About The Marian Shrine · Stony Point, New York
The National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians (commonly called the Marian Shrine) is a Salesian-run Marian pilgrimage site and retreat center in Stony Point, New York, about 30 miles northwest of New York City in Rockland County. Spanning roughly 160 wooded acres above the Hudson River, the grounds feature a 48-foot bronze Rosary Madonna, a white marble Outdoor Altar, the Rosary Way of life-size Italian marble statuary, devotional gardens, and the Mary Help of Christians Chapel. The Shrine was designated a national pilgrimage site by the USCCB in the fall of 2024 and Cardinal Timothy Dolan celebrated its inauguration Mass on January 30, 2025, making it one of eight Jubilee Year 2025 pilgrimage sites of the Archdiocese of New York. It offers daily Mass (including a weekly Spanish Mass), daily confessions, year-round group and private retreats, youth and young-adult ministry, and bilingual events open to all.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- Mary Help of Christians
- Rector
- Fr. Manny Gallo, SDB (Director)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New York
Why belong here
Anyone can walk the 160-acre grounds in prayer every day of the year, attend daily Mass in the Mary Help of Christians Chapel, and make use of daily confessions Monday through Saturday. The Shrine is also a full retreat center — group, school, parish, family, and private retreats run by Salesian priests in Don Bosco's style, with special offerings like the Spanish-language Retiro para Hombres and a thriving young-adults (18–35) program anchored in Thursday Eucharistic Adoration. Pilgrims come for the Outdoor Altar, the Rosary Way, the colossal 48-foot Rosary Madonna, the Our Lady of Fatima and Lourdes gardens, and devotional events organized for Italian-American, Latino, and Polish communities; as a designated national shrine and 2025 Jubilee Year pilgrimage site it is also a place to obtain indulgences.
Mass times at The Marian Shrine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Saturday, 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon (in the Mary Help of Christians Chapel)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday evening (followed by the monthly young-adults social on the first Thursday)
History of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians
The Shrine traces its roots to the 212-acre Greyridge Farm estate of Mabel T. Filor, which the Salesians of Don Bosco purchased in 1945 for $120,000. The first Salesians took up residence in 1947 and added Don Bosco Juniorate high school that same year; a gymnasium built in 1950 became today's St. Dominic Savio Youth Center. The Marian Year 1954 brought the Outdoor Altar of white marble — the Salesian centerpiece — and the beginnings of the Rosary Way, which was dedicated in 1956. A pavilion chapel followed in 1963 and the property's mission was renamed "The Marian Shrine" in 1967. The Shrine reached a national audience on August 15, 1968, when more than 10,000 people venerated the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima flown from Portugal. A 48-foot bronze statue of Our Lady of the Rosary was added to the front lawn in 1977, and the modern Mary Help of Christians Chapel — built on the original 1963 foundation for $1.6 million and dedicated in May 2008 — added stained-glass windows, heating and air conditioning, dedicated confessional rooms, restrooms, and a set of ceramic Stations of the Cross recovered from an old church in Venice, Italy. The relics of St. John Bosco visited the Shrine on September 30, 2010, drawing nearly 10,000 visitors with Cardinal Dolan. The USCCB awarded national-shrine status in fall 2024, and Cardinal Dolan celebrated the inauguration Mass on January 30, 2025.
