About Our Lady of Grace · Fishers Island, New York
Our Lady of Grace is a small seasonal Catholic parish on Fishers Island, New York, serving the island's year-round and summer communities. Incorporated in 1915 and now part of the Diocese of Norwich, it sits on Alpine Avenue and is led by Father Mark D. O'Donnell as pastor. The parish is distinctive for its summer priest rotation: visiting Dominican Friars and other guest priests celebrate Mass on weekends from June through August, while in the off-season the parish is served by priests from the New London area. With a regular Vigil Mass on Saturdays year-round and an added Sunday Mass in summer, Our Lady of Grace provides worship, faith formation, and a parish council for one of America's most unique island communities.
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- Our Lady of Grace (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Grace)
- Rector
- Father Mark D. O'Donnell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich (Connecticut); previously under the Diocese of Brooklyn. The parish is yoked with Saint Joseph (New London), Saint Mary Star of the Sea (New London), and Saint Paul (Waterford).
Why belong here
Our Lady of Grace is the only Catholic parish on Fishers Island, making it the spiritual home of a close-knit year-round and summer community that includes multi-generational island families, military-connected parishioners descended from the Fort H.G. Wright era, and seasonal visitors. Worshippers value its warm Saturday Vigil Mass year-round, the addition of a Sunday Mass during the June–August season, and the rare opportunity to worship with visiting Dominican Friars each summer. Active faith formation and sacramental preparation (coordinated by Gina Scumaci), an engaged Parish Council, and the parish's welcome of new Catholics through the OCIA (formerly RCIA) program — most recently Hunter Kucsera at the Easter Vigil — make Our Lady of Grace a small but genuinely alive community of faith.
Mass times at Our Lady of Grace
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM (year-round)
- Sunday 9:30 AM (July & August)
Welcome to Our Lady of Grace
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church was incorporated in 1915 to serve the congregation of Fishers Island, New York, and continues today to give witness to the goodness of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The parish warmly welcomes all who worship with them and announces ongoing community milestones such as new Catholics received at the Easter Vigil — most recently Hunter Kucsera, who completed the OCIA program and was welcomed into the Church at Easter. The parish's home page is the front door for Mass schedules, the current priest rotation, and the parish's contact and location information.
History of Our Lady of Grace
Catholic life on Fishers Island stretches back to a long gap: the first recorded Catholic Mass since the Revolutionary War era was offered by Father Daniel Sheehy of St. Ambrose, Brooklyn, in July 1893 at the old schoolhouse (now the Fishers Island Library). Father John A. Ferry, who arrived in 1898, drove the decade-long campaign to build a permanent church. Bishop Charles E. McDonnell of Brooklyn laid the cornerstone on September 11, 1902, for a building originally called "Church of the Star of the Sea." Construction began in October 1904 and the finished church — renamed Our Lady of Grace to avoid duplication with New London's Star of the Sea — was dedicated by Bishop McDonnell on July 30, 1905.
Key Historical Milestones
The parish has marked several important dates in its growth. Father Joseph McLaughlin was chosen as the first year-round pastor in 1911, with a congregation of about 450 (largely Fort H.G. Wright soldiers) swelling to roughly 1,000 in summer. The adjacent rectory was constructed beginning in May 1912. The parish was formally incorporated in 1915. The church basement (now a rummage area) was added in 1950; in 1957 a new altar was dedicated through the Altar & Rosary Association, and a bronze tabernacle was donated by Trustee A. John Gada and his family; additional statues and a new parking area were donated to the parish in 1958. More recently, an ADA-compliant ramp has been installed for parishioners.
- 1893 — First recorded Catholic Mass on Fishers Island (Father Daniel Sheehy)
- 1898 — Father John A. Ferry arrives as visiting priest
- 1899–1903 — Father Ferry serves as first resident priest
- 1902 (Sept 11) — Cornerstone laid by Bishop Charles E. McDonnell, Brooklyn
- 1904 (Oct) — Construction begins
- 1905 (July 30) — Church dedicated and renamed Our Lady of Grace
- 1911 — Father Joseph McLaughlin becomes first year-round pastor
- 1913 — OLOG Rectory constructed
- 1915 — Parish formally incorporated
- 1950 — Church basement added
- 1957 — New altar dedicated; bronze tabernacle donated by A. John Gada
- 1958 — Additional statues and parking area donated
- Recent — ADA-compliant ramp installed
Visiting Clergy & Summer Schedule
Because Fishers Island's Catholic population shifts dramatically with the summer season, Our Lady of Grace relies on a rotating roster of visiting priests during June, July, and August. The parish is blessed by the regular presence of Dominican Friars, with weekend and week-long assignments filled by Fathers Thomas More, Kevin Gillen, Nate Sanders, Gabriel Torretta, Wiebley, and Zajac, among others. In the off-season, the parish is served by priests from the New London area who travel weekly to celebrate Mass and special services on Holy Days.
