Our Lady of Pity Jubilee

HISTORY OF THE PARISH


ur Lady of Pity Parish is a community of faith. Our history is the story of that faith passed from generation to generation which has grown from its humble beginnings  in the hearts of a small group of Italian immigrants in 1913 to a living faith shared by the large family of people who compose Our Lady of Pity Parish today. 

n Christmas day 1913, Father Louis Riccio, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, opened one of his twelve out-missions by celebrating Mass in a private home on Depuy Street, now Caswell Avenue in Bulls Head under the title and patronage of Our Lady of Pity, the Sorrowful Mother. At this time the neighborhood was semi-rural with homes and small farms scattered along narrow, tree-lined streets and country roads. Masses were offered regularly and the sacraments administered in private homes until September of 1919, when a small prefabricated chapel was dedicated on Summer Avenue with Our Lady of Mount Carmel as the Mother Church.

The Old Church before its transfer to its present location in the 1950s.

n the summer of 1923, the Mission became a canonically established Italian National Parish to serve the many immigrants moving to the Bulls Head section of Staten Island. Father John Gallo served as the first pastor until his return to his native Italy. The succeeding pastors, Father Cyrus Falco, Father Joseph Cattoggio, Msgr. Charles Roselli, Msgr. Anthony Ricotti, Msgr. Robert Mazziotta and Msgr. Philip Franceschini have all continued in the building of this small Italian Mission to the great parish it is today.

s the parish continued to grow, Francis Cardinal Spellman changed the canonical status of the parish from an Italian national parish to a territorial parish in 1954.

ity planning for the Staten Island Expressway after the construction of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge called for a new location and new buildings. In May of 1956, Msgr. Ricotti purchased thirteen acres of land bordering on Richmond and Merrill Avenues and saw to the construction of a new Gym (used as a church until 1988) and Rectory. The extra property not mapped out for any projected parish facilities had been donated by the parish to the Archdiocese for the furtherance of Catholic education on the Island. Upon that property Moore Catholic High School now stands.


he critical need for a fitting place of worship, a Church building, was met by Msgr. Mazziotta who in 1988 saw the dedication of our present Church by John Cardinal O'Connor. The completion of the Church altars, sanctuary and chapel were realized under the pastorate of Msgr. Franceschini and solemnly consecrated by Cardinal O'Connor in 1994.   

he parish has grown in numbers significantly over the years. The many programs and activities called for more space for our youth in religious education, our senior citizens, choirs, sports and youth program and societies, etc. With this phenomenal and ever-increasing growth the parish was faced with a new challenge. In conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the parish in 1998 Msgr. Franceschini was able to realize and construct,  through the enthusiasm and generosity of the parishioners, a state of the arts Parish Center dedicated on September 19th, 1998 and named in honor of John Cardinal O'Connor.  

he year 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of our "mission parish" and the 90th anniversary of our foundation as a canonically established parish. As the parish opens its Jubilee Year it is served by Msgr. Philip J. Franceschini, Pastor and Rev. Edwin C. Lanuevo, Parochial Vicar.