About St. Edmund [Blessed Trinity Parish] · Breezy Point, New York
Blessed Trinity Parish is a Roman Catholic community serving the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, New York, formed in May 2008 by the merger of St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish and St. Genevieve Parish. It is one parish operating across three historic church buildings — St. Thomas More in Rockaway Point, St. Edmund in Breezy Point, and St. Genevieve in Roxbury — all within the Diocese of Brooklyn. The parish is pastored by Rev. Michael L. Gelfant, with parish offices housed at St. Thomas More Church on Rockaway Point Boulevard.
- Established
- 2008
- Patron
- Blessed Trinity (the merged parish's titular patron is the Most Holy Trinity; the parish also stewards St. Edmund, St. Thomas More, and St. Genevieve as its three church patrons)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael L. Gelfant
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brooklyn
Why belong here
Blessed Trinity is a tight-knit peninsula parish where three historic churches — St. Thomas More, St. Edmund, and St. Genevieve — serve one Catholic community across Rockaway Point and Breezy Point. Parishioners can choose from daily Mass at multiple sites, a full religious-education program for children, an active youth ministry, the long-running Blessed Trinity (BT) Sports youth athletics program, music ministry, a parish pastoral council, and senior-adult and community-at-large fellowship groups. Rooted in a coastland community that has rebuilt itself after Hurricane Sandy and again after the 2025 Holy Saturday fire at St. Edmund, the parish offers a place where families, retirees, and visitors can worship, form their children in the faith, and serve their neighbors together.
Mass times at St. Edmund [Blessed Trinity Parish]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 4:00 PM at St. Thomas More Church
- At any other time by request through the rectory
History of Blessed Trinity Parish
Blessed Trinity Parish traces its roots to 1924, when the pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church built two little mission chapels on the Rockaway Point sandbar — St. Genevieve in Roxbury and St. Edmund in Rockaway Point. As the Marine Bridge opened in 1938 and crowds swelled, St. Edmund was raised to parish status in 1937 and the much larger St. Thomas More Church was completed and dedicated on July 18, 1954. In May 2008, after two years of preparation, the Diocese of Brooklyn merged St. Thomas More–St. Edmund and St. Genevieve into a single parish, with Bishop Frank Caggiano installing Msgr. Michael Curran as its first pastor at St. Thomas More Church. The parish's history page (updated May 20, 2020) preserves the full succession of pastors and parochial vicars, as well as the names of deacons who have served the community.
- 1924 – St. Genevieve mission founded (mission of St. Francis de Sales, 1924–1950)
- 1937 – St. Edmund Church established as a parish; first pastor Fr. Edward O'Reilly
- 1953–1954 – Construction of the larger church; dedicated as St. Thomas More by Bishop Raymond Kearney on July 18, 1954
- 1957 – St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish formed
- May 18, 2008 – St. Thomas More–St. Edmund and St. Genevieve merged into Blessed Trinity Parish; Msgr. Michael Curran installed as first pastor
- 2020 – Fr. Michael L. Gelfant becomes the third pastor
Parish Clergy and Staff
Blessed Trinity is led by Rev. Michael L. Gelfant, pastor since 2020. Rev. Msgr. Ronald A. Newland, P.A., a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, assists on weekends, and Rev. Michael Falce serves as parochial vicar for St. Edmund Church. A small staff runs religious education, youth ministry, music, finance, and operations.
- Rev. Michael L. Gelfant — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Msgr. Ronald A. Newland, P.A. — Weekend Assistant
- Rev. Michael Falce — Parochial Vicar (at St. Edmund)
- Mrs. Julie Ratka — Executive Assistant to Fr. Gelfant / Parish Operations ([email protected])
- Mrs. Maureen McVeigh — Financial Secretary / Director of Development ([email protected])
- Ms. Carol Verdi, LCSW — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Mrs. Brianne Ratka-Coyle — Youth Minister ([email protected])
- Mr. Richard Louis-Pierre — Music Ministry ([email protected])
- Anthony Burti — Trustee
- Patrick Regan — Trustee
Our Three Churches
Blessed Trinity Parish is unusual in operating three historic church buildings within a single pastoral community. All three are on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, NY.
- St. Thomas More Church — 204-25 Rockaway Point Boulevard, Rockaway Point, NY 11697; main church and parish offices; phone (718) 634-6357
- St. Edmund Church — Breezy Point, NY; rebuilt and rededicated in 2026 after the 2025 Holy Saturday fire
- St. Genevieve Church — 6 Beach 178th Street, Roxbury/Rockaway Point, NY 11697; phone (718) 634-7276
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Blessed Trinity's Religious Education School is directed by Ms. Carol Verdi, LCSW. The program has roots going back decades — Sr. Joseph Amata served as Director of Religious Education for twenty-five years before retiring in June 2008, when Betsy Heinlein took over. Children of the parish are formed in the faith for the sacraments and beyond.
