Special Announcement

Diocesan Pilgrimage to the 50th Eucharistic Congress
in Dublin, Ireland June 4 - 13, 2012

The Diocese of Rockville Centre is sponsoring a pilgrimage to the 50th Eucharistic Congress which will be held in Dublin, Ireland under the leadership of Bishop John C. Dunne, auxiliary Bishop of our Diocese.  The dates are June 4 - 13, 2012.  Msgr. Jim McNamara, pastor at Holy Cross Church in Nesconset, is coordinating the pilgrimage events. This pilgrimage is open to everyone.

Our pilgrimage will begin with some touring in the western part of Ireland and will end with the first three days of the Eucharistic Congress.  Since Bishop Dunne’s parents came from Castlebar, we are designing this pilgrimage around his family roots in the west of Ireland.  This will enable us to visit some well-known sites (like the Cliffs of Moher and Kylemore Abbey) but also to take advantage of local places of interest that will introduce us to the richness of Irish culture and heritage.

We will celebrate Mass each day including Mass at the Cathedral in Tuam as well as at Knock.  This pilgrimage begins on Monday, June 4, 2012 with a flight from JFK airport to Shannon airport.  After some relaxing days in the west of Ireland and a memorable visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Knock, the highlight of the pilgrimage will be the beginning of the Eucharistic Congress on Sunday, June 10th with the opening Mass.  The theme of the day on Monday is exploring and celebrating our Communion through the Sacrament of Baptism.  Tuesday’s theme will be exploring and celebrating the Communion of Marriage and Family.  We chose these days of the Congress because these themes are rich in meaning for living the Christian life.  Unless you wish to stay longer, our pilgrimage group will return to JFK airport in New York from Dublin on Wednesday, June 13th.  There will also be an option to come for only the Eucharistic Congress portion in Dublin (departure from New York JFK June 9th) and then go off on your own to visit relatives or explore Ireland.

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Article From The Long Island Catholic - October 15, 2008

     Though its parishioners are scattered through 14 different ZIP code zones in this, the geographically largest parish in the diocese, pastor Father Gennaro DiSpigno calls Mary Immaculate a “hometown parish” where “people know one another.”

     There are a lot of community activities, including a huge annual yard sale, prayer on the lawn, an annual parish picnic and summer “porch chats,” held on the beautiful parish campus, located one block from the water in Bellport Village on the South Shore.

     Mary Immaculate parish started in 1898 as a summer mission of St. Francis de Sales, Patchogue, with Masses offered in “Woodman Hall,” a small, uncomfortable room over a drugstore. Area residents worked for eight years for funds to build the church, which was dedicated in May 1905.


     Mary Immaculate became an independent parish on July 4, 1907. The first pastor, Father John J. Robinson, boarded with a parish family and then rented a home before he was able to purchase a house adjacent to the church for a rectory. To help pay off the debt from that purchase, he erected a prefabricated bungalow on the property and lived in it while renting out the rectory to vacationers as a furnished summer cottage.

     The wooden country-style church seats only 125 and is used mostly for daily Mass and weddings. The large parish center, built in 1953, is used for weekly liturgies, religious education classes and social gatherings. An outdoor shrine in honor of Our Lady of Fatima was built in 1957.  

     The parish has many active ministries including a Rosary Altar Society and St. Vincent de Paul Society. Since 2004, parishioners have sold Fair Trade Coffee approximately once a month after Mass. This “coffee with a conscience” is certified to guarantee that more of the selling price ends up going back to the men and women who grew the coffee. Catholic Relief Services also receives a donation from every bag sold.

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