History and Background Catholic services were not available in the Village of Armonk from 1660, when it was founded, until 1924. A small group of women, headed by Mrs. Stanley (Eugenia) Sniffen, sought the services of a priest so that Mass could be celebrated in Armonk. At their request, Franciscan Fathers from Greenwich, Connecticut, came two or three times to offer Masses. But there was nothing definite in the arrangement, so Mrs. Sniffen sought the assistance of Father Martin Cavanaugh of St. John and St. Mary church in Chappaqua. Father Cavanaugh was the first pastor of that parish and celebrated the first Mass there November 12, 1922. St. John and St. Mary Church was dedicated by Cardinal Hayes, June 3, 1923.

Father Cavanaugh responded to the request of Mrs. Sniffen and agreed to come to Armonk. Since a suitable structure was not available early in 1923, Mass was celebrated at the Reardon home, at the southeast corner of Banksville and Bedford Roads. Later in 1923 and early in1924, Mass was celebrated in a barn located at the northeast corner of Bedford and Sterling Roads.

During 1923, fund-raising drives were conducted by the Catholic men and women of Armonk. On January 25, 1924, two acres of land were purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Schmaling. The property fronted on the Armonk-Bedford state road, adjacent to a stream flowing from Wampus Pond.

A church was built on this parcel by volunteers from Armonk and Chappaqua, under the supervision of Harry Schnoor. Though the building was far from complete, Mass first was celebrated there on Sunday, May 24, 1924. The church, named in honor of St. Patrick, was considered a mission of St. John and St. Mary and remained in that category until it was declared a parish in June, 1966.

The cornerstone of the present church was laid in 1969. The church building was designed with the liturgical guidelines of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in mind. The edifice was immediately recognized as one of the architectural gems of the Archdiocese of New York. (In fact, a picture of our parish church appears over the desk of the secretary of the Chancery Office of the Archdiocese in NYC.)

The church building is circular. Two hundred seventy degrees of the circle constitute the Domus Ecclesiae (the Home of the Church), the Porta Coeli (the Gate of Heaven); the remaining 90 degrees of the building behind the church is Wallace Hall, dedicated as such in 1982, in honor of Msgr. John J. Wallace, Founding Pastor.

After church renovations in the early 1990's, the seating capacity of the church is approximately 400. The confessional chapels were renovated in 1995 to offer the option of anonymous or face-to-face celebrations of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. They were the results of parishioner Michael Clohesey's creativity, as were our pulpit, tabernacle stand and offerings table.

The statuary in the church was hand carved by parishioner craftsman, Michael Gressel. Mr. Gressel was trained in Germany. His religious artwork graces many church interiors in the area, including the chapel at Archbishop Stepinac High School and St. John the Evangelist Church in White Plains.

On six of the pillars in the nave of the Church are figures, each hand-carved by Mr. Gressel and associated with Evangelization, the Grace-filled effort to proclaim the Gospel:

• St. John the Evangelist - His crucial message then as now is "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Evangelizers need to proclaim that message now more than ever. His feast day is December 27th.
• St. Mary Magdalen - She was called the "Apostola Apostorum" (the lady apostle to the Apostles). The Nicene Creed is said on her feast day, July 22, as a reminder to her intimate connection with beginnings of the Jesus Movement.
• St. Francis Xavier - He was one of the original companions of Jesus (aka the Jesuits). He traveled to India and to Japan in the 16th century. He died on an island off the coast of China. His feast day is December 3rd.
• St. Elizabeth Seton - Born in New York City in 1774, she was the foundress of the American Catholic school system. Her feast day in January 4th.
• St. Therese - She never left France, yet she is a patron of foreign missions. Through her "Little Way," she is connected with the mission effort throughout the world. Her feast day is October 1st.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus - From pole to pole, may one voice proclaim, Praised be the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” Jesus is God the Father's Evangelizer Par Excellence. The Feast of the Sacred Heart is the Third Friday after Pentecost Sunday.

Surrounding the sanctuary of the Church are the following:

• St. Patrick - He holds a miniature replica of our church building in his hand. His prayer, the Lorica, the Breastplate of St. Patrick, is prayed frequently in our Church. His hymn,Christ be beside me, is our parish hymn. His universal vision is the Vision of Jesus Christ, and, with Christ's help, our parish's vision as well. His feast day is March 17th.
• St. Anthony - One of the most popular of all the saints, we pray for St. Anthony's intercession in finding lost articles. His feast day is June 13th.
• St. Ann - She was the mother of our Blessed Mother and the grandmother of Jesus Christ (on His maternal side). The book she holds represents the Hebrew Scriptures, which St. Ann and St. Joachim, her husband, shared with Mary and Jesus. Her feast day is July 26th.
• St. Michael - The archangel's name means "Who is like God?" We honor him and the angels Raphael and Gabriel on September 29th.
• Mary and Joseph - Their special role in the life of Christ is stressed by their prominence around the Table of the Lord.

• The Pelican - It is a traditional symbol for Jesus Christ who feeds us with His Body and Blood. In ancient lore, the pelican pierced its breast to feed its young with its lifeblood.
• The USA Flag - This flag was flown over the Capitol in Washington, DC in memory of Msgr. Wallace, a Naval Chaplain in World War II.
• The Papal and UN Flags - These flags were presented by Mr. Kan Akatani in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the UN and Pope John Paul's second visit to the UN in 1995.

 

• Tabernacle - Our tabernacle was donated many years ago to our parish community by the Silvestro family. The door represents the brightness of the sun.

Many thanks to the Silvestro and Cavazzi families.

• Altar - Our altar was designed several years ago for our Lady Chapel in our Religious Education Center. It was the gift of the Cavazzi Family. In 1997, it was moved into the Church.
• Baptismal Font - Our baptismal font was donated by the Yaroscak Family inmemory of Thomas Yaroscak. It is movable to the center of the Church to stress the centrality of Baptism as the incorporation into the church through water and the Holy Spirit.

In the original design of the Church in 1969, the baptismal area was fittingly at the entrance of the church. However, its location there was impractical for several reasons. Once again, the Cavazzi Family generously provided for the removal of the original baptismal font. We create a much larger vestibule and gathering area in the space, which sees much use.

• St. Patrick Prayer - The plaque with the famous prayer of St. Patrick was donated by the Havelka Family in memory of Bertha Havelka.

Paschal Candleholder and Lady Chapel Furnishings - The family of Frances Redavid donated the Paschal Candleholder as well as many of the liturgical furnishings in our Lady Chapel.

• The Holy Water Dispenser - Our holy water font was donated by the family of Mary Jo Mahon De Bernardis.

 

• Our Parish Banner - Our parish banner was designed and created by the Edward Long Family of our parish as part of St. Patrick's participation in the Jubilee Rally in Yorktown Heights, Pentecost, 1999.

   

 

• Children's Chapel - The brainchild of Former Director of Religious Education, Ann P. O'Sullivan, our Cry Room has been renovated into a more user friendly "Children's Chapel."