- Director: Ms. Carol Verdi, LCSW ([email protected])
- Sacramental preparation for children
- Long-serving staff: Sr. Joseph Amata (retired 2008, 25 years of service); Betsy Heinlein (from 2008)
Youth Ministry
Blessed Trinity's youth ministry, under Mrs. Brianne Ratka-Coyle, works closely with the parish's signature youth athletics program, Blessed Trinity Sports, to foster Christian leadership, faith formation, and service among the peninsula's young people. The parish pastoral council includes dedicated youth and sports representatives.
- Youth Minister: Mrs. Brianne Ratka-Coyle ([email protected])
- Integration with Blessed Trinity Sports (BT Sports)
- Pastoral Council youth representatives
Blessed Trinity Sports (BT Sports)
Operated by Blessed Trinity R.C. Church, BT Sports is a long-running youth athletics program that 'encourages our young men and women toward Christian leadership, growth in social awareness, and development of sound Christian values.' The program opens each year with a Pep Rally tradition and has been described by parishioners as the leading youth sports program in the diocese.
- Website: btsportsny.org
- Core principles: fairness, compassion, truth, cooperation, sportsmanship, self-control, dignity of person
- Season-opening Pep Rally
- Faith-based recreational athletics for parish youth
Music Ministry
Music for liturgy across the parish's three churches is directed by Mr. Richard Louis-Pierre. The ministry supports sung worship at weekend and holy-day Masses at St. Thomas More, St. Edmund, and St. Genevieve.
- Director: Mr. Richard Louis-Pierre ([email protected])
Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council is the consultative body that advises the pastor and represents the pastoral needs of parishioners. Members are drawn from across the three worship sites and the broader peninsula community.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Michael L. Gelfant
- Members include Ellen Burti, Angela Di Lalla, Theresa Flanigan, Nancy Cameron, Marie Rella, Tracy Whalen
- Areas represented: Religious Education, Liturgy/Music/Environment, Youth Ministry, Senior Adults, Sports, School Academy, Community-At-Large
Mass Intentions & Sacraments
Parishioners may request Mass Intentions for the living or deceased; the request is submitted through the parish office for a specific date. Confessions are heard every Saturday at 4:00 PM at St. Thomas More Church and at other times by request. Baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick, and other sacramental needs are arranged through the rectory at (718) 634-6357 or [email protected].
- Mass Intentions — call the parish office to request a specific date
- Confession — Saturdays 4:00 PM at St. Thomas More, or by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — through the parish office
St. Edmund Fire & Rebuilding (2025–2026)
On Holy Saturday, April 19, 2025, an electrical fire in the back of St. Edmund Church in Breezy Point caused extensive damage, gutting the interior just hours before Easter. More than 100 firefighters from the FDNY and local volunteer departments responded and are credited with saving the structure. Parishioners and the wider diocese rallied around the parish, including at the Easter Sunday Mass concelebrated by Fr. Gelfant and Fr. Falce. Thirteen months later, on May 30, 2026, Bishop Robert Brennan presided at the Mass of Rededication, which included the Litany of Saints, prayer of dedication, anointing of the altar and walls with Sacred Chrism, incensing, and the lighting of the altar candles.
- April 19, 2025 — Three-alarm electrical fire on Holy Saturday; 100+ firefighters save the building
- Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025 — Fr. Gelfant and Fr. Falce concelebrate Mass amid the damage
- May 30, 2026 — Bishop Robert Brennan rededicates rebuilt St. Edmund the Martyr Church
Contact & Visit
The parish offices are at St. Thomas More Church, 204-25 Rockaway Point Boulevard, Rockaway Point (Breezy Point), NY 11697. Office hours and pastoral questions are handled Monday through Friday; the parish can be reached by phone, email, or through its Facebook page.
- Phone: (718) 634-6357
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: btparish.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/btparishny
- Clergy email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Edward O'Reilly1937 (six months)
First pastor of St. Edmund Parish; died suddenly in office.
- Fr. William O'Keefe1937–1945
Built up St. Edmund's; established Holy Name Society and altar boys; oversaw construction of the second St. Edmund's (Breezy Point).
- Fr. Cornelius Buckley1945–c.1949
Launched fundraising campaign for a larger church; transferred before construction began.
- Msgr. Francis Donnelly1949–c.1960
Built and dedicated St. Thomas More Church on July 18, 1954; invested as Monsignor at the Dedication Mass.
- Fr. James Smyth1960–1967
Pastor of St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish.
- Fr. John Sexton1967–1971
Pastor of St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish.
- Fr. George Mihovich1971–1981
Pastor of St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish.
- Msgr. Michael Connelly1981–2005
Pastor of St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish.
- Msgr. Michael Curran2005–2013
Last pastor of St. Thomas More–St. Edmund; first pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish (2008–2013); installed by Bishop Frank Caggiano on May 18, 2008.
- Fr. Peter Rayder2013–2020
Second pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish.
- Fr. Michael L. Gelfant2020–present
Current pastor; grew up five doors down from St. Edmund Church.