About St. Francis de Sales · Belle Harbor, New York
St. Francis de Sales is a Roman Catholic parish in the Belle Harbor / Rockaway Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, belonging to the Diocese of Brooklyn. The parish was organized in 1906 as a mission church that grew out of St. Rose of Lima in Rockaway Beach, and its current church building on Rockaway Beach Boulevard was completed in 1937. Today the parish serves roughly 4,000 registered families, runs an attached Catholic academy (SFDS Catholic Academy at 219 Beach 129th Street), and offers Mass in English with a livestream of the 10am Sunday Mass. Its patron, St. Francis de Sales — the 16th-century Doctor of the Church known for steady, gentle fidelity — shapes the parish's mission of 'energetic, generous and constant fidelity to the will of God.'
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Francis de Sales (Doctor of the Church, 1567–1622)
- Rector
- The Very Rev. William F. Sweeney
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brooklyn
Why belong here
St. Francis de Sales is a multi-generational Rockaway parish rooted in a 1906 mission history, with a church building that dates to 1937 and a restored, much-beloved interior. A parishioner here can worship in a tight-knit schedule (daily 9am Mass, three Sunday Masses plus a livestreamed 10am, and Saturday Vigil and confession), put school-age children through both SFDS Catholic Academy and the parish's Religious Education / Youth Faith Formation programs, join the choir or serve as an altar server, lector or Eucharistic minister, play in the Summer Classic basketball league, and stay connected through the Sea Breeze Golden Age Club, the Family Life Ministry and a Bereavement / GriefShare group. The parish has just concluded a multi-million-dollar restoration of its 1937 church, pledging nearly $3 million from 462 families — a tangible sign of the community's investment in handing the faith on to the next generation.
Mass times at St. Francis de Sales
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:30 PM (also listed 3:30–4:15 PM in the parish bulletin)
- Seasonal Penance Services during Advent and Lent
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Francis de Sales Parish (sfdsparish.org) describes itself as 'a parish steeped in tradition, rich in natural beauty and bountifully blessed with a community devoted in love to serve God and our neighbor.' Its stated mission is to live actively the Word of God through the example of its patron, the 16th-century Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales — 'a life devoted to energetic, generous and constant fidelity to the will of God' — and to grow in faith through continuous education, formation, communication and outreach while passing these values on to future generations. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Brooklyn and is located at 129-16 Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Belle Harbor, NY 11694.
- Patron: St. Francis de Sales (feast day January 24)
- Diocese: Diocese of Brooklyn
- Motto quote: 'Never miss an opportunity to do good.' — St. Francis de Sales
History of the Parish
The parish was organized in 1906 out of the mission territory of St. Rose of Lima in Rockaway Beach and grew alongside the Catholic expansion of the Rockaway Peninsula. The present church on Beach 129th Street was constructed in 1937 and quickly became a community landmark. Over the following decades the parish added Catholic elementary schooling (today's St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy), CYO athletics, family and senior ministries, and a full liturgical schedule. In the 2020s the parish undertook a major interior restoration, pledging close to $3 million from 462 families; Lawrence Hoy Studios uncovered and re-created the original 1937 ceiling painting of St. Francis de Sales and the church reopened after Masses were temporarily held in the academy gymnasium.
- Parish organized 1906 as a mission from St. Rose of Lima, Rockaway Beach
- Present church built 1937
- 2024–2025 interior restoration: ~$3 million pledged by 462 parish families
- Restoration uncovered original 1937 liturgical painting above the altar
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by The Very Rev. William F. Sweeney as Pastor, with Rev. James K. Cunningham serving as Associate and Monsignor John J. Bracken (Retired) assisting on Sundays. Two deacons — Deacon Vincent LaGamba (Retired) and Deacon Armand D'Accordo — assist with liturgy and pastoral care, and Paul Zwolak serves as a Pastoral Year Seminarian. Lay staff include Mrs. Dorothy Brenna (Parish Secretary), Mrs. Susan Gavigan (Parish Receptionist), Mrs. Anne Marie Greene (Director of Religious Education), Ms. Suzanne Blum (Religious Education Assistant) and Mr. Michael Fontana (Music Director).
- Pastor: Very Rev. William F. Sweeney
- Associate: Rev. James K. Cunningham
- Sunday Assistant: Msgr. John J. Bracken (Retired)
- Deacons: Vincent LaGamba (Retired), Armand D'Accordo
- Seminarian: Paul Zwolak
- Lay staff: Dorothy Brenna, Susan Gavigan, Anne Marie Greene, Suzanne Blum, Michael Fontana
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for parish children and youth is directed by Mrs. Anne Marie Greene and assisted by Ms. Suzanne Blum. Programs serve children who received First Penance and First Eucharist in the standard second-grade track as well as students beyond second grade who need baptism and First Communion preparation. The Confirmation class includes a retreat at Thomas Perry Retreat House in Jamaica, Queens. The parish also offers the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those exploring the Catholic faith, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC), and an Online Catholic Homeschooling program (MCFD). Religious Education classes run from the Parish House at 216 Beach 130th Street; registration forms are on the parish website.
