Our Church as it is seen today.

 

Dedication of the new Church at Eagle Park
"Today we dedicate our new church, confident that we have provided a proper setting for the celebration of Mass and conferring of the Sacraments; a sanctified place for meditation and prayer; an expression of gratitude for our heritage; a commitment to the present and future spiritual life of our parish.

This is the Day the Lord Has Made
Let Us Rejoice and be Glad.
Alleluia! 

Because of the widening of Route 9 in the ‘70s, our Parish and School moved from its original location on Rt. 9 to a much larger location to the north in Eagle Park. That was due to the farsightedness of the pastor of the time Msgr. Robert McCormick. We worshipped in what is now the Parish Hall while a new church was being built. In the late 1980s our current church became a reality. 

We still had much to do to become the Parish we are today.

In 1994 we had the installation of a new Pastor, Monsignor Hilary C. Franco.  Guests at his installation included two cardinals and a U.S. Senator. Under Monsignor Franco's leadership from 1995 until 2013 many interior and exterior alterations to the Church, School, Parish buildings, and grounds were achieved.

Inside the church is the new altar blessed by Cardinal John J. O’Connor on March 21, 1997 – as well as works of art for veneration:  the ‘Tondos’ of Our Lady of Divine Love and the image of St. Augustine (where you can see the images of the church, the river and trees) by Nino Di Simone; the stained glass windows by Dora May from Avezzano, Italy; the Millennium Cross of The Parish of Saint Augustine by Angelo Grilli; the bronze Stations of the Cross by the School of Sculpture and Architecture of the University of Naples; the tiles of the Resurrection in the Vestibule and the tile of the Crucifixion in the Sacristy all by Nino Di Simone; the Last Supper; and the Our Lady of Ossining  and St. Joseph’s statues donated by Ambassador Stephen Falez.  The new Tabernacle arrived from Madrid, Spain, as a gift of some faithful and of the Jubilee Year Pilgrims. Tile flooring replaced the outdoor carpet and the beautiful Image of Our Lady of Confidence in the vestibule was the gift of the Terra Tile Company that did the paving. Along with the art tiles previously mentioned, in the Vestibule there are three standing statues:  the Sacred Heart, St. Anthony, and Blessed John Paul II with a first class relic of the Blessed. On the wall near the Sacristy is the statue of the Risen Christ welcoming all the faithful who enter the temple. Included in the Vestibule are:  a Golden Book with the names of the Parish Benefactors, a yellow Suggestion Box, pictures of Divine Mercy,  Pope John Paul II and of the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, and plaques: Monsignor Robert McCormick, Monsignor Hilary Franco, 20^th Anniversary of our new Church and blessing of our new Altar, Volunteer Awards, and Boy Scouts.

Stroll through our campus and you will discover other works of art: the statue of St. Augustine in front of the church; a large Crucifix facing the Hudson River that can be seen by passengers on boats and on trains; two shrines of Our Lady of Lourdes; a shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and the monumental outdoor Stations of the Cross.

The magnificent outdoor Stations of the Cross, overlooking the Hudson River are a true masterpiece, conceived and designed by Italian artist Nino Di Simone in 1996. Monsignor Hilary Franco realized then that the project was indeed feasible and together with the construction firm of one of the parish families began searching for an appropriate place on the parish grounds. Although seemingly impossible at first, the site selected was the steep hillside besides the present setting of the Church. “Michelangelo” (Monsignor Franco’s name for the man who built the platform) filled the platform with tons of rock boulders trucked in to form the case for the garden floor. Di Simone returned to his studio in Italy and designed and sculpted the figures in terra cotta, cut them into approximately 20 to 30 tiles per station, then glazed and fired the individual tiles.  In six weeks an “army” of 25 people built the 15 niches. Di Simone came from Italy with his two sons and installed the tiles into the niches. Thus the bold idea became one of Christendom’s most glorious illustrations of the agony and pathos of events leading to the story of our salvation. The garden with its 15 foot high station niches is dedicated to "our mothers", and it was blessed on March 21, 1997 by Cardinal John J. O’Connor, Archbishop of New York.

To make it easier for parishioners to navigate our campus (about 35 acres) and to find a place to park, during the 90s roads and more parking spaces were paved.

Our Parish organizations required a place to meet.  After the new Church was built, the old Parish building had become a large storage area and the Parish Office was sorely in need of refurbishing.  With a $17,000 miracle, Monsignor Franco managed to restore the Parish Hall and the Parish Offices; built a convent area, Pre-K 4, a Youth Hall for the meetings of our Youth Group and an apartment for a priest.

Our School has undergone changes too.  Enrollment increases necessitated building a wing and in 1997 Monsignor Franco began the project at the end of June and managed to finish it by the beginning of the new school year in September – at no cost to the Parishioners.  Monsignor Franco blessed the new wing on September 3, 1997. In the early 2000s a marble foyer was installed in the School.

In 2000 our Children’s Choir went to the Vatican for the Jubilee of the Young and serenaded Pope John Paul II in his Chapel.

In 2000 a cookbook was published and the proceeds went to the Children’s Benefit Fund to cover medical needs.

In 2003 we celebrated St. Augustine’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary (150 years) with many events:  special Masses, lectures, meetings, and parties.

Monsignor Franco introduced and reintroduced many spiritual activities to our Parish:  Adoration, Benediction, Compline, Processions, Parish Missions, Pilgrimages, Sunday evening Mass, Mass for the school children alternating every day of the week, and many other activities for our children, young adults, and adults.  Yearly he visited parishioners to bless their homes.

We have prayed in a very special way for vocations during the whole day of adoration every Thursday. We are now blessed with vocations: two seminarians and the service of four Deacons.  

In August 2013, after 19 years as Pastor,  Monsignor Hilary Franco "retired" to a position at the Office of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.

Father Brian T. McSweeney became our Pastor in August 2013.