The Time of the Planting
(1908-1917) Reverend Patrick J. Mahoney, First Pastor of Incarnation
The readers of the September 5, 1908, edition of the Catholic News may easily have missed one of the
short notices in the section dealing with the news of the local parishes. There, between notices of annual
card-parties and the monthly meetings of various organizations, was a message of historical
importance for the story of Incarnation.
The article read:
There will be Masses at 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock, beginning Sunday, September 6, at 1253 St. Nicholas
Avenue, between 172 and 173 streets. The pastor of this new Parish is the Rev. P.J. Mahoney, D.D.
lately of St. John’s Church, Goshen, N.Y.
The following week in the same paper the reader could find another news item:
Reverend Dr. Mahoney has been assigned to establish a new parish in the upper end of Manhattan
between the parishes of St. Rose of Lima and St. Elizabeth. He will celebrate Masses at 9 and 10 every
Sunday at 1253 St. Nicholas Avenue.
After his return to the United States, his first assignment was at Holy Cross Church on West 42nd
Street where he served until 1893.He saw other parish work at St. Jerome’s in the Bronx, and at the
churches of St. Cecilia and St. Charles Borromeo in upper Manhattan. It was from St. Charles that he
was transferred in 1901 to assume the pastorate of St. John’s in Goshen, a post, which he held until
Archbishop Farley, asked him to establish the new parish of the Incarnation.
Father Mahoney
He was a man who could put his heart into any work entrusted to him. Monsignor Lavelle was later to
say of him, “He stretched his strength to the utmost, never sparing himself, but doing whatever he
could to advance the cause of his parish.”
Doctor Mahoney lost no time making plans for the future of his new parish. By November 1, 1908 he
had relocated his temporary chapel to a better site at 171st street and St. Nicholas Avenue. He
informed the archbishop “a contract has been signed for the purchase of eight lots at the corner of
175th street and St. Nicholas Avenue for $78,000, although the deed has not yet been traced.”
The first parish entertainment was held on November 26th 1908, and netted the parish a profit of
$338.85. The temporary rectory was located at 521 West 179th street. Already in 1908 there were
four parish societies. A senior and junior Holy Name Society, A children of Mary, a Sacred Heart
Society were formed, as well as two young people’s clubs, the Incarnation Lyceum for young men and
the Young Women’s Club.
When the parish was only three months old, a regular Sunday school program for Catholic children
was in progress conducted by a priest, two sister of Charity, and a number of lay teachers. This heavy
schedule was taken care of by two priests, the pastor and one young assistant, Father Walter D.
Slattery.
On February 11, 1909, Incarnation Parish was formally incorporated according to the Laws of the
State of New York.
With $1243.21 in cash on hand, Father Mahoney felt it was time to build. He had confidence in the
generosity of his people and in the support of the pastors of the more settled parishes in Manhattan. He
had his heart set on a school for the children, and in this second year of operation he wrote to the
archbishop:
According to Your Grace’s direction, we are also to build a school or part of a school. My judgment
inclines me to build all the school, because the neighborhood is being built up by leaps and bounds.
The School
Building the school became the focal point of all parish activity at this time. The laying of the school’s
cornerstone took on great significance as priests and people united in their determination to build the
first parochial school in Washington Heights.
Incarnation Parish was busy in this first full year of activity. The schedule was crowded with social
functions. There were five masses every Sunday: at 7:30,m 8:30 (the children’s Mass), 9:30, 10:30,
and 11:30. All of these were still celebrated in the temporary chapel at 171st Street and St. Nicholas
Avenue. A new assistant had been assigned to the parish at the beginning of this year to take some of
the burden of work from the pastor and Father Slattery. Father Alexander C. McCarthy was sent to
Incarnation just two years after his ordination.
In 1909, the pastor published a semi-annual collection list. From this listing an approximate
breakdown of the parish by nationalities would be: Irish-American 70%, German 20%, Italian 10%.
This year was to be a year of expansion in the area of parish societies. The Holy Name became more
active, as did the Altar Society, both of these societies supplied the collectors for the building fund
campaign. The Young Men’s and Young Women’s Clubs continued to provide recreational opportunities
for adolescents. This was also the year the Altar boys’ Society was formed as well as the parish choir.
Father Mahoney was not content to start the choir on a small scale.
The services of Mr. Edmund Hurley, K.S.G., organist of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, and director
of the Paulist Choir, were obtained for the training of Incarnation’s choir. ( Because of Fr. Mahoney's
decision, Fr. Sullivan, in later years,was able to start the Incarnation Choristers). At first only a boy’s
choir and a women’s choir were formed, but the pastor wrote confidently: “The parish desires a men’s
choir, and there is hope that it will have one some day”.
