Approaching a New Century, c. 1980 – c. 1999

Fr. Mike Torpey

Fr. Mike Torpey

In June, 1989, a new pastor, Reverend Michael J. Torpey, arrived at St. Boniface.

Shortly after his arrival, in response to senior members of the parish, Father Torpey hired Sister Mary Butler, O.P., to begin a senior outreach program. (In 1995, after being elected Regional Director of her order, Sister Mary moved on, but the successful program has continued). Other staff changes came when Sr. Margaret McPeak retired as school principal and Mrs. Lenora Brisotti was appointed. In June of 1990, Ita Levesque, longtime director of the parish Religious Education Program, moved on to become the director at St. Brigid’s Parish, and Father Torpey appointed Julie Byrne as administrator of the program.

In June of 1991, the parish schools of St. Boniface, St. Mary’s in Roslyn, and St. Patrick’s in Glen Cove and St. Hyacinth’s in Glen Head regionalized to form All Saint’s Regional Catholic School, supported by those parishes and St. Rocco’s of Glen Cove

Under diocesan direction and the leadership of principal Sister Helen Dolan, S.S.N.D., the school began on two campuses with a nursery through third grade at the Lower Campus (St. Hyacinth’s) and grades four through eight on the Upper Campus (St. Patrick’s).

In 1995, Sister Maureen Vellon, R.S.H.M. was appointed as principal of ASR. At present, 40 of the approximately 400 students are St. Boniface parishioners, and the school continues to flourish. In the fall of 1999, all grades will be located on St. Patrick’s parish property, allowing for total technological integration of all classrooms, leading the school into the 21st Century.

The school is supported by each of the five parishes and the school board is comprised of each parish’s pastor and representatives appointed by that pastor.

The decision to regionalize the schools and close the St. Boniface School building made for a very painful time in the parish, especially for the parents and children who attended. Since then however, space made available by the closing of the building has been put to good use. For much of the 1990’s, the third floor of the school had been rented to St. Christopher Ottilie Home, and during that time the the parish offices were moved to the lower level.

Update, 2017:  Since about 2002, AHRC has leased and renovated the lowest level of the building, where they run a private school.  The three classroom levels of the building now provides classroom space for the children who attend the the parish’s religious education program.  The Gym has been renovated and provides both practice and game space for the parish’s CYO program and a venue for the parish’s social events.

The priests’ residence was moved back to the old rectory building, now renovated, and the building directly across the street from the church, which had served as a convent or rectory at various times has also been renovated and now houses the parish offices, a chapel, a youth center and meeting rooms for the parish. 

In time, it became clear that Father Torpey considered liturgy a major focus of his ministry. Nowhere was that more evident than at the family liturgy celebrated each Sunday. At ease with children, he fostered liturgy where children were both comfortable and involved. “If we focus on kids, it creates a focus on the family,” said Father Torpey. “If the children know they’re loved, it involves the whole family and it helps the parish to celebrate that love in the present; which, in turn, prepares us for the future.” This focus attracted many new young families to the parish. Liturgical music continued to be important, with Jeffrey Schneider as the music director. To assist the pastor in keeping a clear feel on the pulse of parish finances, in 1993, Father Torpey hired Eileen Krieb to help oversee parish business and finance. On June 6, 1993, the parish joined in the celebration of Father Torpey’s 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood with a mass followed by a lovely garden party.

Focus on the parish’s 100th anniversary (1998) began in 1993, with an elegant dinner dance at the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, where parishioners, Ceil Herbert and Robert Bolger, were honored. It was the first of many Centennial celebrations. Reflecting on the Centennial, Father Torpey praised the work of the previous pastors. He pointed out Father Diederich’s work with liturgy and Father Fee’s strong sense of Church and how they have provided a foundation to present celebrations, involving some of the same people who worked with these previous pastors.

In 1995, St. Boniface became a one-priest parish when Father Camilleri (Reggie), who had won the hearts of parishioners in his seven years here, left St. Boniface to do further study. We gained Sr. Kathleen Murphy, O.P., however, who was appointed pastoral associate and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the parish as it continues to grow. Sr. Kathleen assists the pastor in the many aspects of running a parish and also conducts some liturgical services. Besides supporting parish programs already in existence, in 1996, Sr. Kathleen started a new program, M.O.M.S n’ Tots, for mothers of pre-schoolers.

In 1996, the parish embarked on a diocesan Stewardship Program. Consciousness-raising on its theme of giving back time, talent and treasure in thanksgiving for all God has provided has been an impetus for parish growth. This program has not only improved the parish’s financial situation, but has put new blood into volunteerism. Consequently, appreciation for the many gifts already shared within the parish community has grown among parishioners.

