On January 1, 1987, I made my first visit to St. Mary's before accepting its pastorate. My first impression was that the church building was very large and had a forbidding look to it. The exterior stone was very dark. The view of the rectory was blocked by two fifteen foot trees. There was a large sign on the lawn advertising Bingo four times a week. However, once I entered the church, I was enchanted. The interior had a warm comforting feel to it. I saw the beautiful stained glass windows, the large organ and the wooden oak pews. The high pulpit, also carved out of oak, was very attractive. I remember asking myself why the pulpit was on the epistle side not on the gospel side. Exiting through the side door I saw the chapel and the beautiful baptistery. Outside I walked to the back of the church and I saw a modern school building and was relieved that it had only one floor. I decided that I would accept the pastorate.
A few months later I was questioning my decision. The school was actually three stories (I saw only the top floor) with eighteen classes and a rapidly declining student population. The gymnasium and cafeteria were in a 1848 building. The priests of St. Mary's were part- time chaplains at St. Joseph's Hospital. I was in charge of St. Mary's Cemetery three miles away. The territorial boundaries of the parish was the smallest of all the churches in Yonkers. It was a downtown parish with a disappearing downtown. City Hall, which was across the street from the church, was in turmoil over the desegregation case. There was barbed wire everywhere. The beautiful organ was in need of extensive repair. To top it off, the bells of St. Mary's were not functioning well. A friend said to me "I have seen this movie before. You are Bing Crosby." He was referring to the 1945 movie "The Bells of St. Mary."
Five years later, on June 7, 1992, we had a picnic in our parking lot celebrating our twelve bells with a "Concert of the Bells." The old clappers had been replaced by round bronze strikers and solenoid units. New technology now made it possible to play hymns when a player is not available The black soot of a hundred years of industrialization had been cleaned off the stones of the church, the tower and rectory-revealing beautiful red and brown sandstones. The large trees were gone replaced by a flower garden. After extensive repairs the organ was working. Some of the stained glass windows were repaired and protected from the elements of wind, snow and rain by lexon panels. The barbed wire was gone. A community garden was opened beside the school. A Dinner Dance celebrating the 1001h anniversary of the church building was held at the Marriot hotel in Tarrytown on November 7, 1992.
In 1998, at the 150th anniversary of the parish, we had finished a complete renovation of the interior of the church. Wall to wall carpenting was replaced by new attractive tiles. The beautiful mosaic tiles of the sanctuary were restored. The lanterns were replaced by recessed lighting in the ceiling- revealing the striking architecture of a Romanesque church. White walls were painted in the same attractive colors that were used in 1892. Two new statues were added- one of the Holy Family, donated by the Arabic community, and the other of St. Elizabeth Seton, founder of the Sisters of Charity. A new main altar was created with stone from a quarry in Yonkers commemorating the first parishioners.
Within the next ten years the chapel was redone with beautiful colors and lighting. Air conditioning was installed in the main church and chapel in 2008. Over the course of twenty years every roof on the church, rectory and chapel was replaced- a huge but necessary expense.
How was this possible in a parish of limited means? Some of the money came from the estate wills of former parishioners. Another portion became available from St. Mary's Cemetery when the original plan to buy new land became impossible. The land desired was declared "Parkland" and therefore could not be sold. The money set aside for such a sale now became available.
The largest portion of the money (75%) came from the parishioners. Looking back now, I can see that the most important first step was the creation of a Parish Council in January of 1990. Its official membership was twenty- six women and men but with its network of committees it reached into all the organizations within the parish, including the Arabic community of Good Shepherd. This organization provided the framework. But the driving motivational force was the determination to preserve our "Sacred Place."
For Catholics, a church is a sacred place. This is where the Eucharist is celebrated at least twice every weekday and four or five times every Sunday. After the Eucharistic celebration is over, Christ remains present in the consecrated bread,now called The Blessed Sacrament. This Blessed Sacrament is placed in a tabernacle where people can come to visit and pray to the Son of God or just be at peace in an increasing busy world. A parish assumes the responsibility to make sure its church is worthy of the Divine Presence. There is a special bond.
A church building as beautiful and as large as St. Mary's is a source of great pride but it brings with it a heavy financial burden. Our parishioners have been willing to accept this responsibility. They know that their church is centrally located and its presence is vital for the future of downtown Yonkers. They want to share their sacred place with the thousands of people, Catholic or not, who pass by every day on their way to work, school, hospital, nursing home, mental health facilities, Cacace Justice Center, Police Headquarters and even prison. They know that hearing the bells of St.Mary's is a great comfort to many, especially the residents of St. Joseph's Nursing home and perhaps even of City Hall. The tall graceful tower, when damaged by lightning strikes, hurricanes, blizzards,and fierce winds off the Hudson River, must be repaired as soon as possible. It has always been a sign of hope in difficult and uncertain times and a source of faith in good times.
If someone had told me in 1987 that we would have to raise between two and three million dollars for "capital repairs", I would not have accepted the pastorate of St. Mary's. I am glad no one told me.