St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church (Oyster Bay, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Roman Catholic Church of St. Dominic |
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Photo of St. Dominic's Chapel, 2009
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Oyster Bay, New York, |
| Country | United States of America |
| Construction started | 1968 (for modern church) |
| Completed | November 1897 (for chapel) |
| Client | Originally Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn (now constituent in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Masonry granite |
The Church of St. Dominic is a Roman Catholic parish church in Oyster Bay, New York. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre. The church community was started in the late 1800s.
Contents
History of St. Dominic's Church
The first St. Dominic's church building was made of wood. It was replaced by a new, larger church. This new building was made of granite in a Gothic style. It was officially opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1897.
Building the Church
The first pastor, Reverend John Belford, was very happy about the new church. It could hold almost twice as many people as the old wooden church. The old church still stands today as a private house.
Building the new church was a big job.
- It took less than a year to build.
- Work started in May and finished in November.
- Giant wooden beams were needed for the 40-foot high ceiling.
- Huge granite blocks came from Greenwich, Connecticut.
- These blocks were brought by boat across Long Island Sound.
- Then, horses pulled the heavy blocks up the hill on sleds.
The church was built on the highest spot in Oyster Bay. From there, you could look down on the village and the Sound. When a golden cross was placed on top of the 33-foot spire, people said you could see it shining from Connecticut on a clear day.
Inside the Church
The original covered entrance, called a porte cochere, is still there. Inside, you can hear music from the original pipe organ. This organ is special because it's one of only three Hook and Hastings Opus Tracker organs made in America. It was built in 1901.
The inside of the church has dark wooden beams. In the 1950s, these beams were painted by hand with gold accents. Beautiful stained glass windows show scenes from the Bible. The entryway has colorful art nouveau panels with flower designs.
The main altar has mother-of-pearl tiles and glass jewels. Many people believe these were made by Louis Comfort Tiffany. His famous estate, Laurelton Hall, was once in nearby Oyster Bay Cove. Large stained glass windows at the front of the chapel were damaged. They had to be replaced after a big storm called the Great New England Hurricane in 1938.
St. Dominic's Today
St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church has grown a lot since 1897.
- In 1922, they opened a grammar school.
- In 1928, a high school was added.
- In 1968, a larger, more modern church building was built across the street. This was done by Father James E. Collins.
Today, St. Dominic's has a large campus. It covers six acres and has eleven different buildings. These include schools, offices, a sports complex, and two churches. The current Pastor is Rev. Msgr. Thomas More Coogan. Rev. Christopher Heller is the Associate Pastor.
See also
