St. Agnes Cathedral
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St. Agnes Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Rockville Centre, New York, on Long Island. It is the cathedral for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The bishop who presides there is Bishop Murphy.
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[edit] History
The Parish of St. Agnes was founded in 1887, when the first mass was celebrated at Walter Johnson's Blacksmith shop with an anvil as the Altar. By 1890, the blacksmith shop could no longer accommodate the parishioners so a group of parishioners rented Gildersleeve's Hall in the Institute Building. In 1905, a white marble stone church was built. In 1935 the current building was completed and in 1957, Pope Pius XII assigned the Diocese of Rockville Centre to the Cathedral and appointed Most Rev. Walter P. Kellenberg to be its Bishop. 1981 saw a major facelift for the aging building and while the Cathedral was being renovated, mass was celebrated in the Church of the Episcopal Ascension built temporarily to serve the parish. In 1986, Mother Theresa visited the Cathedral and spoke at a prayer service. In 2007, the Cathedral will participate in a year-long celebration for the 50th Anniversary of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. St. Agnes also has a Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, Cathedral Junior & Senior Girls Choirs and the Cathedral Chorale. The choirs are under the direction of Michael L. Bower and Michael Wustrow. St. Agnes also has a parish school, under the guidance of Sr. Kathy V. Carlin O.P. and Miss Helen Newman.
[edit] 2001 organ installation and Parish Center
For 66 years, St. Agnes Cathedral did not have a pipe organ. In 2001, The Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois, installed the organ. Also, in 2004, the St Agnes Parish Center celebrated its grand opening. It has served for parish activities ever since.
[edit] Recent parish activity
In May 2007, Msgr. Robert Guglielmone was named the new Rector, replacing Msgr. James Kelly. He was formally installed on September 23, 2007
