Apostolate

At the present there are three branches of apostolate of NY Oratory of St. Philip Neri: Parishes, Hallel Institute Communications and Saint Philip Neri Healing Ministry.

In 2014, the Archdiocese of New York started the “Pastoral Planning Initiative” known also as: “Making All Things New”. The Archdiocese reviewed the state of the parish churches and attendance of the people. At the end 139 parishes in the NY Archdiocese were found in conditions of considerable difficulties, financial, personnel, attendance. It was then determined that 134 of them should be merged into 65 stronger, more manageable parishes by August 1, 2015. At that time the Oratorian Fathers were entrusted with the pastoral care of St. Paul and St. Anne merging parishes, situated in Congers and Nyack, NY. More about St Paul and St Ann Parish click here.

On March, 31, 1928, Grandma Margaret Hauser sold the property on which our church stands today, including the two buildings (the Farmhouse and the Stable), to the Archdiocese of New York for 17,500 dolars.church The number of Catholics in Tappan had grown in South Orangetown, and a new parish was needed to supplement the mother church of the area, St. John’s in Piermont. Following the pattern, a mission church would be attached to the nearest parish, St. Catharine’s in Blauvelt. More about Our Lady of Sacred Heart click here.

The Piermont Parish of St. John’s had its beginnings in Haverstraw, when in 1848; Father Francis McKeon became the resident Catholic pastor in Haverstraw. At that time, his church served all of Rockland County’s Catholics. Through Father McKeon’s efforts, the Piermont Congregation was formed and services were held intermittently in the Old Fellows Hall in Piermont. Later, land was purchased on the north side of the Sparkhill Creek, nearly opposite the present Reformed Church of Piermont, where a building which reportedly housed the Church and a Parochial School was built. Mass was first celebrated there on. More about St John the Baptist Piermont click here.