History of the
Blessed Sacrament Parish
in New Rochelle

As the oldest Catholic Parish in New Rochelle, the history of Blessed Sacrament Church is obviously one of perseverance and inspiration. It is the story of many dedicated clergy and parishioners who labored long and hard to bring forth this parish. They nurtured it and made it grow into the vital religious center that it is today. And so, as we proudly reflect on the people and events that have brought us to our 150th Anniversary, we give thanks to God for all the many blessings He has bestowed upon us and look to His grace to sustain us in the future.

Part One: 1836-1913

The end of the American Revolution brought about a marked improvement in the lot of Catholics in America, chiefly because George Washington, in 1786, revoked the old Colonial laws, and opened up to all the right to full freedom of worship.

Once these restrictions were lifted, Catholic influence and growth in the Huguenot town of New Rochelle could finally begin to flourish. The subsequent growth in the number of Catholic families in the area made the need for the ministrations of a priest essential. George Govers, acting in concert with his band of Irish Catholics, drafted an appeal to Bishop Dubois, who assigned Father James Cummiskey of St. Joseph's Church in New York to ride out from the city once a month to minister to the Catholics in the area. Govers and his family had relocated to New Rochelle from New York in 1836, and their home on Huguenot Street became the headquarters for Father Cummiskey and other missionary priests who would follow. A room in the home was set aside for marriages, baptisms, confessions, and the saying of Mass. Later, as the congregation continued to grow, Govers built a new and bigger house on Church Street to accommodate the increasing numbers. In time, other priests took over the mission circuit, including the man who became regarded as the prime mover in founding the Church in New Rochelle, Father Matthew Higgins.

The first challenge Father Higgins faced was the need for a bonafide church. He appealed to the bishop and met encouragement, but no funds were available. The bishop himself purchased the land, at the center of the largest Irish Catholic section in town, Drake's Lane. But for some time after the purchase of the land, nothing could be done in the way of construction. The property lay idle for three years, while the need for a church grew more pressing. The struggle broke the health of young Father Higgins, who was ordained for only two years. Fathers Eugene Maguire and Valentine Burgos were assigned to assist Father Higgins in his duties. But their combined efforts were barely adequate to meet the ministerial needs of the burgeoning Catholic population during the roaring years of the railroad boom, which lasted from 1846 to 1854.