St. Patrick was no longer a small Catholic community.  It had grown to the point that it could no longer be a mission church.  St. Patrick became a parish in July of 1952.  Rev. Adam Willman became its first pastor.

Father Adam Willman - Pastor from 1952 to 1963

Parishioners remember Father Willman as a loving priest, a quiet, spiritual man who loved to play the piano.  During the eleven years he served as pastor, the parish doubled in size.  He also is remembered as a pastor who carefully saved money, enough to give the parish a good start on the building project that was in its future.

It was an exciting time for St. Patrick's.  As a newly formed parish, it had, for the first time, its own priest.  Father Willman was given a warm reception party in the church basement.  Initially, he lived in the Sts. Philip and James recotry, until the diocese purchased a home for him on Juniper Avenue.  The home was in need of repairs.  Parishioners gladly took on the job, repairing and redocorating before Father Willman moved in.  Parishioners also finished the Church basemenet -- tiling the floor, installing fluorescent lights, and converting the coal bin to a kitchen and a bar.

Parish organizations began to spring up, including an active Holy Name Society, a choir, the Blessed Virgin Sodality, and the Rosary Altar Society.  Eventually, a second priest was sent to serve the growing parish -- Father Ned Olewicz.  Father Ned is described by parishioners as opposite in personality from Father Willan -- outgoing, and a lover of trains, a good trait considering the church's location next to the railroad tracks.  Father Ned never failed to wave to the passing trains and was known by the engineers who passed through.  In addition to Father Ned, visiting priests came to help accommodate the faithful on Sundays.

The need for a larger church was becoming apparent.  Parishioners also longed for a Catholic school.  It was parishioners who made the first move in this direction.  Jum Mulhall, Peter Bosco, Jerry Von Schamburg, Richard Glasser, Robert Morlath, and George Scryver met Msgr. Williams, Bishop Kellenberg's secretary, about the need for a new church and school.

Father Joseph Canning, Pastor from 1963-1976

The bulk of the responsibility for the building project would fall on the shoulders of Father Joseph Canning, who was named the parish's second pastor on June 26, 1963.  Father Canning is described by those who knew him as a wondervul priest, very kind and supportive.  He immediately took steps to relieve the overcrowding at Masses.  At this point, crowds were spilling out of the church and onto the sidewalks on Sunday mornings.  When trains passed by, the difficult job of hearing what was being said inside went from difficult to impossible.  Father Canning added extra Masses in the basement.

On May 26, 1964, fire would once again become a part of Saint Patrick's history.  Members of the Rosary Altar Society were working on a mailing in the church basement when Maureen Rienzo heard an unusual crackling sound.  She went to investigate and as she looked up the stairwell, she saw flames engulfing the closet containing the altar cloths.  Maureen ran back to the basement and alerted Grace Treutlein and the rest of the ladies.  "Grace, the church is on fire. Everybody get out," she recalls saying.

Maureen then ran to the rectory and informed associate pastor Father John Marksamer.  Grace called the fire department and before she could repeat the church's address, she heard the sirens.  Father Marksamer, along with the firemen, recovered many items from the sacristy, but enormous damage was done to the church.

For the next few months, as the church was repaired, Masses were said at Smithtown General Hospital on route 347, the Smithtown Movie Theater, and in tents.  Soon, the doors were once again opened to the faithful, but the decision had been made to build again.  parishioner Richard Lancer discovered some land on Jericho Turnpike that was available for sale, and a committee (made up mainly of the same parishioners who had met with the Bishop's secretary) recommended it, and the purchase was made by the diocese.

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