St. Barnabas marks 90 good years

      Before St. Barnabas, Bellmore was considered a mission of Freeport, but by the first decade of the 20th century, Bellmore's burgeoning Catholic population warranted its own parish. The first St. Barnabas Church opened its doors on Dec. 7, 1913.
      "I'm glad St. Barnabas was chosen as our patron saint," said the Rev. Peter Dooley, the church's current pastor. "He really personifies the spirit of our parish. St. Barnabas was a really dynamic guy, very energetic, who proactively spread the Word [of God] throughout the Near East and Rome [during the 1st century]. We are true to that namesake."
      As Bellmore has expanded, so has St. Barnabas to accommodate the congregation, but times haven't always been easy. In the early days, St. Barnabas struggled to survive, as a sparse local population, coupled with the turmoil of World War I, combined to undermine the church's foothold in the newly established parish.
      The first confirmation took place in 1919, seven years after the parish's founding. At the time, Masses often had as few as 12 families attending. But St. Barnabas not only survived, it sought to expand its mission. In 1922, the church was given a directive to build a church in Merrick, then Seaford.
      "Originally, this parish stretched from Merrick to Massapequa," said Dooley. "All parishes within these areas are all 'daughters' of St. Barnabas," he said.
      Today, St. Barnabas has grown into a ministry of 4,800 families in the Bellmores -- an estimated 20,000 people in four square miles.
      Just as St. Barnabas himself was the apostle of encouragement, the parish has taken a proactive stand in encouraging the Catholic lay community to take an interest in church affairs.
      "The 1970s in particular was a pivotal decade of shaping the modern St. Barnabas," said Dooley. "Through the examples and leadership of Father [later Monsignor] Daniel Potterton, Bishop John McGann and Pope John Paul II, Catholic outreach and education reached a new height. These three individuals, with their Christian love and boundless energy, did more for the philosophy that pervades St. Barnabas than any trio in history, except the Trinity, of course," he said.
      In the 1970s, the church magazine, children's gift Mass and adult education were started. During the 1980s, St. Barnabas' most successful outreach program, Anthony House, was instituted by parishioner Jack Eschmann to help disadvantaged young men. Under the Rev. Edward Muhs, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School was consolidated in the parish and has taught Catholic education ever since.
      Dooley became pastor in 1994, and continued Bishop McGann's program to encourage lay people to be active in the church ministry. The Eucharistic Ministry, the Ministry of Consolation and the Ministry of the Word were formed, and the results have been remarkable.
      The parish today has many young families with children, and the number of children enrolled in religious education has jumped from 1,200 to 2,000 over the past eight years.
      The church has also stressed the importance of adult education. "We want adults to grow in faith and pick up where they left off after school," said Dooley.
      Some of St. Barnabas' recent growth was spurred by the Sept. 11 tragedy. "It shook up so many people, and many came back to church to make sense of the world," the pastor said. "The spirituality and hope of the church brought them back for good once they were in the door."
      Tragically, nine parishioners were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks, and their names are engraved on a plaque outside the church.
      But St. Barnabas looks forward to good times. "The theme of the anniversary year is Community of Hospitality," said Dooley. "The biggest challenge is always getting the word out to people. We welcome them to share in their journeys with us. As they get stronger, we get stronger."