The roots of St. Patrick Church go back more than 50 years, they go back closer to 170 years.  It was then in the early 1830s, that priests who traveled from Brooklyn celebrated Mass with a small group of Catholic families.  The location was the present site of St. Patrick Cemetery.

The cemetery has been a part of St. Patrick’s history since day one.  It was the site of the first two church structures.  The first St. Patrick Church was little more than a cabin.  It was dedicated on March 17^th, 1840.  The second St. Patrick Church was dedicated on June, 1874 and served the church community until 1927 when it was destroyed by fire.  Today, a white cross at the cemetery marks the spot where the church once stood.  Father Clarence Murphy, who served as pastor of Sts. Philip and James Church and St. Patrick Church from 1929 to 1951, is buried at the approximate site of the altar of the Church.

The Cemetery currently contains approximately 5,000 graves.  Included are the graves of Father Gerard Sheridan of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Centereach, and Rev. Joseph Sparacino, a Roman Catholic priest who was studying to become bi-ritual (Roman Catholic and Byzantine).  The cemetery also holds the grave of Frank Friede, owner of Friede’s Restaurant (once among Long island’s finest dining establishments), and Virginia White, a prominent citizen whose generosity during Depression days kept many families afloat.  Five New York City firemen killed in the line of duty during the September 11^th terrorist attacks, also are buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery.  The earliest graves date back to pre-civil war years.  One area of the cememtery was used for the burial of stillborn babies for many years.  The grounds also contain a memorial to unborn children.  On Memorial Day, 2002, a new memorial was dedicated to the victims of the September 11th tragedy. 

Dedication by Msgr. Walsh of the 9/11 Monument

Just as the Church itself, St. Patrick Cemetery has benefited greatly from the generosity of the church community.  The land where the original church stood was donated by the Fisher family.  Ten years ago, land was purchased from Smithtown Central School District.  The sale of plots located on that land gave the cemetery a much-needed financial shot in the arm.  This, plus the generosity of other anonymous parishioners, enabled the addition of two new roads and new lighting, as well as other improvements.  The Barbato family, owners of land adjacent to the cemetery, has allowed the storage of equipment in a barn on their property for the past 30 years.

The handcrafted stonework at the entrance to the cemetery was the work of Gaetano Patti and his son, Charles.  The materials were donated by Jerry Valentine.

About 60 burials take place each year at the cemetery.  While no plots are currently available, the purchase of additional land may soon allow for more burial sites.

Ron Haskell

Richard Mones

In addition to being the site of so much of St. Patrick’s history, the cemetery is also a peaceful, serene place of beauty.  This is due in large part to the hard work of cemetery superintendent, Ron Haskell.  In the early 1970s, Ron was the owner of his own landscaping business.  He was asked by Father Canning to mow the grass at the cemetery, but had no interest in taking on the role of superintendent.  He is now in his 30th year on the job.  His wife, Carol, is the secretary.  Together they organized old records, created maps, and have kept the cemetery business in line with diocesan regulation.  In recent years Ron has been assisted by Richard Mones.  Ron plans to hand over the superintendent role to Richard within the next three or four years.  Ron and Ricard also take care of the landscaping on the St. Patrick Church grounds.

In his 30 years as superintendent, Ron has had his share of memorable experiences.  Once, while digging near the site of the old church, Ron ran into the structure’s foundation.  A frantic search for the church’s money box turned up nothing, however.  Ron also admits that his job has certain advantages. “I have a lot of people under me and no one makes a move without me,” he said.