- 1945 — Salesians purchase Greyridge Farm for $120,000
- 1947 — Don Bosco Juniorate opens
- 1950 — Gymnasium built (now St. Dominic Savio Youth Center)
- 1954 — First retreats; Outdoor Altar and Rosary Way begun
- 1956 — Rosary Way formally dedicated
- 1963 — Pavilion chapel built; daily Mass and confession offered
- 1967 — Property renamed "The Marian Shrine"
- August 15, 1968 — Veneration of the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, 10,000+ attend
- 1972 — Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel designated Italian-American Day
- 1977 — Rosary Madonna (48 ft, 6½ tons) erected on front lawn
- January 2001 — Fire destroys former administration/gift-shop building
- July 2004 — St. Joseph Center opens; Stations of the Cross path added
- May 2008 — New Mary Help of Christians Chapel dedicated ($1.6 million)
- September 30, 2010 — Relics of St. John Bosco visit Shrine
- 2022 — Salesians mark 75 years of service in Rockland County
- Fall 2024 — USCCB designates Shrine a national pilgrimage site
- January 30, 2025 — Cardinal Dolan celebrates inauguration Mass
Mission & Vision
The Marian Shrine is a ministry of the Salesians of Don Bosco that exists to offer people of all ages, especially young people, opportunities to deepen their relationship with God. Its charism emphasizes devotion to Mary Help of Christians together with the pastoral style of St. John Bosco and his oratory — making each visitor feel at home. For more than 75 years the property has offered an oasis of prayer, worship, reflection, and refreshment; thousands of pilgrims and faithful have walked on the holy ground dedicated to Mary Help of Christians.
Devotions & Pilgrimage
Devotion to Mary Help of Christians is the heart of the Shrine. Visitors can walk the Rosary Way under the pines, pray at the white marble Outdoor Altar, visit the gardens dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Garden of Gethsemane, and venerate the 48-foot bronze Rosary Madonna. The Mary Help of Christians Chapel offers daily Mass and confessions, plus Thursday Eucharistic Adoration that anchors the young-adult program. As a national shrine and one of eight 2025 Jubilee Year pilgrimage sites of the Archdiocese of New York, the Shrine is an official place where the faithful can obtain Jubilee indulgences through prayer, confession, and reception of the Eucharist.
- Rosary Way — 15 life-size Italian marble mysteries on a shamrock-shaped path
- Outdoor Altar of white marble with Salesian bas-relief
- Rosary Madonna — 48-foot bronze statue (Martin Lumen Winer, 1959, Pistoia, Italy)
- Gardens: Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Garden of Gethsemane
- Stations of the Cross path (added 2004, sculpted by Martin Lumen Winer)
- Ceramic Stations of the Cross from an old church in Venice, Italy (installed 2008)
- Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday evening
- Italian-American Day (Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel)
Retreats at the Don Bosco Retreat Center
The Don Bosco Retreat Center, adjacent to the Shrine, hosts overnight and day retreats for Catholic elementary and high schools, parish religious-education programs, Confirmation and Communion candidates, young-adult groups, faculty groups, men's and women's groups, and self-directed retreatants. Accommodations include 54 beautifully appointed guest rooms (each with a private bath) plus dormitory space in the St. Dominic Savio Youth Center. The retreat house has its own chapel, library, lounge, a large meeting room with three break-out rooms, full dining service, and access to a full-size gym for healthy recreation. Many schools run Kairos and other specialized retreats using the on-site chapels, presentation rooms, and dining facilities.
- Group retreats for Catholic elementary and high school students
- Confirmation, Communion, graduation, and grade-level retreats
- Adult, men's, and women's retreats (English and Spanish)
- Kairos and other specialized retreats
- Faculty and secondary-school administrator retreats
- Parish, youth, and young-adult retreats and days of recollection
- 54 overnight rooms with private bath + dormitory space in St. Dominic Savio Youth Center
- Chapel, library, lounge, large meeting room + 3 break-out rooms
- Full-size gym and dining hall with dietary accommodations
Private Retreats & Emmaus House
Set apart on a dirt trail called "the road to Emmaus" — a reference to Luke 24:13–35 — Emmaus House offers individuals a quiet place to make a private retreat. The five-bedroom home has a living room, fully equipped kitchen, and a small chapel, and is reserved exclusively for retreatants who join to some degree in the sacraments offered at the Shrine (it is not a bed-and-breakfast or family-vacation rental). It is within walking distance of the Mary Help of Christians Chapel and a half-mile walk from the Don Bosco Retreat House.
