The Early Years

As is the case with any new parish, the early years were marked with many "first events." On April 1, 1928 Evelyn Alvina Hall converted to Catholicism and was the first person to be baptized in the new parish. The first child baptized was Joseph Dunne, the son of Edward and Anna Dunne.

First Holy Communion was administered to eight girls and two boys by Fr. Debold, our first pastor, on May 27, 1928. On September 15, 1928, Howard Pennell married Victoria Avignon who were the first to marry in the parish. Eugene and Marie Babiak were the first to be married at a Nuptial Mass on July 18, 1933. On June 11, 1933, Bishop Molloy confirmed the first class of 130, 61 of whom were adults.

The second pastor, Fr. Charles Garvey, started to plan the rectory in 1937. The rectory was completed by Fr. Herman Valkenburg in 1940. The $70,000 mortgage was paid off in 1948. An associate, Fr. William Hanlon was first assigned to the parish in 1944 when the area had grown so much that there were now 4 Sunday Masses.

Fr. Dermod Flinn became the sixth pastor in June, 1949. The parish originally was large geographically but relatively small in numbers. During the post W.W.II years, the number of Seaford residents, and thus parishioners, grew at a rapid rate. Christmas eve in 1926, St. William's had 150 people attend, in 1945 there were 3500, and in 1952 there were 8500. Fr. Flinn completed the interior decoration of the church and had a beautiful sanctuary put in, completing the work on the church building. The church remained as is until the early 1980's when a fire in the sacristy forced some reconstruction of the old country church.

With the parish growing at such a rate, Fr. Flinn realized more would be needed. Just as the early parishioners realized the need for a church, so too these succeeding parishioners realized expansion was inevitable. Fr. Flinn purchased property across from, adjacent to, and behind the church. A convent and a school would be needed in this young and growing parish. Even a ball field that was shared by Seaford little league was installed behind the church .

Images of other priests from this era:

Fr. Patrick Bulger
Fr. Theodore King
Msgr. John Wynn

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