 children.
St. Joseph the Worker parish was founded in June 1955 by the present paster, the Rev. Jere J. Dineen. The assistant priests are the Rev. Theodore J. Le Ture and the Rev. Mario G. Cinque, Sister Mary Isidore of the Sisters of Mercy, Brooklyn Community, is the principal of the school.
The new school is located at Atlantic and Naragansett Avenues in East Patchogue. The school was opened in September 1960. There is enrollment of 250 children. The building is composed of eight classrooms, an auditorium to seat 750 persons and a cafeteria with a fully equipped kitchen. The convent has accommodations for 10 sisters.