St. Boniface Martyr Parish began its preparation for the Jubilee Year of 2000 on Christmas Eve, 1998, when the front doors of the church were closed and draped with a Jubilee Banner, to remain closed until Christmas Eve 1999, when they were ceremoniously reopened, just as Pope John Paul II opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, to symbolize the Church’s “Opening Wide the Doors to Christ” at the dawn of the Third Millennium.

Our Parish at the start of the New Millennium

The dawn of St. Boniface Martyr Parish’s second century began not long before the end of the 20th Century, as the Church prepared for the Jubilee Year declared for 2000 by Pope John Paul II.  On Christmas Eve, 1998, the front doors of the church were closed and draped with a Jubilee Banner, by our then Pastor, Fr. Michael J. Torpey, to remain closed until Christmas Eve 1999, when they were ceremoniously reopened, just as Pope opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, to symbolize the Church’s “Opening Wide the Doors to Christ” at the dawn of the Third Millennium.

The Internet Age

Our parish also marked the coming of the new millennium by becoming one of the first parishes on Long Island to establish a presence on the internet, launching a website at www.saintboniface.org, on October 15, 1999.  With the rise of “social media”, the parish has also developed Facebook pages and uses such tools as Twitter, Instagram, and a YouTube channel.  The weekly parish bulletin and newsletters are distributed digitally on these platforms and are also sent by email to about 900 online subscribers.  The parish’s head-start in the world of digital communication was a blessing with the advent of the Covid-19 crisis and the need to provide safe live-streamed Masses and virtual replacements for face to face meetings and social activities curtailed by the crisis.

As St. Boniface Martyr Parish celebrated its Centennial in 1997 and 1998, and the Jubilee in 1999 and 2000, the same strong sense of community that had started this parish was still going strong. Many prayers and thanks go to those who have gone before us and have provided the faith community with all that it needed to sustain its first one hundred years. We pray that God will continue to bless our parish, providing it with the gifts it needs to flourish in the future.

 

History of St. Boniface Martyr School, 1928 – 1990

Vintage post card view of the front entrance to St. Boniface School.

Vintage post card view of the front entrance to St. Boniface School.

The dream of establishing a Catholic school at St. Boniface Martyr Parish began in 1898, when the parish was established. Father James Donohoe, the first pastor, expressed a strong desire to see a parochial school created for the children of parish families. The idea stayed alive in the 1920’s, when Father Louis Sloane, the pastor at the time, began to set aside money each year to be used in building the school.

His successor, Father Patrick Ford, went a step further by organizing a fund drive to raise $50,000 of the $250,000 needed for the school’s construction. The support given by the parishioners was such that the money was donated or pledged within only a few weeks. Combined with the funds set aside by Father Sloane, that money was sufficient to buy the Amrhein Farm on which the school was to be built, and to hire Architect James O’Connor  to design the structure.

In November, 1927, ground was broken and Frank A. Droesch, Inc., a construction firm from Queens, began working on the building. The work was completed in time for the school to open its doors in September, 1928. On June 23, 1928, the Sisters of Mercy from Dallas, Pennsylvania arrived and began registering children for entry into grades 1 through 6. Another grade was to be added each year until all 8 grades were included.

The new school opened on September 10, 1928, with an initial registration of 150 students. The building contained 10 classrooms, 2 indoor playgrounds, lunchrooms, a kitchen, restrooms, offices, a clinic, storerooms, and a large auditorium. Bishop Thomas F. Malloy of the Diocese of Brooklyn formally dedicated the school on September 16, 1928, at a ceremony attended by more than 1000 people.

In June 1931, the first 8th grade class (14 students) graduated, leading the way for the 59 graduating classes that followed it into the world.

First Graduating Class, St. Boniface School 1931

Over the subsequent decades, enrollment at St. Boniface grew (to nearly 600 students, at one point) and the building was expanded to accommodate the students. In 1962, a library and gymnasium were added and 8 new classrooms were opened. In 1963, student services were expanded to include a 5-day hot lunch program staffed by volunteers from the Mothers’ Club (later the Home School Association).

For 36 years, St. Boniface provided its students with a free education but, in 1964, economic factors forced the introduction of a modest family tuition schedule. The school continued to change. In 1969, a playground was built on school property with the help of many community volunteers. In 1976, nursery and Pre-K programs were begun, and, in 1977, the first kindergarten class started. By that time, lay teachers had replaced most of the Sisters of Mercy.  In the Autumn of 1989 enrollment was approximately 220 students.  In its 62 years of existence, St. Boniface Martyr School graduated over 2,000 pupils.

On June 24, 1989, St. Boniface Martyr School joyfully celebrated its 60th anniversary with a reunion dinner chaired by Kathleen and John Ahearn. Many of the school’s 2,000 graduates returned for the event.

