Saint Lawrence O'Toole

About the Parish

Saint Lawrence O'Toole is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of New York, located at 31 Prospect Street in the Village of Brewster, Putnam County, New York. It was founded in 1872 to serve the Catholic families — many of them Irish and German immigrants — of the rural towns of Southeast and Patterson, and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2021. The parish is now partnered with Sacred Heart in Patterson (414 Haviland Drive) under a single pastor, making it a bilingual English/Spanish community serving both the Village of Brewster and northern Putnam County. Its vision statement calls it to "create a parish of missionary disciples whose personal relationship with Jesus Christ inspires others into a life-changing personal relationship with Him."

History of Saint Lawrence O'Toole, Brewster

The parish was founded in 1872 after Catholics in the Brewster area — who had been gathering for Mass in private homes (John Bird and George Wesner in Brewster, and in Patterson) — petitioned the Archdiocese of New York. The first Mass was held in the Mellen Hose Company firehouse on Main Street, Brewster, soon followed by construction of a frame church on the present Prospect Street site. Over more than a century and a half, the parish has built up a brick church whose stonework, stained glass and statuary form a kind of visual catechism depicting the Catholic faith and the patron, St. Lawrence O'Toole. In 2015 Father Richard Gill was installed as pastor and led major renovations, including a state-of-the-art parish center; the milestone 150th Anniversary was marked with a 2021 Gala at the Amber Room in Danbury, CT, and a January 2022 Anniversary Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

• 1872 — Parish established; first Mass in Mellen Hose firehouse, Main Street, Brewster
• Frame church built on Prospect Street soon after founding
• 20th century — brick church built and expanded; stained-glass and statuary program
• 2015 — Father Richard Gill installed as pastor
• Parish Center renovations and addition blessed by Cardinal Dolan
• 2021 — 150th Anniversary Gala (Amber Room, Danbury, CT)
• 14 January 2022 — 150th Anniversary Mass with Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Faith Formation and Religious Education

Religious education is built around families rather than weekly classroom drop-off. Children in grades 1–5 join their families for weekend Mass and then move to age-appropriate classrooms after the Gloria; older students (grades 3–5) gather weekly on Zoom, and grades 6–8 are served by the EDGE youth ministry. EDGE includes monthly XLT nights with Adoration, music and Confession, as well as retreats, service projects, and a parent night on the Confirmation journey. Two sacramental retreats per year are required for Grade 2 and sacramental-prep catch-up students. Adult formation is run through Lynda Holler, Director of Discipleship.

• Family Program (Grades 1–5)
• EDGE Middle School Ministry (Grades 6–8)
• Life Teen High School Ministry
• Adult Sacramental Preparation (RCIA; contact Irene Westin)
• Adult Faith Formation Center (in repurposed former school wing)
• Bereavement Ministry using GriefShare (Pura Melendez 914-672-5186)

Pastoral Staff and Clergy

Father Richard Gill has been pastor since 2015. He was ordained by Pope St. John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica on 3 January 1991 after studies at St. John's University, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and the Regina Apostolorum in Rome. He previously directed retreats at Our Lady of Bethesda in Maryland and Our Lady of Mt. Kisco, and was the founding president of the Institute for Psychological Sciences (now Divine Mercy University). He is assisted by Weekend Associates Rev. Thomas Berg and (per the parish directory) Rev. Frank Meccia, deacons Mark Shkreli, John Baffa, and Greg Miller, and a broad lay staff.

• Rev. Richard Gill — Pastor (since 2015)
• Rev. Thomas Berg — Weekend Associate
• Rev. Frank Meccia — Weekend Associate
• Deacon Mark Shkreli
• Deacon John Baffa
• Deacon Greg Miller
• Julie Noce — Pastoral Assistant (Senior Leadership)
• Maureen Herbstritt — Business Manager
• Lynda Holler — Director of Discipleship
• Sally Silvestro / Sally Galgan — Director of Communication
• Theresa Scorca — Coordinator of Religious Education
• Kim Santerre — Coordinator of the Family Program
• Karen DiTaranto — Database Administrator
• Denise Bassett — Director of Family Program
• Brittany Gauriloff — Director of Youth Ministry
• Gabriela Ramírez — Sacred Heart Director of Music
• Robin Liguori, Vinny LaRusso, Wilda Rivadeneria, Joe Massimo, Tom Healy — additional staff
• Eileen Stokes — Cemetery Administrator
• Barbara Blank — Principal, Early Childhood Center

Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC)

The Saint Lawrence O'Toole Early Childhood Learning Center is a child-centered, value-oriented, co-educational Catholic preschool serving children ages three and four on the parish campus. It aims for academic excellence in a Catholic environment of religious and moral formation, focusing on responsibility, respect for authority, consideration for the rights of others, and self-discipline. Children learn prayers, songs, and appreciation for God's gifts, with religion built around the Pre-K 3 book 'God Made Me' and the celebration of the Church year.

• Pre-K 3 program (3 hours daily, 9:30 am–12:30 pm)
• Pre-K 4 program
• Director: Barbara Blank (Principal)
• Religious and moral formation integrated with academics

Sacred Heart Parish (Patterson) Partnership

Saint Lawrence O'Toole is partnered with Sacred Heart Parish in Patterson, NY, under one pastor. Sacred Heart is located at 414 Haviland Drive and can be reached at 845-279-4832. The two parishes share pastoral staff, religious-education resources, and the Alpha evangelization program.

• Sacred Heart — 414 Haviland Drive, Patterson, NY 12563
• Phone: 845-279-4832 / Fax: 845-278-0432
• Saturday Vigil: 4:00 pm
• Sunday: 10:30 am
• Saturday Confession: 3:30–4:00 pm
• Coordinator of Religious Education: Meg Cairney