Rockville Centre Parish Center to be named after former rector

In a March 25 newsletter to parishioners, Monsignor William Koenig, the rector of the Parish of St. Agnes, announced that on June 2, the parish center on North Village Avenue will be renamed in honor of Monsignor James Kelly, a former rector, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a priest.

The event will start with a Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Agnes Cathedral at 1 p.m., with a reception to follow in the parish center from 2 to 4 p.m.

While serving as rector from 1997 to 2007, Kelly, 75, helped create the parish center, which was built on the site of a former high school.

“I felt there was a need to have a place where the parish could gather,” Kelly said. “During this time, the place that was used was the gym of Clinton Avenue, and it was inadequate,” Kelly said, referring to the St. Agnes Cathedral School. “Renovating it was too expensive to be considered a viable option. Therefore, it was decided we would build a new parish center.”

The center was built in the same Anglo-Norman architectural style as the adjacent cathedral, and the project cost $5.6 million. The grand opening of the center, which is used by the Parish of St. Agnes, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and many community groups, took place in June 2004.

The center hosts formal diocesan meetings and conferences as well as village-based organizations, which have filled the space, the largest such venue in Rockville Centre, with gala dinners and fundraisers.

“The parish has the flexibility to create and sponsor activities that meet new and growing needs, such as dances and social activities for the teens and young adults of our parish and community,” Kelly said. “Our senior group has the necessary room to meet in comfort, and all of our activities attract new members to our more expanded facility.”

Kelly was also the director of priest personnel for the Diocese of Rockville Centre from 1984 to 1990. He became an associate pastor with St. Pius X in Plainview in 1962.

“Because of the generosity and spirit of sacrifice that filled the hearts of the men and women who have supported the parish throughout our history, this was accomplished,” Kelly said. “I am honored, humbled and privileged to see how God used me, despite my many failings and weaknesses, to build up the kingdom of God.”

Anyone interested in attending the celebration is asked to RSVP to (516) 766-0205 or to KellyResponse@gmail.com.