Throughout its existence, St. Boniface Martyr School served as a superb example of academic excellence in Catholic education.

In 1990, the parish schools of St. Boniface, St. Mary in Roslyn, St. Patrick in Glen Cove and St. Hyacinth in Glen Head regionalized to form All Saints Regional Catholic School, a new entity designed to supported by those four parishes, joined by St. Rocco Parish of Glen Cove.  The decision to regionalize the schools and close the St. Boniface School building made for a very painful time in the parish, especially for the families whose children who attended the school. Since then however, space made available by the closing of the St. Boniface School building has been put to other use.

Click here to read the history of All Saints Regional Catholic School,
which operated until it June, 2019.

 St. Boniface School Principals

1928-35

Sr. M. Adrian Gillespie, RSM

1935-36

Sr. M. Gonzaga Kehoe, RSM

1936-37

Sr. M. Constance Dolan, RSM

1937-38

Sr. M. Andrew Hennigan, RSM

1938-39

Sr. M. Cornelia Dever, RSM

1939-51

Sr. M. Isabel Sheerin, RSM

1951-57

Sr. M. Philip Dillon, RSM

1957-60

Sr. M. Gemma Brennan, RSM

1960-66

Sr. M. Maureen McGroarty, RSM

1966-69

Sr. M. Philip Dillon, RSM

1969-70

Sr. M. Elizabeth Guckavan, RSM

1970-71

Sr. M. Clare Dougherty, RSM

1971-76

Sr. M. Jeanne d’Arc Salinger, RSM

1976-77

Sr. M. Elizabeth Guckavan, RSM

1977-81

Mrs. Elaine Lawless

1981-89

Sr. Margaret McPeak, DW

1989-90

Mrs. Lenora Brisotti

History of All Saints Catholic School, 1990 – 2019

All Saints Regional Catholic School was located in this beautiful historic building on the campus of St. Patrick Parish in Glen Cove.

In 1995, Sister Maureen Vellon, R.S.H.M. was appointed as principal of ASR.

In 1995, Sister Maureen Vellon, R.S.H.M. was appointed as principal of ASR.

Sr. Maureen was succeeded by James V. Thompson, who served until his retirement at the end of the school year 2011-12.

Sr. Maureen was succeeded by James V. Thompson, who served until his retirement at the end of the school year 2011-12.

Fr. Elias Carr, appointed Headmaster of ASR, 2012

Fr. Elias Carr, appointed Headmaster of ASR, 2012

Joanne Fitzgerald, appointed Academic Dean of ASR, 2012

Joanne Fitzgerald, appointed Academic Dean of ASR, 2012

In 1990, the parish schools of St. Boniface, St. Mary in Roslyn, St. Patrick in Glen Cove and St. Hyacinth in Glen Head regionalized to form All Saints Regional Catholic School, a new entity designed to supported by those four parishes, joined by St. Rocco Parish of Glen Cove.

The decision to regionalize the schools and close the St. Boniface School building made for a very painful time in the parish, especially for the families whose children who attended the school. Since then however, space made available by the closing of the building has been put to good use, and All Saints Regional Catholic School is now well established and thriving, having gone from strength to strength to reach the top echelon of Catholic schools on Long Island.

Under diocesan direction and the leadership of its first principal, Sister Helen Dolan, S.S.N.D., All Saints Regional Catholic School began on two campuses with a nursery through third grade at the Lower Campus (St. Hyacinth’s) and grades four through eight on the Upper Campus (St. Patrick’s).  All grades are now consolidated in the school building on the St. Patrick’s parish campus, allowing for total technological integration of all classrooms, leading the school into the 21st Century.

All of the schools’ grades are now located at the former St. Patrick’s School building, allowing for total technological integration of all classrooms, leading the school into the 21st Century.   As of the 2012-13 school year, all of the school’s classrooms have been equipped with the latest “SMART Board” technology.

In April, 2012 it was announced that ASR would follow a innovative new academic vision.  Fr. Elias Carr, Pastor of St. Rocco’s and one of the Canons Regular of the Canonry of Saint Leopold who serve at St. Patrick’s and St. Rocco’s parishes was appointed as ASR’s first Headmaster, to be assisted by an Academic Dean, Joanne Fitzgerald.

Due to the financial pressures and demographic changes effecting Catholic school education All Saints was forced to close in June, 2019.

St. Boniface Social Media

St. Boniface Martyr on Facebook www.facebook.com/StBonifaceMartyr

St. Boniface on Facebook
www.facebook.com/StBonifaceMartyr

 Links to our Facebook Pages, Twitter Feed, YouTube and Google+ accounts:

“Church communities have always used the modern media for fostering communication, engagement with society, and, increasingly, for encouraging dialogue at a wider level. Yet the recent, explosive growth and greater social impact of these media make them all the more important for a fruitful priestly ministry.”

