a resource of information on the origin & future of Richmond Hill, NY USA

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By 1916 the population of Queens continued to grow and Father Fahey felt that the small wooden church would soon prove inadequate. He began to plan for a new edifice, larger and more substantial and believing in the generous nature of his parishioners he engaged Mr. Thomas Poole once again. As a curate at Saint Cecilia's, years before, Father Fahey had admired the white marble church that Mr. Poole had designed for that parish. He asked Mr. Poole to reproduce St. Cecilia's in brick and on a smaller scale. Mr. Doresch was also rehired as the builder. It was decide to move the old wooden church to 117th Street were the old parish Hall/Sunday school once stood and use the building as an auditorium where the young of the parish could give plays and entertainments. Plans for the church were approved in January and Father Fahey hoped that the church would be ready by Christmas.

In June of 1916 the first class graduated from Saint Benedict Joseph School. Father Fahey posed fro a picture with that first graduating class on the steps of the convent. Each girl was required to make their own graduation dress.

In October of 1916 the cornerstone ceremony for the new Romanesque church was held. Bishop McDonnell laid the cornerstone with the assistance of Monsignor McGolrick of Saint Cecilia's Church and Father Maguire.

Father Fahey's health began to fail. He never quite recovered the use of his arm due to the accident he had suffered with the runaway horse and carriage and the shock to his nervous system had a serious affect on his once robust constitution. The new church was slowly being built. The country was in the midst of a World War and building materials were difficult to obtain. The long delays preyed on Father Fahey and on July 17. 1917 he died.

He was mourned by all those who knew him. The eulogy was given by his lifelong friend Father Matthew J. Tierney of the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. "Today we have assembled to offer to Almighty God our individual prayers, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for the repose of the soul of a distinguished Soldier of the Cross, Father Patrick J. Fahey. When Father Fahey in 1900 had succeeded the zealous founder-rector Father Maguire, he looked over a field that was only sparsely settled by Catholics. A few years were necessary to continue the work of organization and stimulation. Such exhausting and unceasing labors could have but one ending, my friends. I affirm that this man's zeal for the House of God has literally consumed him, has done him to death… as though he had laid his head on the block. His work is done; the busy hands are feebly folded; the eyes closed forever on the world; the lips are mute; the darkened heart is still. For us there remain tears and vain regrets. We mourn him as a true priest of God."

As a final tribute, his casket was brought into his still uncompleted church to rest for a few moments and then taken to the cemetery.

In September of 1917 the Bishop appointed Father William T. Kerwin the next pastor. He fell to him to complete the church. Due to the war there were considerable delays and the church would not be completed until 1919. A dedication ceremony took place on May 4, 1919. The expense of erecting the new church was $73,000. Most of the old furnishings from the old church, including the altars and rails were moved into the new building until some of the debt could be paid off. Bishop McDonnell dedicated the church and the now elevated Monsignor Maguire gave the sermon.

A few years after Father Kerwin took office Bishop McDonnell passed away on August 8, 1921. He died at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Brentwood. Throughout his life he had shown a great interest in the first parish which he had founded on the opening year of his episcopate. He was succeeded by the Most Rev. Thomas E. Molloy.

In 1922 the daughter parish of Our Lady of the Cenacle was established within the old boundaries of the original parish lines.

On July 11, 1923 Monsignor Maguire passed away. The founder pastor of Saint Benedict Joseph was never forgotten by the congregation. He had continually returned to many of the milestone events that occurred in the early life of the parish.

In 1923 the daughter parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established within the old boundaries of the original parish lines.

In 1929 the last daughter parish of Saint Teresa was established within the old boundaries of the original parish lines.

Despite the formation of new parishes, Saint Benedict Joseph continued to grow. The school became overcrowded and it was found necessary to renovate the old wooden 1892 church which had been serving as a parish auditorium since 1916 and fit it up as a school annex. This proved to be only a temporary solution and in 1935 Father Kerwin built a third floor to the original school building at a cost of $40,000. The additional floor added four more classrooms. In 1936 the growing staff of sisters meant the enlarging of the convent for a second time.

After years of heart trouble, on February 18, 1937, Father Kerwin passed away. On June 19, 1937, Father Henry M. Hald, associated Superintendent of Schools, former teacher at Cathedral College in Brooklyn, and former pastor of the Church of the Ascension in Elmhurst, assumed the role of pastor.

Upon surveying his new parish Father Hald found a parish with a firm foundation but with buildings that had become inadequate for the growing and thriving parish. It was decided to replace the old wooden church which had become a school annex along with the wooden rectory in one major construction to lessen costs. On July 4, 1938 ground was broken. The old church was razed along with the house of Nora Cronin which was located next to the old rectory and had been bequeathed to the parish. This area would become the site of the new rectory. When the new rectory was completed the priest vacated the old rectory which was demolished. It was upon this site that the Cloister Garden was soon erected.

The cornerstone of the school addition was laid by Monsignor Robinson on the Feast of Christ the King, October 30, 1938; the sermon was preached by the Very Reverend Richard B. McHugh, Rector of Cathedral College, Brooklyn. It was not until September 16, 1939, that the addition was ready. The auditorium was used for the first time on October 11, 1939. The original school building was renovated to make it as much as possible a unit with the new addition. The complete school contained nineteen classrooms, a new auditorium, a large music room, a fully equipped library, principal's office, medical room, teacher's rest room, cafeteria, a kindergarten, and two playgrounds.

The rectory provided living quarters for four priests and two domestics. It has two visitor's rooms, a large meeting room in the basement, and four public rooms in addition to a large foyer. It is connected to the church by means of a cloister. The new building's cost approximately $275,000. They were designed by Robert J. Reiley and built by Frank Doresch, Inc., who had erected the brick church, the original school and the convent. All structures were designed in the Romanesque style.

On April 14, 1940, Bishop Molloy blessed both school and rectory.

On the occasion of his visit it was noted that the convent chapel was small for the eighteen Sisters. Permission was granted to build a new chapel. The work was carried out in the summer and by winter the new chapel, which could now accommodate thirty was complete.

On September 4, 1940, Father Hald was made a Domestic Prelate with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor by Pope Pius XII. AT a solemn Mass on Sunday, November 17, 1940, the Bishop invested the pastor with the purple robes of his new dignity.

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