- Five bedrooms with private baths
- Living room, small chapel, fully equipped kitchen
- Walking distance to Mary Help of Christians Chapel
- Half-mile walk to Don Bosco Retreat House
- Available only to individuals making a private retreat
- Inquire with Ann at 845-947-2200 ext. 313 / [email protected]
Young Adults (18–35)
The Young Adults program at the Marian Shrine is geared to Catholics aged 18–35 and centers on Thursday evening Eucharistic Adoration, followed by a relaxed social gathering on the first Thursday of each month. The community is meant to deepen prayer, build lasting friendships, and grow in the faith — a generational ministry the Shrine promotes as part of St. John Bosco's oratory-style vocation.
- Thursday Eucharistic Adoration (weekly)
- Monthly social gathering (first Thursday of the month)
- Ages 18–35
- Faith, fellowship, and prayer
Hispanic Ministry & Spanish-Language Retreats
Salesians of Don Bosco with roots across Latin America and Europe run Spanish-language ministry from the Shrine. A weekly Spanish Mass is celebrated on Tuesday evenings, and the annual "Retiro para Hombres" day retreat for Hispanic men — typically drawing 50–60 participants — features talks by Father Manny Gallo, SDB (director, of Nicaraguan descent) and Father Pat Angelucci, SDB (vice director, Italian heritage, fluent in Spanish after ministry in Spain and Ecuador). The Shrine is also a venue for bilingual events such as the Pentecost Festival, a Catholic worship night with guest artists.
- Tuesday 7:00 PM Mass in Spanish
- Retiro para Hombres — annual Spanish-language day retreat for men ($50, includes lunch)
- Bilingual worship events such as the Pentecost Festival
- Father Manny Gallo, SDB (Nicaraguan descent)
- Father Pat Angelucci, SDB (Italian heritage, served in Spain and Ecuador)
Administration & Staff
The Shrine is staffed by Salesians of Don Bosco who shepherd its sacramental and retreat life, supported by a lay team running retreats, the gift shop, and finances. Father Manny Gallo, SDB, is the Director of the Marian Shrine; Father Pat Angelucci, SDB, serves as Vice Director and Shrine Coordinator; Brother Donald Caldwell, SDB, coordinates the Retreat House; Dannyelle Schaff is Administrator of Retreats, Groups, and Rentals; Donna Valentino is the Director's Secretary and runs the Gift Shop; and Laura Piranio serves as Treasurer. Father Dennis Donovan, SDB, who died in July 2024, is widely credited with steering the Shrine's successful application for national-shrine status.
- Fr. Manny Gallo, SDB — Director
- Fr. Pat Angelucci, SDB — Vice Director and Shrine Coordinator
- Br. Donald Caldwell, SDB — Retreat House Coordinator
- Dannyelle Schaff — Administrator of Retreats, Groups, and Rentals
- Donna Valentino — Director's Secretary & Gift Shop
- Laura Piranio — Treasurer
- Fr. Steve Shafran, SDB — Special Events
Getting Involved, Donations & Practical Info
The Shrine sustains its work through the generosity of visitors and benefactors. Donations can be made online through Flocknote (one-time or recurring, by credit card, debit card, ACH, or PayPal), by mail (Marian Shrine, 174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980), by stock/securities transfer, or through bequests in a will ("Marian Shrine — Salesians of Don Bosco, 174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980"). General donations support the Shrine's ministries, retreats, and service projects, plus maintenance and capital improvements to the Mary Help of Christians Chapel, Don Bosco Retreat Center, St. Dominic Savio Youth Center, and other facilities. The best way to stay current with events is to register for the Marian Shrine Flocknote list at marianshrine.flocknote.com.
- Online giving via Flocknote (one-time or recurring)
- Mail a check to Marian Shrine, 174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980
- Stock and securities gifts (contact the office)
- Planned giving / bequests in your will
- Sign up at marianshrine.flocknote.com for the events calendar and Flocknote newsletter
- 845-947-2200 — general inquiries; ext. 302 for Mass intentions; ext. 313 for retreats/groups/rentals
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Manny Gallo, SDBcurrent (as of 2025)
Director of the Shrine; of Nicaraguan descent; welcomed Cardinal Dolan for the January 30, 2025 national-shrine inauguration Mass.
- Fr. Dennis Donovan, SDBd. July 2024
Died July 2024; handled much of the paperwork steering the Shrine's national-shrine application with the USCCB.