Father Mahoney’s confidence never weakened in those early years and his annual reports bear witness
to his enthusiasm. He had the good fortune as the chance of obtaining valuable stone from the old
Juvenile Asylum for his building program. He scheduled the laying of the cornerstone of the school on
October 17, 1909.
Archbishop Farley came to lay the cornerstone of the new school, which was to be the only parochial
school in Manhattan north of 153rd street. Despite the inclement weather, the ceremony must have
been impressive. The choir of the parish sang the “Come, Holy Ghost”; Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle,
V.G., preached a sermon on the role of the Church in education; and Mr. Lamont McLaughlin spoke on
behalf of the laity.
Father Mahoney received many gifts on that day. Since the auditorium of the new school was to serve
as his chapel, several of these presents were destined to add to the beauty of Incarnation’s first
substantial House of God. Father Henry Brann, the first pastor of Washington Heights, presented
Incarnation’s chapel with its sanctuary lamp.
The building of the school moved along steadily and the winter of 1909-1910 saw the auditorium
completed. How great a growth Father Mahoney expected, only a year previously his entire parish
numbered eight hundred souls! On February 6, 1910, the faithful assembled for the first time in the
new school auditorium to attend Mass. Mass in the new chapel was at seven o’clock that February
morning.
Incarnation School opened on September 12, 1910 with two Sisters of Charity from Mount Saint
Vincent. Sister M. Auxilium, Principal and second grade teacher and Sister Mercedes, first grade
teacher comprising its staff. One hundred and three children were enrolled in its first year of operation,
but this number was to almost double by 1912.
New societies followed the opening of the school, the St. Aloysius Society for boys and the Angel’s Society
for girls, both were directed by Sister Auxilium.
Father Mahoney was seeing to the construction of the rectory and in the growth of the school he saw the
need to provide a convent for the larger teaching staff of Sisters that would soon be necessary. In those
early days, the Sisters lived at Saint Paul’s Convent in Harlem and commuted to the Heights every
day. On October 15, 1915 the Sisters moved into Incarnation’s first convent located on 515 West 173rd
Street.
Father Mahoney's Death
Shortly after the first Graduation Exercises of Incarnation School, on June 29, 1916, Father Mahoney
became ill with a kidney disorder and was confined to bed almost continually until his death on
Saturday, October 14, 1917 at the age of fifty-five years.
A Solemn Mass of Requiem was offered for the soul of Doctor Mahoney by the Reverend Joseph F.
Delaney, at that time pastor of St. Malachy’s Church on 49th Street. He was a classmate of Father
Mahoney at the North American College as well as his life long friend.
Thus ended the first chapter of Incarnation's history. It was a chapter dominated by the forceful
personality of an energetic priest.
Father Mahoney had risen to the challenges of the Parish's foundation. He built a fine school which
even today serves well considering it is one hundred years old.
He was a man of clear vision and strong mind. He built the present rectory. He established a choir that
set the high standard for liturgical music by engaging Edmund Hurley, K.S.G., as it's Director. It was
on this base that Father Daniel O' Sullivan later established the Incarnation Choir among the best in
the Archdiocese and indeed in the whole country. He left behind him, an active well equipped parish
and the first parochial school in Washington Heights.
(1908-1917) Reverend Patrick J. Mahoney, First Pastor of Incarnation
The readers of the September 5, 1908, edition of the Catholic News may easily have missed one of the
short notices in the section dealing with the news of the local parishes. There, between notices of annual
card-parties and the monthly meetings of various organizations, was a message of historical
importance for the story of Incarnation.
The article read:
There will be Masses at 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock, beginning Sunday, September 6, at 1253 St. Nicholas
Avenue, between 172 and 173 streets. The pastor of this new Parish is the Rev. P.J. Mahoney, D.D.
lately of St. John’s Church, Goshen, N.Y.
The following week in the same paper the reader could find another news item:
Reverend Dr. Mahoney has been assigned to establish a new parish in the upper end of Manhattan
between the parishes of St. Rose of Lima and St. Elizabeth. He will celebrate Masses at 9 and 10 every
Sunday at 1253 St. Nicholas Avenue.
After his return to the United States, his first assignment was at Holy Cross Church on West 42nd
Street where he served until 1893.He saw other parish work at St. Jerome’s in the Bronx, and at the
churches of St. Cecilia and St. Charles Borromeo in upper Manhattan. It was from St. Charles that he
was transferred in 1901 to assume the pastorate of St. John’s in Goshen, a post, which he held until
Archbishop Farley, asked him to establish the new parish of the Incarnation.
