St. Mary's Church (Wappingers Falls, New York)
| Church of St. Mary | |
|---|---|
| 41°36′17″N 73°55′23″W / 41.60472°N 73.92306°WCoordinates: 41°36′17″N 73°55′23″W / 41.60472°N 73.92306°W | |
| Location | 11 Clinton Street, Wappingers Falls, New York |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St. Mary's Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1845 |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | English Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1877 |
| Completed | 1879 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of New York |
The Church of St. Mary is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located in Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County, New York. It was canonically established in 1845.
The first Catholics in the area then known as Channingville, were Irish and arrive around 1810 In those days, the spiritual needs of the local Catholic community were met by priests riding circuit out of St. Peter’s in Poughkeepsie, which was founded in 1837. Tradition names Father Miles Maxwell as one of the first priests to minister to Catholics in the vicinity of Wappingers Falls. At that time, Mass was offered about once a month at the home of Mr. John Murray on Clinton Street near Pells Place. In 1841, a small frame church was built. Other priests who came into the Wappingers Falls area were Father Farrell, Father Sullivan, Father John Smith, and Father Michael Riordan, pastor of St. Peter’s.
In the summer of 1844 Father Sylvester Malone celebrated his first Mass in the mission church of St. Mary's. Malone and his friend architect Patrick Keely would later be responsible for the construction a number of churches throughout the archdiocese.
In 1845 a parish, known as St. Mary’s of Channingville, was founded to serve the entire Southern Dutchess County. In 1846 the Clinton Mill at Wappingers Falls was in the process of being built and soon after, the Hudson River Railroad was begun through this locality. These enterprises attracted many Irish and Italian immigrants to the area both as employees in the mill and as laborers on the railroad. Cholera was prevalent among the railroad workers and the presence of a resident priest became increasingly important. Archbishop Hughes of New York sent Father J. Scollon. It is recorded that being called to High Point (New Hamburg), Father Scollon labored unceasingly to relieve the sick and the dying. Father Scollon’s tireless service during his year-and-a-half stay at St. Mary’s impressed itself upon the hearts and memories of the community. Rev. George Brophy was assigned as the first resident pastor in 1850.
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