About St. Genevieve [Blessed Trinity Parish] · Roxbury, New York
St. Genevieve (Blessed Trinity Parish) traces its origins to 1924, when the pastor of St. Francis de Sales in Belle Harbor established a small mission chapel in the summer colony of Roxbury on the Rockaway Peninsula. It remained a mission until 1950, when Bishop Brooklyn erected it as its own parish, which it remained until 2008. Today it is one of three worship sites of Blessed Trinity Parish, a Brooklyn-Diocese community formed in 2008 by the merger of St. Genevieve Parish with St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish and now led by Rev. Michael L. Gelfant. The little church at 6 Beach 178th Street, which celebrated its centennial in 2024, continues to serve year-round residents and summer visitors of Roxbury, Rockaway Point, and Breezy Point.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- St. Genevieve of Paris
- Rector
- Rev. Michael L. Gelfant
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brooklyn
Why belong here
Blessed Trinity Parish is a tight-knit Catholic community that brings together year-round peninsula families, summer residents, and visitors around three active worship sites. Parish life runs the gamut from daily Mass at St. Genevieve (Roxbury), to family and teen liturgies, a robust Religious Education program, a year-round CYO/BT Sports program for youth, and beloved traditions such as the annual evening beach Mass on the Feast of the Assumption and the blessing of animals on the Feast of St. Francis. It is a parish with deep local roots — going back to its founding pastors in the 1930s and '50s — that continues to invest in faith formation, music, and outreach to the homebound.
Mass times at St. Genevieve [Blessed Trinity Parish]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM at St. Genevieve (also available at St. Thomas More by appointment)
History of Blessed Trinity Parish
The parish today is the product of more than a century of Catholic life on the Rockaway peninsula. Its three churches — St. Thomas More (Breezy Point), St. Edmund (Rockaway Point), and St. Genevieve (Roxbury) — trace back to small mission chapels built by St. Francis de Sales Parish of Belle Harbor for the peninsula's growing summer community in the 1920s and 1930s. Read the full parish-written history for the people and dates behind each church.
- 1924 — St. Genevieve Chapel in Roxbury founded as a mission of St. Francis de Sales
- 1937 — Archdiocese erects St. Edmund Parish in Rockaway Point (Fr. Edward O'Reilly, then Fr. William O'Keefe, then Fr. Cornelius Buckley)
- 1950 — St. Genevieve established as an independent parish under Fr. J. Emmett McDonald
- 1954 — New St. Thomas More Church in Breezy Point dedicated
- 1957 — St. Edmund and St. Thomas More united as St. Thomas More–St. Edmund Parish
- 1982–1985 — Fr. Michael Curran serves as a newly ordained priest on the peninsula
- 2005 — Monsignor Connelly retires; Monsignor Curran returns as pastor (and St. Genevieve administrator)
- May 18, 2008 — Bishop Frank Caggiano installs Monsignor Curran as founding pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish
- 2013 — Fr. Peter Rayder succeeds as pastor
- 2020 — Fr. Michael L. Gelfant becomes current pastor
St. Genevieve Church, Roxbury
St. Genevieve Church is the parish site at 6 Beach 178th Street. It began life in 1924 as a Roxbury mission chapel of St. Francis de Sales, was elevated to parish status in 1950 under Fr. J. Emmett McDonald, and continued under later pastors including Fr. John Hession and Fr. John Cullinane (1996–2005). It became part of Blessed Trinity Parish in 2008 and celebrated its centennial on June 8, 2024, with Mass and a parish festival.
- Address: 6 Beach 178th Street, Rockaway Point (Roxbury), NY 11697
- Phone (St. Genevieve): (718) 634-7276
- Patron: St. Genevieve of Paris (feast day January 3)
- New roof installed prior to 100th anniversary in 2024
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for parish children and adults is a long-standing cornerstone of ministry. The Religious Education School (Director: Ms. Carol Verdi, LCSW) serves children preparing for First Sacraments and Confirmation, while the parish also offers a School of Religion for Adults each Advent and Lent.
- Religious Education School — Director: Ms. Carol Verdi, LCSW
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- School of Religion for Adults (Advent and Lent)
- Betsy Heinlein succeeded Sister Joseph Amata (who retired in June 2008 after 25 years) as Director of Religious Education in September 2008
Youth Ministry & CYO Sports
The parish makes a major investment in its young people through its Youth Ministry office and through BT Sports, which fields Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) teams in multiple sports. The youth also have a monthly Teen Mass, complementing the monthly Family Mass.
- Youth Minister: Mrs. Brianne Ratka-Coyle
- BT Sports / CYO — basketball, baseball, track, swimming
- Monthly Teen Mass
- Monthly Family Mass
- Expansion of parish gym for CYO use under Pastor Gelfant
Music Ministry
Music is coordinated across the parish's three worship sites and prepares the liturgy for regular, family, and teen Masses. Sister Mary Beata (a successor of the parish's music tradition begun by Sister Joseph Amata's era) was long associated with the parish's liturgical music program.
