About Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Basilica · Southampton, New York
The Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and parish church located in the village of Southampton, on Long Island's South Fork in New York. Built in 1908 in the Gothic Revival style and clad in white marble, it is one of Southampton's most photographed landmarks and serves an active parish of more than 1,500 registered families in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The church was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, recognizing its architectural beauty, its historic interior of Innsbruck stained glass and French furnishings, and its long pastoral service to the seasonal Catholic community of the Hamptons.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Vetrano
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockville Centre
Why belong here
The Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is the spiritual heart of Catholic life on Southampton's South Fork, offering five weekend Masses (including a 12:30 p.m. Sunday Mass in Spanish) and three weekday Masses for both year-round parishioners and the international seasonal community of the Hamptons. Members find a rich liturgical life featuring the Basilica Choir, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, a Spanish-language ministry, a religious education and family-formation program directed by Deborah O'Shaughnessy, and one of Long Island's most beautiful Gothic Revival churches in which to worship, marry, and raise a family. The parish's ongoing In Nomine Domini preservation campaign is a tangible invitation to take part in safeguarding a 1908 landmark that is treasured well beyond Southampton itself.
Mass times at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Basilica
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM (and by appointment)
Adoration times
- Friday — Eucharistic Adoration immediately following the 9:00 AM Mass until 12:00 PM (noon)
About the Basilica Parish
The Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is the Catholic parish serving the village of Southampton and the surrounding South Fork hamlets. Worship takes place in a 1908 Gothic Revival church sheathed in white marble and crowned with the title of minor basilica. The parish's identity is rooted in the unusual origin story of its founding — Irish Catholic servants who would not travel east for the summer without a church — and in the architectural treasures (Innsbruck stained glass, French pulpit, Irish shamrock stonework) that the original benefactors set in place.
History of the Basilica
Construction began in 1907 and the first Mass was celebrated in 1908. The church was paid for largely by Southampton's Protestant summer elite so that their Irish household staff could attend Sunday Mass on Long Island. Materials included discarded granite from the New York Public Library and an exterior of white marble. In 2011 Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica, and in the 2010s the parish launched a major preservation campaign with the relaunch of the In Nomine Domini ('In the Name of the Lord') fund originally created by Monsignor Edmond J. Trench in the mid-1990s.
- 1907 — construction begins
- 1908 — first Mass; building completed at a cost of ~$100,000
- Mid-1990s — Monsignor Edmond J. Trench launches the In Nomine Domini preservation fund
- Nov. 11 / 30, 2011 — Pope Benedict XVI elevates the church to a minor basilica
- 2010s — Pastor Fr. Michael Vetrano relaunches In Nomine Domini with a $1 million goal (HVAC, pews, bells, LED lighting, restrooms)
Parish Team
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by a small team of lay staff and liturgical coordinators. Each member has a clearly defined area of responsibility — from sacramental scheduling and religious education to music, liturgy, office management and facilities — making the parish office an integrated hub of ministry.
- Fr. Mike Vetrano — Pastor (sacraments, appointments)
- Deborah O'Shaughnessy — Director of Religious Education and Family Programming
- Dominick Abbate — Director of Music (choirs, event music)
- Gina Arresta — Liturgical Leader (lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers; 8th-grade Confirmation catechist)
- Carol Corker — Parish Office
- Bill Kunzer — Plant & Facilities Manager
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at the basilica spans cradle-to-Catholic family programming and sacramental preparation. The Director of Religious Education and Family Programming coordinates religious education classes, sacramental preparation (including First Communion and Confirmation in 8th grade), and supports families raising children in the Catholic faith.
- Religious Education / Family Formation — contact dre@shjmbasilica.org
- Sacramental preparation — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- Confirmation preparation (8th grade) led in part by Gina Arresta as catechist
- Inquiries handled through the parish office (631-283-0097)
Music & Liturgy
Music is central to the celebration of the basilica's liturgies, especially the Sunday 11:00 AM Solemn Mass with the Basilica Choir. The Director of Music coordinates all music for Masses and parish events and welcomes new choir members.
- Director of Music — Dominick Abbate (dominick.j.abbate@gmail.com)
- Basilica Choir — sings the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass and special services
- Sunday 9:30 AM Family Mass — more accessible liturgical music style
- Spanish-language repertoire for the 12:30 PM Sunday Mass
In Nomine Domini — Preservation Campaign
The basilica's ongoing 'In Nomine Domini' (In the Name of the Lord) fund, first established in the mid-1990s by Monsignor Edmond J. Trench, is dedicated to preserving, restoring and improving the historic 1908 structure. Donor contributions are restricted to the renovation project and may not be used for ordinary parish operations. The current pastor, Father Michael Vetrano, relaunched the campaign with an approximately $1 million target for HVAC, pew restoration, carpeting, the four cast bells (originally minted in Troy, NY), LED lighting retrofits and the addition of long-needed indoor restrooms.
- Established by Msgr. Edmond J. Trench, mid-1990s
- Relaunched by Fr. Michael Vetrano with $1 million target
- Reported holdings at relaunch: ~$150,000 set aside + ~$525,000 raised; ~$325,000 remaining
- Works planned: new HVAC, original pew restoration, recarpeting, bell tower restoration, LED lighting, new bathrooms
- Funds restricted to restoration/renovation only
Architecture, Art & Furnishings
The basilica's Gothic Revival architecture is matched by an interior full of imported devotional art. Most of the parish's treasures were deliberately commissioned by its turn-of-the-20th-century founders to honor the Irish servants for whom the church was built.
- Gothic Revival style; white marble exterior
- Granite salvaged from the New York Public Library construction
- Stained-glass windows by the Tyrolean studio, Innsbruck, Austria
- Mosaic Stations of the Cross also from Innsbruck
- Marble pulpit from France, said to be ~400 years old
- Shamrock motifs in stone arches honoring Irish servants
- Four cast bronze bells, originally minted in Troy, NY
Visiting the Basilica
Beyond Sunday and weekday Masses, the basilica is regularly featured in Southampton heritage events and tourism walks. Wedding and special-event inquiries — which increased significantly after the 2011 elevation — are coordinated through the parish office.
- Address: 168 Hill Street, Southampton, NY 11968
- Phone: (631) 283-0097
- Email: parishoffice@shjmbasilica.org
- Walk-through tours organized periodically with community partners
- Weddings, concerts and special events hosted year-round
Contact the Parish
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone during business hours, by email, or through individual staff addresses for specific ministries.
- Phone: 631-283-0097
- General email: parishoffice@shjmbasilica.org
- Pastor: pastor@shjmbasilica.org
- Religious Education: dre@shjmbasilica.org
- Music Director: dominick.j.abbate@gmail.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Edmond J. Trenchmid-1990s
Launched the 'In Nomine Domini' (In the Name of the Lord) preservation fund and oversaw a major structural renovation of the stone-and-marble church in the mid-1990s.
- Rev. Michael Vetrano2010s–present
Current pastor. Relaunched the In Nomine Domini capital campaign with a ~$1 million goal for HVAC, pew restoration, lighting, bells and restroom additions. Was serving as pastor when the basilica received numerous weddings and special-occasion requests after the 2011 basilica elevation.
