Shrine of Our Lady of the Island

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Island traces its origins to 1953, when Crescenzo and Angelina Vigliotta, Sr. donated 70 acres of land in Eastport, Long Island, to the Missionaries of the Company of Mary (the Montfort Fathers) after being moved by the preaching of the community and making an act of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary in the Montfortian tradition. In 1957, Mr. and Mrs. John Harrison of East Moriches gave the additional gift of 'The Rock' itself and the surrounding acreage overlooking Moriches Bay — the natural prominence that would become the focal point of the entire Shrine. The vision for the Shrine was articulated by two Montfort priests, Fr. Roger Mary Charest, SMM, and Fr. Francis Tomai, SMM, who sought to establish a center on Eastern Long Island dedicated to Our Lady as Queen of All Hearts, where the faithful could find formation in the spirituality of St. Louis Marie de Montfort and enter into the Total Consecration of themselves to Our Lord through Our Blessed Lady. Development of the property continued over the following two decades. In 1975, the centerpiece of the Shrine — an 18-foot statue of the Madonna and Child, designed by sculptor Rafael Desoto of Patchogue and gifted by the Vigliotta family — was placed on the Rock. In 1976, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel was constructed, and on October 2, 1976, the Shrine was formally dedicated to Our Lady of the Island. In 1985, a large replica of the Pietà was set on a knoll to greet arriving visitors. Over the years the grounds were further developed with an Avenue of Saints, an outdoor Rosary Walk winding through the Pine Barrens woodlands, an outdoor Stations of the Cross, the Holy Stairs (a massive concrete staircase leading to a likeness of Jesus on the Cross), and a man-made cavern depicting the empty tomb with the inscription 'You are looking for Jesus... He is not here. He has risen.' A Gift Shop, Coffee/Snack Bar, and reception hall were added to serve the steady flow of pilgrims and group visits. In the more than seventy years since Fr. Charest and Fr. Tomai first proposed the Shrine, the spirit of 'generous availability and surrender to Our Lady' has continued to animate the Montfortian priests, employees, volunteers, and benefactors who have built and maintained the property. Today the Shrine operates as a pilgrimage destination and resource for the renewal of Catholic life in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, offering daily Mass, perpetual-style Eucharistic Adoration days, retreats, catechist formation, parish missions, and youth and young-adult programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when other houses of worship were closed, the Shrine became an important open-air refuge for the local Catholic community, broadcasting its 11:30 AM Mass via its Facebook page.