UPDATE: On May 29, 2015, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio sent a letter stating that agreement the Diocese has had with the Fathers of the Institute of Incarnate Word to pastorally administer this parish the past 13 years has expired and will not be renewed at this time. The pastoral administration of the parish was given back to the Capuchin Friars and was to be effective on June 30, 2015. The last IVE pastor of the Parish St. Michael-St. Malachy was Father Pablo Ruani, who was with us for 5 years as Parish Administrator/Pastor.
Letters to the parishoners of St. Michael- St. Malachy and to our new pastor, Father Michael Sevingy, OFM Cap. are below.
SPANISH
UPDATE: El 29 de mayo de 2015, el obispo Nicholas DiMarzio envi� una carta diciendo que el acuerdo de la Di�cesis ha tenido con los Padres del Instituto de Verbo Encarnado para administrar pastoralmente esta parroquia los �ltimos 13 a�os ha expirado y no ser� renovado en este momento. El gobierno pastoral de la parroquia fue devuelto a los capuchinos y deb�a ser efectiva el 30 de junio de 2015. La �ltima IVE p�rroco de la Parroquia de San Miguel-St. Malaqu�as fue el Padre Pablo Ruani, que estuvo con nosotros durante 5 a�os como parroquia Administrador / Pastor. Cartas a los feligreses de San Michael- San Malaqu�as ya nuestro nuevo pastor, el padre Michael Sevingy, OFM Cap. est�n por debajo.
History of St. Michael's School(now Salve Regina)
September 1864- A primitive school consisting of two large rooms in a two-story frame building was open.
February 1868- The building of the first grammar school building was begun.
August 1872- The first community of Dominican Sisters arrived at St. Michael’s to teach.
June 1898- Cornerstone for the school building on the corner of Warwick Street and Liberty Avenue was laid.
August 1909- Cornerstone blessed for the “Boys” School built on Warwick Street, next to the corner school.
September 1941- The Boys Grammar School building became a two-year Commercial High School for Girls.
January 1956- Opening of the new Commercial High School building on the corner of Jerome Street and Liberty Avenue.
August 1976- St. Michael's High School closes.
September 1976- St. Michael's Elementary School moves in to the high School building on Jerome Street.
September 1979- St. Michael's Elementary School and St. Malachy’s Elementary School become the consolidated school of St. John Neumann.
September 1980-The Robert F. Kennedy Incentive Program, a Diocesan Junior High, is opened in the old high school building on Warwick Street as a program with the school of St. John Neumann.
August 1995- The Robert F. Kennedy Incentive Program is moved to another Parish due to need for additional space at St. Michael's Parish.
September 1996- St. Michael Elementary School re-opens.
June 2011- St. Michael's Elementry school closes.
September 2011- Salve Regina Academy opens and currently uses the two buildings (625 Liberty Ave and 237 Jerome St) as it's schooling home. The Academy is the result of the merging with St. Rita's, St. Michael's and St. Sylvester's elementary schools, It is aligned with the parishes of St. Rita, St. Michael-St. Malachy, St. Fortunata, St. Sylvester, Mercy/Our Lady of Presentation and Mary, Mother of the Church. For more information, check out srac.org
HISTORY OF ST. MICHAEL'S PARISH
In 1853, Father Andrew Bohan came from Holy Cross in Flatbush and celebrated Mass in a hotel on the northwest corner of Atlantic Avenue and Vermont Street. Father Bohan obtained six lots on the northwest corner of Atlantic and Van Siclen Avenues which were transferred to Bishop Loughlin. In 1954, the construction of a church was begun. On April 9, 1854, Bishop Loughlin dedicated it under the patronage of St. Malachy. The church cost $2,300 to build. In April 1862, Rev. Patrick Creighton became the first resident pastor of the parish. He renovated the little frame church and established the first Catholic school in the town. Securing a three story building on Atlantic Avenue and nine adjoining lots, he opened his school in August of 1868. In 1929 a catastrophic fire destroyed St. Malachy's school building. The heroism of the sisters during the fire won recognition from the secular press. Father Higgins, the pastor at the time, acquired the former Home for Orphan and Destitute Children, which had been a receiving and quarantine station. When the Home was relocated to Rockaway, Father Higgins converted the building into the parish school. Also, during his pastorate, Father Higgins had the wood frame church building reinforced with brick and concrete.
In 1939, the next pastor, Father Daniel P. Kane, renovated the entire school. He beautified the parish grounds with the creation of outdoor grottos in 1941. It was during this latter year that a kindergarten was opened. Within a few years, the school was renovated and running again.
In March 1957, Father Henry G. Doheny, the current pastor, announced an ambitious $200,000 building fund campaign to construct a new 12 classroom school and an adjoining parish auditorium capable of seating 800 persons. By the time the new school opened in 1958 with an enrollment of nearly 600 students, the building campaign had raised $245,000. In April 1968, a new Convent was opened. Because the response of the people was so great, there was no debt on the building.
The complexion of St. Malachy was rapidly changing. The older established families of German, Irish and Italian descent were moving to Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties and were being replaced by Spanish speaking parishioners. Father McElroy instituted a Spanish Mass early in his pastorate.
With the population shift in the parish, St. Malachy's financial status became adversely affected to the extent that both the school and church required diocesan subsidies to maintain their existence. Father Raymond W. Kutner, was installed Administer or the parish on September 8, 1978. He immediately set upon the task of reviving St. Malachy financially. More difficult was the necessity of making an immediate decision about the future of St. Malachy's School. In a move to save quality Catholic education for the children of the area, a majority of the Cluster Coordinating Committee voted to close both St. Malachy and the neighboring St. Michael schools and to reopen a consolidated school operated by both parishes. The new school was called St. John Neumann School located on the site of the former St. Michael's High School on Jerome Street.
St. Michael's parish and St. Malachy's parish now form the Parish of St. Michael-St. Malachy. St. Michael's Church is the principal worship site. Until the question of the closing of St. Malachy's Church is determined, St. Malachy's will continue to offer Sunday Mass.
