Eugene V. Clark

Eugene V. Clark (January 26, 1926 – April 11, 2012) was a prelate of the Archdiocese of New York. He was a vocal and prominent proponent of traditional values and practices in the Catholic Church.

Clark studied for the priesthood at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York. He was ordained by Cardinal Francis Spellman. He then served as a teacher at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, New York. Following this, he served as Spellman's private secretary.

Clark was appointed pastor of the Church of the Annunciation in 1980 by Cardinal Terence Cooke. He was a successful homilist and a connoisseur of art, especially religious art (through the 1990s, he also hosted shows on Catholic television). With his eye for the aesthetic, he refurbished much of the magnificent sculpture in the lower church, and moved several pieces to the upper church — including a Pieta and an enormous crucifix that now hangs in the back of the upper church. Clark oversaw a major restoration of the sanctuary of the upper church, this included a large marble altar, the altar stairs, and marble facade redesigned to face forward — replacing the “portable” altar used for several years previously. The altar is now dedicated to the memory of Richard and Regina Fay.

A hand-made papier-mâché Christmas creche imported from Italy was acquired at this time as well — with the help of the Mark and Alicia Barry Family, in Memory of Frank and Catherine Gleason — this work of art graces St. Joseph’s Altar — redecorated for Christmas to this day. Later his successor, the Rev. Eugene Carrella, commissioned the addition of a manger, which replicates the marble columns of the main altar and the green marble facade behind the altar.

Clark was the first pastor to institute a Finance Council in the parish (the full Parish Council would come later). He was also dedicated to the parish school, and a more diverse curriculum. Under his stewardship and with Kevin Scanlon as the school principal for more than a decade, the school excelled in every way. The school also expanded with the creation of a kindergarten program.

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