At the Center of the City: St. Sebastian Parish, Woodside, New York (1894)

ST. SEBASTIAN’S, WOODSIDE.
FATHER GANNON’S NEW CHURCH RAPIDLY NEARING COMPLETION.
The Brooklyn Eagle, February 16, 1896

St. Sebastian’s, the new Catholic church now in course of erection in Woodside, will, when completed, bear favorable comparison with any house of worship on the north side of the island.

There are now more than four hundred families in the parish of St. Sebastian, who have attended service in a little chapel on Third Street. As soon as the Rev. Father Gannon was sent from Brooklyn to the pastorate of this churchless parish he at once conceived the idea of building a church. It was a formidable undertaking, for the parish was poor and $10,000 appeared mountainous. This was the sum the energetic young priest set out to raise. It was hard, uphill work. Subscription books were circulated, fairs held and dramatic entertainments given, with the one object in view. Last fall a site was selected for the new building on Woodside avenue, between fourth and fifth streets, and in a short time negotiations were consummated in the purchase of a tract of land around which clusters pre-colonial historical incidents of interest unsurpassed elsewhere on Long Island.

On January 2 last ground was broken for the new structure, Father Gannon lifting the first shovelful of earth. Work has continued uninterruptedly and the building is now rapidly nearing completion. It will be 40 by 76 feet on the inside. The dimensions of the vestry are 14 x 12 feet. The church will contain three confessionals, which are located in an alcove near the vestry. The seating capacity of the main building will be 450, while the gallery will accommodate 50 more. P.J. Coles of Hempstead is the builder and P.J. O’Connor, superintendent of construction. The interior of the church will be finished in yellow pine, oiled and polished.