A Brief History of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish
Our Lady Help of Christians Parish traces its roots to 1890, when the growing Catholic community of Tottenville began celebrating Mass locally under the leadership of Rev. James C. Rigney. On February 18, 1898, the parish was formally incorporated, and Rev. James M. Byrnes was appointed its first pastor. The church on Amboy Road and Yetman Avenue was dedicated later that year by The Most Reverend Michael Augustine Corrigan, Archbishop of New York.
A major milestone in the parish’s early development came in 1910 with the opening of Our Lady Help of Christians School. Established under the leadership of Rev. James E. Malloy and initially staffed by the Marianite Sisters of the Holy Cross, the school became a cornerstone of parish life and Catholic education. In 1923, the Presentation Sisters assumed responsibility for the school and faithfully served its students until 1987.
Over the decades, the parish grew under the leadership of its pastors, including Monsignor Jeremiah J. Brennan (1963–1985), during whose tenure the Easter Food Blessing tradition began and the school was expanded.
The parish celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1973 with a liturgy presided over by His Eminence, Terence Cardinal Cooke. In 1985, a devastating fire destroyed the original church, but the parish community persevered, worshipping in the school auditorium until a new church was constructed and dedicated in 1990.
Under Rev. Jeremiah P. O’Neill, the parish became the first parish in the Archdiocese of New York to establish Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in 1996. The parish celebrated its Centennial Anniversary in 1998 with a Mass celebrated by His Eminence, John Cardinal O’Connor.
Rev. Jarlath Quinn became pastor in 2003 and was succeeded in 2011 by Rev. D. Francis Dias. During Fr. Dias’s pastorate, parishioners responded generously to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the parish school became a regional school in 2013.
In 2019, Fr. Dias retired after eight years as pastor. That same year, Our Lady Help of Christians School closed after serving generations of parish families since its opening in 1910. In 2020, the school building was given new life with the opening of James P. Murphy Preparatory School in partnership with AHRC New York City. Also in 2019, Rev. James Ferreira was appointed Administrator of the parish and, in 2020, was appointed Pastor.
In 2023, Our Lady Help of Christians celebrated the 125th Anniversary of its founding as a parish. The anniversary was highlighted by a special Mass celebrated on May 13, 2023, by His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, giving thanks for 125 years of faith, service, and community in Tottenville.