- Summer weekend rotation includes Dominican Friars and guest priests
- Off-season: priests from New London serve the parish weekly
- Weekly assignments posted on the parish website throughout the summer
Parish Staff & Parish Council
Our Lady of Grace is shepherded by Pastor Father Mark D. O'Donnell, with Parochial Vicars Father Anthony DiMarco and Father Eric Hosmer assisting in the yoked grouping of parishes. The Parish Council is a working lay board of ten members plus the pastor, and it coordinates the practical and pastoral life of the parish.
- Father Mark D. O'Donnell — Pastor
- Father Anthony DiMarco — Parochial Vicar
- Father Eric Hosmer — Parochial Vicar
- Ann Banks — Parish Council
- Elby Burr — Parish Council
- Carol Doherty — Parish Council
- Tom Doherty — Parish Council
- Patty Falkner — Parish Council
- Stephanie Hall — Parish Council
- Robert Hoey — Parish Council
- Ted Rogers — Parish Council
- Jim Rutherford — Parish Council
- Gina Scumaci — Parish Council and Faith Formation / Sacramental Preparation contact
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation at Our Lady of Grace is coordinated by Gina Scumaci. The parish runs the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) program for adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church, and regularly welcomes new Catholics at the Easter Vigil — as in the most recent year when Hunter Kucsera completed OCIA and was received into the Church. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, Marriage (one year of preparation required), Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation is available by contacting the parish office at (860) 443-5393.
- OCIA / RCIA program for adults
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation (one year in advance)
- Anointing of the Sick / Sick Calls
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday and Sunday in summer
Yoked Parishes in the Diocese of Norwich
Our Lady of Grace belongs to the New London Deanery of the Diocese of Norwich and is officially yoked with three other Norwich-diocese parishes under Pastor Father Mark D. O'Donnell. This regional cooperation ensures that a single pastoral team can serve multiple congregations across the New London / southeastern Connecticut / Fishers Island area, which is essential for a small island parish with a seasonal population.
- Saint Joseph — New London, CT
- Saint Mary Star of the Sea — New London, CT
- Saint Paul — Waterford, CT
- Our Lady of Grace — Fishers Island, NY
Contact & Visiting the Parish
The parish office can be reached by phone at (860) 443-5393, and the church stands on Alpine Avenue in Fishers Island, NY 06390. Visitors traveling to Fishers Island typically arrive by ferry from New London, Connecticut. The parish recently installed an ADA-compliant ramp for accessibility, and on-site parking is available thanks in part to a 1958-donated parking area. The parish welcomes all to worship and is pleased to be a spiritual home for both year-round islanders and the broader summer community.
- Phone: (860) 443-5393
- Address: Alpine Avenue, Fishers Island, NY 06390
- Website: ourladyofgracefi.org
- Accessibility: ADA-compliant ramp installed
- Access: ferry from New London, CT; on-site parking
Parish History Acknowledgements
The parish itself notes that its historical timeline was graciously provided by James Wall, with photo credits from Jane Ahrens and Gina Scumaci. Additional rich background on the early Catholic history of Fishers Island — drawing on period newspaper accounts from the Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Citizen, Catholic Union and Times, Times Union, and The Standard Union — was published by the Henry L. Ferguson Museum in June 2025.
- Historical timeline — James Wall
- Photo credits — Jane Ahrens & Gina Scumaci
- Additional early-history research — Henry L. Ferguson Museum (2025)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Daniel Sheehy1893
Celebrated the first recorded Catholic Mass on Fishers Island in July 1893 at the old schoolhouse (now Fishers Island Library), of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Brooklyn.
- Father John A. Ferry1898–1903
Visiting priest from 1898; drove the fundraising campaign for a permanent Catholic church; served as first resident priest 1899–1903; later commissioned as an Army Chaplain. Oversaw laying of cornerstone (1902), construction (1904–05), and dedication (July 30, 1905).
- Father Joseph McLaughlinfrom 1911
Chosen as the first year-round Pastor; congregation of about 450 (largely Fort H.G. Wright soldiers), with summer attendance swelling to ~1,000.
- Father Mark D. O'Donnellpresent
Current Pastor and canonical pastor for the yoked grouping that includes Saint Joseph, New London; Saint Mary Star of the Sea, New London; and Saint Paul, Waterford.