Father Mahoney
He was a man who could put his heart into any work entrusted to him. Monsignor Lavelle was later to
say of him, “He stretched his strength to the utmost, never sparing himself, but doing whatever he
could to advance the cause of his parish.”
Doctor Mahoney lost no time making plans for the future of his new parish. By November 1, 1908 he
had relocated his temporary chapel to a better site at 171st street and St. Nicholas Avenue. He
informed the archbishop “a contract has been signed for the purchase of eight lots at the corner of
175th street and St. Nicholas Avenue for $78,000, although the deed has not yet been traced.”
The first parish entertainment was held on November 26th 1908, and netted the parish a profit of
$338.85. The temporary rectory was located at 521 West 179th street. Already in 1908 there were
four parish societies. A senior and junior Holy Name Society, A children of Mary, a Sacred Heart
Society were formed, as well as two young people’s clubs, the Incarnation Lyceum for young men and
the Young Women’s Club.
When the parish was only three months old, a regular Sunday school program for Catholic children
was in progress conducted by a priest, two sister of Charity, and a number of lay teachers. This heavy
schedule was taken care of by two priests, the pastor and one young assistant, Father Walter D.
Slattery.
On February 11, 1909, Incarnation Parish was formally incorporated according to the Laws of the
State of New York.
With $1243.21 in cash on hand, Father Mahoney felt it was time to build. He had confidence in the
generosity of his people and in the support of the pastors of the more settled parishes in Manhattan. He
had his heart set on a school for the children, and in this second year of operation he wrote to the
archbishop:
According to Your Grace’s direction, we are also to build a school or part of a school. My judgment
inclines me to build all the school, because the neighborhood is being built up by leaps and bounds.
The School
Building the school became the focal point of all parish activity at this time. The laying of the school’s
cornerstone took on great significance as priests and people united in their determination to build the
first parochial school in Washington Heights.
Incarnation Parish was busy in this first full year of activity. The schedule was crowded with social
functions. There were five masses every Sunday: at 7:30,m 8:30 (the children’s Mass), 9:30, 10:30,
and 11:30. All of these were still celebrated in the temporary chapel at 171st Street and St. Nicholas
Avenue. A new assistant had been assigned to the parish at the beginning of this year to take some of
the burden of work from the pastor and Father Slattery. Father Alexander C. McCarthy was sent to
Incarnation just two years after his ordination.
In 1909, the pastor published a semi-annual collection list. From this listing an approximate
breakdown of the parish by nationalities would be: Irish-American 70%, German 20%, Italian 10%.
This year was to be a year of expansion in the area of parish societies. The Holy Name became more
active, as did the Altar Society, both of these societies supplied the collectors for the building fund
campaign. The Young Men’s and Young Women’s Clubs continued to provide recreational opportunities
for adolescents. This was also the year the Altar boys’ Society was formed as well as the parish choir.
Father Mahoney was not content to start the choir on a small scale.
The services of Mr. Edmund Hurley, K.S.G., organist of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, and director
of the Paulist Choir, were obtained for the training of Incarnation’s choir. ( Because of Fr. Mahoney's
decision, Fr. Sullivan, in later years,was able to start the Incarnation Choristers). At first only a boy’s
choir and a women’s choir were formed, but the pastor wrote confidently: “The parish desires a men’s
choir, and there is hope that it will have one some day”.
Father Mahoney’s confidence never weakened in those early years and his annual reports bear witness
to his enthusiasm. He had the good fortune as the chance of obtaining valuable stone from the old
Juvenile Asylum for his building program. He scheduled the laying of the cornerstone of the school on
October 17, 1909.
Archbishop Farley came to lay the cornerstone of the new school, which was to be the only parochial
school in Manhattan north of 153rd street. Despite the inclement weather, the ceremony must have
been impressive. The choir of the parish sang the “Come, Holy Ghost”; Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle,
V.G., preached a sermon on the role of the Church in education; and Mr. Lamont McLaughlin spoke on
behalf of the laity.
Father Mahoney received many gifts on that day. Since the auditorium of the new school was to serve
as his chapel, several of these presents were destined to add to the beauty of Incarnation’s first
substantial House of God. Father Henry Brann, the first pastor of Washington Heights, presented
Incarnation’s chapel with its sanctuary lamp.
