Holy Trinity Parish: 100 Years Strong

In the summer of 2021, the Church of the Holy Trinity will celebrate its 100-year Anniversary. We are proud of our storied history and our reputation as a vibrant and active Parish in the Poughkeepsie and Arlington community.

Please see below for snippets from our Church’s enduring history.

June 6, 1921: Father Peter P. Conaty, then Pastor of St. Sylvia’s Parish in Tivoli, received the commission from Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop of New York, to establish a parish in the Poughkeepsie vicinity, due to an influx of Catholics arriving in the area.

For the name of the Church, Cardinal Hayes selected Holy Trinity, in honor of the Divinity: Three Persons in one God.

July 3, 1921: Through the never-to-be-forgotten kindness of the Arlington Fire Department, Holy Trinity Parish held its first Mass at 8:00am in its temporary location in the Fireman’s Hall building. Another Mass was held at 10:00 am that day. Approximately 240 people attended Mass at Holy Trinity that first weekend of the Parish’s existence.

August 1921: Negotiations began for the purchase of the Moeleth property, located on Springside Avenue.

September 1921: The Parish held a Labor Day fundraising event for the local community, which successfully netted $6,653 (which was added to the Church treasury) in order to help purchase church property.

September 10, 1921: The Moeleth Estate was sold to Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church for a grand total of $11,000.

March 21, 1922: After Cardinal Hayes authorized the transaction, adjoining property, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Budd, was purchased by Holy Trinity for an additional $17,500. Two days later, the ground was broken for the new church.

While the foundations for the Church, as well as the Rectory were being laid, a one-story, wooden structure was built by the men of the parish, in the hopes of using it as a place for Parish social activities.

June 11, 1922: Approximately one thousand men and women came together from the community to watch the laying of the cornerstone of Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church.

The winter of 1922 was unusually severe and as a result, construction on the Church and Rectory buildings was delayed for several months. The wooden structure built by Holy Trinity Parishioners then served as the site of Sunday Mass for nearly a year.

March 10, 1923: Construction on the church building was completed. Following the blessing of the new church, Father Conaty celebrated Mass at 8:30am on the altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.

Holy Trinity Church is an adaptation of a Tudor Gothic style architecture. It is made with native New York State gray and blue stone. The approximate final cost of the church and its furnishings was $150,000.

November 8, 1971: Archbishop Terence Cardinal Cooke sent a letter of congratulations to then Pastor, Bishop Joseph Pernicone, commemorating the Gold Anniversary of the Parish. The Parish celebrated the occasion with its Golden Jubilee Banquet.

While Pernicone presided over Holy Trinity and after he was named Bishop, Holy Parish soon became known as the seat of the Dutchess County Vicariate.

August 9, 1981: Bishop Anthony Mestice, Pastor conducted a special 60th Anniversary blessing of the church and a new altar at the 5:30pm Saturday Mass. Fr. Dominick Lagonegro

June 15, 1996: The 75th Anniversary of the founding of Holy Trinity Parish was commemorated with a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by His Eminence John Cardinal O’Connor.

June 11, 2006: The 85th Anniversary of Holy Trinity Parish was observed on this day, in conjunction with the celebration of Pastor Joseph LaMorte’s Silver Jubilee. Father LaMorte faithfully served the people of Holy Trinity Parish for more than 20 years.

June 28, 2011: Week-long 90th Anniversary celebrations kicked off with an outdoor Mass at nearby Freedom Park, celebrated by new Pastor, Father Robert Repenning. Mass was then followed by a Parish Picnic.

July 3, 2011: Holy Trinity capped off its 90th Anniversary Week festivities with a 10:00am Mass celebrated by Father Robert and a parish reception in Bishop Mestice Hall. The day’s events also served to celebrate Father Robert’s 10th Anniversary of his Priesthood.

Be sure to come back to the Holy Trinity History Web pages often, as we will be adding archival photos and new pieces to the time line, as the Website develops. If you or family members have photos or memorabilia to add to the mix, please contact the Rectory…