Parish History
| Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary became a parish in response to the uncompromising faith of the poor and the need of the rich. With the nearest Catholic Church ten miles away, predominantly Irish servants were willing to forgo well-paying jobs if they could not fulfill their obligation to attend Sunday Mass. As Southampton continued to grow as a summer resort, the summer visitors brought with them more Irish servants, but also gardeners and groundskeepers to manage the new estates. In 1881, the first Mass was celebrated in a private home. |
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Homes and various other sites were used until 1892 when construction was started on the first permanent church on Hill Street with funds raised by the congregation. The interior was furnished with paintings, stained glass from Munich and other appointments of considerable value. The mission church came to seem more like a parish, and parishioners petitioned the Bishop requesting the appointment of a resident pastor. The Bishop agreed and Father William Kirby was named pastor in 1896. Father Kirby served until his death in 1902. Father Francis J. O’Hara served as pastor from 1902 to 1913. Father O’Hara foresaw that with the improved train service and increase in automobiles, Southampton was bound to grow. With this in mind, he called upon members of the parish to build a larger church that would be a testament to God’s grandeur, but also of man’s dignity; living proof of the new status of American Catholics. In less than 15 months the new church was completed and opened in 1908 with 800 seats. A 300-year old pulpit and stained glass windows from Munich and Austria were made possible through the donations of the parishioners. Over the years, additional parcels of land were purchased from neighboring properties, one for $10 and another for $1. The old church was used as a parish hall for a time until it was purchased by a local resident at an auction to raise funds and removed to make room for a parochial school. Sacred Hearts School was built in 1924 and was staffed by the Sisters of Charity. However, due to cost constraints, it was closed in 1981 along with two other local parish schools. Instead, Our Lady of the Hamptons Regional Catholic School was opened in 1981 to service these three parishes and is thriving today. |
Pastors
Father Thomas J. Leonard 1913 - 1916
Father John Cherry 1916 - 1919
Father Edmund Brophy 1919 – 1926
Father Joseph Kelly 1926 – 1930
Monsignor George H. Killeen 1930 – 1969
Father Hugh J. Reilly 1969 – 1975
Father William J. Remey 1975 – 1988
Monsignor Edmund J. Trench 1988 – 2000
Father Jeffrey J. Madley 2000 - present
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