- Religious Education Office: (718) 945-6911
- Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
- Office address: Parish House, 216 Beach 130th Street, Belle Harbor, NY
- Programs: standard religious education, RCIA, RCIC, Confirmation retreat, Online Catholic Homeschool (MCFD)
- Children at Play program for ages 3 and under (Tuesdays 9:00–10:30 AM, SFDS Gymnasium)
Liturgical Ministries
The parish invites parishioners of all ages into liturgical service: Altar Servers (training each year for boys and girls in grade 4 and older), Lectors (proclaim the Word of God), Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (assist with Communion at Mass), and the Adult and Children's Choirs under Music Director Michael Fontana. The parish has a long tradition of involving young people in the Sacred Liturgy and continues to seek volunteers for these roles through Father Jim and the parish office.
- Altar Servers (grades 4+)
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Adult and Children's Choirs — Music Director Michael Fontana
- Live Streamers (volunteers who livestream Masses, funerals, weddings)
Parish School — St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy
The attached parish school, St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy, operates at 219 Beach 129th Street, Belle Harbor, NY 11694, sharing a campus with the parish (school phone 718-634-2775). The academy works closely with the parish Religious Education program, the CYO sports program (which has its own page at sfdsparish.org/ministries/cyo), and the Sea Breeze Golden Age Club, and its gymnasium has served the wider parish as overflow worship and meeting space. During the recent church renovation, daily and Sunday Masses were celebrated in the academy gymnasium while the church interior was restored.
- Address: 219 Beach 129th Street, Belle Harbor, NY 11694
- School phone: (718) 634-2775
- Hosts the Sea Breeze Golden Age Club and the Summer Classic basketball league
- Gymnasium served as temporary worship space during the church restoration
Community Life, CYO & Outreach
Beyond the liturgy, St. Francis de Sales runs a wide swath of community programs. The Summer Classic is a parish basketball league played Monday through Friday evenings from 5:30 to 10:00 PM, June through August. CYO sports are coordinated through the parish. The Sea Breeze Golden Age Club brings senior parishioners together the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month from 12:00 to 3:00 PM, September through June, at the SFDS Catholic Academy. The Family Life Ministry walks alongside parents, married couples, single adults, widows, young adults, grandparents and others; a Bereavement/GriefShare group ministers to anyone over 18 who has lost a loved one; and the Hospitality Ministry plans fellowship around parish spiritual events. The parish also keeps an active list of parishioners serving in every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and at the service academies, naming them by name in the weekly bulletin.
- Summer Classic basketball (June–August, schoolyard and gym)
- CYO Sports (sfdsparish.org/ministries/cyo)
- Sea Breeze Golden Age Club — 1st & 3rd Wed, 12:00–3:00 PM, Sept–June
- Family Life Ministry — parents, couples, singles, widows, young adults, seniors, grandparents
- Bereavement / GriefShare Support group (ages 18+)
- Hospitality Ministry
- Active Military prayer list (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, USMA/USNA)
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for the sacraments across the life span. Parents preparing for an infant Baptism contact the Parish Office to complete the Baptismal Registration Form, attend a Baptismal Instruction on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM, and celebrate the Baptism on the second Sunday at 2:00 PM. Engaged couples are asked to contact the Parish Office at least eight months before their wedding date (do not book the reception venue first) and to complete the Parish Pre-Cana program at least six months in advance. Care of the Sick and Anointing of the Sick are arranged by calling the Parish Office, with communal celebrations of Anointing on the first Saturday of each month. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered regularly on Saturdays at 3:30 PM and in seasonal Advent and Lent services.
- Baptism: 1st Thursday instruction (7:00 PM); 2nd Sunday celebration (2:00 PM)
- Marriage: 8+ months notice; Parish Pre-Cana program
- Anointing of the Sick: 1st Saturday of each month (communal)
- Confession: Saturdays 3:30 PM (3:30–4:15 PM)
- First Penance / First Eucharist / Confirmation: through Religious Education
Devotions & Prayer Life
Outside of Mass, the St. Francis de Sales Rosary Prayer Group gathers in church every Monday evening at 7:00 PM, praying together using printed aids provided by the parish. Seasonal Penance Services supplement Saturday confessions during Advent and Lent. Communal celebrations of the Anointing of the Sick take place on the first Saturday of each month, and the parish keeps an ongoing prayer list of active-duty military family members named weekly in the bulletin.
- Monday Evening Rosary — Mondays 7:00 PM in church
- Seasonal Penance Services (Advent, Lent)
- Communal Anointing of the Sick — 1st Saturday each month
- Active Military prayer list published in the weekly bulletin
Register & Get Involved
To become a registered parishioner at St. Francis de Sales, contact the Rectory at (718) 634-6464 and press 1, or stop by in person to complete an information card. Newly registered parishioners gain access to the parish database for giving history, tax receipts, mail and giving preferences. The parish bulletin regularly invites new members to consider ministries such as Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, Choir, RCIA team, Parish Council, CYO coaching, Sea Breeze Golden Age Club, Live Streamers, Hospitality, and the Bereavement support group.
- Registration: Rectory (718) 634-6464, press 1
- Online giving and parishioner database available
- 'Please consider getting involved' ministry listing printed weekly in the bulletin
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Francis de Sales by phone at (718) 634-6464 (Parish Office/Rectory, fax 718-634-0716) or by email at [email protected]. The Religious Education Office is at (718) 945-6911. The parish is at 129-16 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Belle Harbor, NY 11694; the Religious Education Office (Parish House) is at 216 Beach 130th Street; and the Catholic Academy is at 219 Beach 129th Street. The parish maintains a Facebook presence at facebook.com/sfdschurch where livestream updates and parish news are posted.
- Rectory: (718) 634-6464 / [email protected]
- Religious Education: (718) 945-6911 / [email protected]
- Website: https://sfdsparish.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfdschurch