We are a Roman Catholic Community seeking to grow, spiritually through ongoing prayer, education and service.
We are a Roman Catholic Community seeking to grow, spiritually through ongoing prayer, education and service.
St. Patrick's has a proud history of ministering to our faith, family, educating our children and reaching out to support our neighbors in need. Established in 1902 as a mission church of St. Anastasia's parish, Mass was celebrated by Fr. Patrick McArran in Central Valley on a makeshift alter set up in the bakery or O'Sullivan Hall (Which is now the Central Valley Post Office . The present day church building was completed in 1910. St. Patrick's remained a mission church until 1957 when it became a separate parish and Fr. Thomas Dunn was installed as it's first pastor.
Renovations of the parish building have been part of our history since the earliest days. The exquisite stained glass windows were installed in the 1930's and added to the beauty of the simple wooden frame church. In 1959, to accommodate the growing needs of the congregation, men of the parish hand dug the lower church to create St. Patrick's Hall, a room for social gatherings and meetings. The church was expanded in 1992 when new seating and the sacristy were added. Recent renovations to the interior of the church have restored decorative moldings to their original state.
The School of Religion building was constructed in 1963. The names of the parishioners who gave so generously in support of the construction are displayed in the lobby. In 2001, through the continued generosity of our parishioners, the School of religion was expanded and our new parish center was dedicated by Cardinal Edward Egan as Jaclyn Weireter Hall. This multipurpose room has become a focal point for the youth of our parish as it serves as the stage for the First Grade Christmas Pageant and our Good Friday enactment of the stations of the cross., as well as the CYO Basketball program. The name of the parishioners who have and continue to support the construction of our parish are proudly displayed alongside of the plaque for the original building. The names often repeat and one can see the generations of parishioners who have given so greatly to the parish.
The same vibrant spirit that was present nearly 50 years ago continues at our parish today. St Patrick's is a thriving community of over 1,500 families. The school of religion educates over 900 children and 75 parishioners serve as teachers. We are proud to have one of the few religious education programs for special needs children. St. Patrick offers an RCIA program and a youth group that serves over 60 students from 8th grade to 12th grade. St. Patrick's Pre-School is self supporting and provides a catholic pre-school program to over 50 children. The TGIF group provides a social network for the parents of our youngest parishioners and several support groups meet at our parish to serve those fighting addiction or grieving the loss of a spouse. Our facilities enable St. Patrick's to host many education programs and seminars. Recently, Weireter Hall was the site of a fundraiser for a seriously ill child from Highland Mills .