The building of the school moved along steadily and the winter of 1909-1910 saw the auditorium
completed. How great a growth Father Mahoney expected, only a year previously his entire parish
numbered eight hundred souls! On February 6, 1910, the faithful assembled for the first time in the
new school auditorium to attend Mass. Mass in the new chapel was at seven o’clock that February
morning.
Incarnation School opened on September 12, 1910 with two Sisters of Charity from Mount Saint
Vincent. Sister M. Auxilium, Principal and second grade teacher and Sister Mercedes, first grade
teacher comprising its staff. One hundred and three children were enrolled in its first year of operation,
but this number was to almost double by 1912.
New societies followed the opening of the school, the St. Aloysius Society for boys and the Angel’s Society
for girls, both were directed by Sister Auxilium.
Father Mahoney was seeing to the construction of the rectory and in the growth of the school he saw the
need to provide a convent for the larger teaching staff of Sisters that would soon be necessary. In those
early days, the Sisters lived at Saint Paul’s Convent in Harlem and commuted to the Heights every
day. On October 15, 1915 the Sisters moved into Incarnation’s first convent located on 515 West 173rd
Street.
Father Mahoney's Death
Shortly after the first Graduation Exercises of Incarnation School, on June 29, 1916, Father Mahoney
became ill with a kidney disorder and was confined to bed almost continually until his death on
Saturday, October 14, 1917 at the age of fifty-five years.
A Solemn Mass of Requiem was offered for the soul of Doctor Mahoney by the Reverend Joseph F.
Delaney, at that time pastor of St. Malachy’s Church on 49th Street. He was a classmate of Father
Mahoney at the North American College as well as his life long friend.
Thus ended the first chapter of Incarnation's history. It was a chapter dominated by the forceful
personality of an energetic priest.
Father Mahoney had risen to the challenges of the Parish's foundation. He built a fine school which
even today serves well considering it is one hundred years old.
He was a man of clear vision and strong mind. He built the present rectory. He established a choir that
set the high standard for liturgical music by engaging Edmund Hurley, K.S.G., as it's Director. It was
on this base that Father Daniel O' Sullivan later established the Incarnation Choir among the best in
the Archdiocese and indeed in the whole country. He left behind him, an active well equipped parish
and the first parochial school in Washington Heights.
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Church of the Incarnation 1290 St. Nicholas Avenue New York, New York 10033 212-927-7474 |
Celebrating 100 years of Prayer and Service 1908-2008
| The Church of the Incarnation A Roman Catholic Church | New York City |
1253 St. Nicholas Avenue
Where the first Mass was celebrated
on September 6, 1908
Where the first Mass was celebrated
on September 6, 1908
The first congregation that assembled in the
new parish that Sunday one century ago
numbered about fifty people.
They met in a store, which the pastor had rented
for the occasion. But in less than ten years, during
Father Mahoney’s pastorate, their number had
increased to more than 3,000 and they possessed a
school and permanent chapel.
The story of the first years of Incarnation is the
story of this pastor, and of the new congregation
entrusted to his care.
Patrick J. Mahoney was born in Ireland, in County
Cork, in 1862, and came to America as a boy. He
was graduated from Manhattan College in 1885,
and there upon entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in
Troy, N.Y. to study for the diocesan priesthood.
After two years of philosophy he was sent to the
North American College in Rome, where he was
ordained on June 15, 1889.
new parish that Sunday one century ago
numbered about fifty people.
They met in a store, which the pastor had rented
for the occasion. But in less than ten years, during
Father Mahoney’s pastorate, their number had
increased to more than 3,000 and they possessed a
school and permanent chapel.
The story of the first years of Incarnation is the
story of this pastor, and of the new congregation
entrusted to his care.
Patrick J. Mahoney was born in Ireland, in County
Cork, in 1862, and came to America as a boy. He
was graduated from Manhattan College in 1885,
and there upon entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in
Troy, N.Y. to study for the diocesan priesthood.
After two years of philosophy he was sent to the
North American College in Rome, where he was
ordained on June 15, 1889.
Father Patrick J.
Mahoney, D.D.
Founder and First Pastor
of Incarnation Parish
"He was a man who
could put his heart
into any work
entrusted to him".
Mahoney, D.D.
Founder and First Pastor
of Incarnation Parish
"He was a man who
could put his heart
into any work
entrusted to him".
Father Mahoney
at the site now occupied by
Incarnation Church
at the site now occupied by
Incarnation Church
" Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil, it sprang up quickly,
because the soil was shallow..." Matthew 13
because the soil was shallow..." Matthew 13
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