- Music Director: Mr. Richard Louis-Pierre
- Music staff: Mrs. Maureen McVeigh
- Coordinates liturgy for monthly Family and Teen Masses as well as Sunday liturgies
Outreach, Devotions & Parish Life
Charitable outreach has been part of the parish's DNA since Monsignor Connelly's and Fr. Vincent O'Connell's era — they organized the peninsula hospital- and home-bound visitation ministry, which continues today. Monsignor Curran later introduced an annual Drug Awareness Program offering lectures and discussion groups for teens and adults. The parish also hosted the Agape Movement for spiritual renewal at St. Edmund's.
- Hospital and homebound visiting ministry (Rockaway Peninsula)
- Drug Awareness Program — lectures and discussion groups for teens and adults
- Agape Movement at St. Edmund's
- Annual Stations of the Cross procession on Good Friday
- Annual evening beach Mass on the Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15)
- Annual Blessing of Animals on the Feast of St. Francis (Oct. 4)
- Parish Library (housed at St. Edmund's, founded 1996)
- Annual Parish Fair (since 2006) and Annual Parish Show (since 1988)
Parish Pastoral Council
At Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio's direction, Monsignor Curran launched a Parish Pastoral Council to revitalize parish life and develop a parish plan. The Council conducts one-on-one interviews with parishioners, holds Parish Assemblies, and shepherds ministries in their respective areas.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Michael L. Gelfant
- Religious Education / Liturgy / Music / Environment: Nancy Cameron
- Youth Ministry: Theresa Flanigan
- Senior Adults: Marie Rella
- School Academy / Sports: Ellen Burti, Tracy Whalen
- Community-At-Large representatives: Angela Di Lalla, Alicia Johnson, Loretta Pye, Tim Feimer, Katie Smith
Parish Clergy, Staff & Office
The parish is pastorally led by Rev. Michael L. Gelfant, with weekend assistance from Monsignor Ronald A. Newland, P.A. (Retired, Archdiocese of Newark). Day-to-day operations are supported by an Executive Assistant to the Pastor, a Director of Religious Education, a Music Director, a Youth Minister, and Trustees.
- Pastor — Rev. Michael L. Gelfant ([email protected])
- Weekend Assistant — Rev. Msgr. Ronald A. Newland, P.A.
- Executive Assistant to the Pastor / Parish Operations — Mrs. Julie Ratka
- Director of Religious Education — Ms. Carol Verdi, LCSW
- Music Director — Mr. Richard Louis-Pierre
- Music — Mrs. Maureen McVeigh
- Youth Minister — Mrs. Brianne Ratka-Coyle
- Trustees and Financial Secretary / Director of Development (parish office)
- Parish Rectory: 204-25 Rockaway Point Blvd., Rockaway Point, NY 11697 — (718) 634-6357
Sacraments & Getting Involved
Information about preparing for and celebrating the sacraments — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and the sacraments of Christian Initiation for adults — is available through the parish office at St. Thomas More. New parishioners are welcomed and registered through the rectory.
- Contact the parish rectory for Baptism, Marriage, Communion, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick
- RCIA inquiries via the Religious Education office
- Bulletin and groups pages list current ministry sign-up opportunities
Former Parochial Vicars & Deacons of the Combined Parish Family
The parish's published history lists the priests who have served the peninsula's Catholic community across all three church sites since 1924, as well as the deacons who have assisted them.
- Former Parochial Vicars (per parish history): Fr. Michael Curran, Fr. Joseph Keane, Fr. John Fecher, Fr. Bob Lawsine, Fr. John Fitzpatrick, Fr. Michael Perry, Fr. Hugh Byrne, Fr. Vincent O'Connell, Fr. Michael Gribbon, Fr. Francis Obu-Mends, CSSp, Fr. Sean Suckiel, Fr. Ray Basilious, Fr. Jeremy Canna, Fr. Michael Falce
- Deacons listed: Deacon Bernard Deschler, Deacon Richard Lee, Deacon James Ruoff, Deacon Thomas Murphy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. J. Emmett McDonald1950
First administrator of St. Genevieve as an independent parish (separated from mission status under St. Francis de Sales).
- Rev. John Hession
Succeeded Father McDonald as pastor of St. Genevieve Parish.
- Rev. John Cullinane1996–2005
Pastored St. Genevieve until his retirement in 2005; succeeded by Monsignor Curran as administrator.
- Msgr. Michael Curran2008–2013
Founding pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish (formed by merger of St. Genevieve and St. Thomas More–St. Edmund parishes in May 2008); installed by Bishop Frank Caggiano on May 18, 2008.
- Rev. Peter Rayder2013–2020
Second pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish.
- Rev. Michael L. Gelfant2020–present
Current pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish (parish offices at St. Thomas More Church, Rockaway Point).