     –  Pope Benedict in his January, 2011 message for the 44th World Day of Communications.

St. Boniface News September 22, 2013

Our Parish Bulletin

Read the Parish Bulletin for September 22, 2013 and archived past issues.

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Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest will be back this year by popular demand, on October 5, 2013, complete with a live German band, Bavarian dancers and wonderful German food and beer!  Ticket sales start 8/31.

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Religious Education Back to School Information

Religious Education classes start during the week of September 22.  Back to School Night September 25.  See Schedule here.

 

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception<br />
                   - photo by Robert Lynch

Pilgrimage to National Basilica: September 28, 2013

We will be participating in an historic Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington. on September 28, 2013. 

 

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Youth Ministry

See our Schedule here.  Our Youth Group gives teens the opportunity to meet and foster lasting friendships while exploring our faith and belief.

All Saints Regional Catholic School (ASR)

All Saints Regional Catholic School

All Saints Regional Catholic School (ASR) is our parish school, with Nursery, Pre-K and K through 8 programs.

 

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Parish Facebook Pages

Our Parish maintains a variety of Facebook pages;  feel free to connect with us there!

Catholic Schools Week

If you are looking for a school for your children, please consider our parish school,  All Saints Regional Catholic School.

Catholic Schools Week
Schedule of Events
at ASR

  ASR in the news:

Our School Cuts Tuition, Expands Programs

 

Enthusiastic students at All Saints Regional Catholic School

All Saints Regional Catholic School, serving the North Shore of Long Island, has cut tuition for Nursery and Pre-K for 2013-2014, while expanding parental options for both programs with regard to the number of days they want their children to attend. Nursery parents can choose from a three-day program or a five-day program. For Pre-K they can choose from a three-day, four-day or five day-program for full or half days. The school board just approved a tuition schedule making it less expensive than all other competitive programs in the area. “We know times are tough for parents in these economic times,” said the Headmaster, Father Elias Carr, “we want to work with parents to help them educate their children in a strong Catholic environment.”

Since, last December, when Bishop Murphy implemented a new Strategic Plan for the Catholic elementary schools on Long Island, All Saints has taken a number of important steps to realize this new diocesan vision. The Very Reverend Robert Romeo, Pastor of St. Boniface and Chair of the Executive Board said, “ASR is the only school on Long Island with a priest in charge, a priest teaching and with a full time chaplain… Our goal is to be sure children are well educated and in a spiritual/ happy environment.”

The Executive Board recently adopted a new leadership model for All Saints consisting of a Headmaster and an Academic Dean, Joanne Fitzgerald, (most recently, principal of St. Edwards the Confessor School in Syosset) who, working closely with the Headmaster, not only oversees the curriculum but also ensure high standards for the total educational environment. The school’s full time chaplain is the Very Reverend Dom Daniel Nash, Can. Reg., who also teaches Latin and German as part of the new curriculum. “Studying German helps one to have a firmer grasp of English, and Latin reveals the foundation of the modern Romance Languages”, explained the Father Daniel. ASR has also adopted a very robust before and after school program, allowing parents to drop off their children as early as 7am as well as extending the day until 6 pm, because, Father Elias added, “We want to support our hardworking parents with programs to meet their needs.”

In addition to the new lower tuition schedule parents can also find additional aid through “Tomorrow’s Hope” a program that provides financial aid to parents wishing to provide a Catholic School education for their children. “There are options out there,” Father Daniel said, “Cost shouldn’t be a factor.”

ASR Catholic School Open House Jan 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our parish school, All Saints Regional Catholic School , welcomes you and your family to our open house on January 29, from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

A.S.R. provides an enriching educational experience for children from Nursery through Grade 8. All Saints Regional Catholic School, founded in 1990, serves Nursery through Eighth Grade students from the Long Island, New York parishes of St. Boniface Martyr, Sea Cliff, St. Hyacinth, Glen Head, St. Mary, Roslyn,

St. Patrick, Glen Cove and St. Rocco, Glen Cove.  We seek to educate our students within a family-centered Catholic community.  We commit ourselves to Gospel values as we seek to develop our students’ intellectual gifts and foster their spiritual growth.  Our aim is to prepare our students to lead creative and productive lives which contribute to the growth of both God’s kingdom and our nation.

Everyone is encouraged to attend our annual Open House on January 29th.

For more information on ASR see our web site at www.asrcatholic.org or call the ASR office at  516-676-0762 to arrange for a private tour of the school.

All Saints Regional Catholic School promotional video