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History of St. John's Episcopal Church
in Flushing, Queens, New
York: 1894 - 2006*
by Lambert Sagalla |
St.
John's Episcopal Church was founded in 1894 as a Parochial Mission of St. George's Episcopal Church, a Royal Chartered Flushing Parish. [St.
George's Episcopal Church was founded in 1702. Its first church, built
in 1746, received a charter from King George III in 1761. The second
church was built in 1821, and was used for services until 1930. The
present church, along with its benevolent steeple and historic
churchyard, has stood in this spot since 1854.].
The first service of the
parochial mission - the seed that blossomed into St. John's Episcopal
Church - was held by the Brotherhood of St. George's in a private house
along Roosevelt Avenue in the Murray Hill section of Flushing [right
photo].
In July 1899, construction
of a chapel begun and completed in five months. The first service
inaugurating the chapel was held on December 3, 1899.
In 1905, the chapel was
enlarged [see above photo] and by 1911, all debts were paid. On October 29, 1911, the Rt.
Rev. Fredrick Burgess, the Second Bishop of Long Island acknowledged
the incorporation of St. John's as being duly and satisfactory
established.
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It is worth noting that
Churchmen played an active, if not dominant role, in the early
development of St. John's Episcopal Church, Flushing,
Queens, New York.
The outreach ministry of
the Brotherhood of St. George Church along Main St. Flushing,
helped pave the way towards the formation of St. John's Flushing
Church.
The prominent role played
by men in church affairs is also reflected in an all-men
composition of the first vestry taken in 1911. [Left photo.
Standing: F. G. Drake SW, H. G. Rockwell, John Sherman,
Harman Brown, Herbert Smith. Seated: Henry Forbes, Rev. G. W. Eccles, E.
V. MacLean JW, Wm. Carpenter.]
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The Rev. George W. Eccles
[right photo] was the first Rector of the Parish of St. John's Episcopal
Church, Flushing. He served as rector from 1911 to 1928. His
connections with prominent and affluent families, no doubt, served him
well in his ministry at St. John's Flushing. [He was related to the
Lawrence family, who played prominent roles in the colonial
history of Flushing and Bayside. The Eccles family at one
time owned "The Pearl / Bullard /
Eccles / Kabriski Mansion at 147-38, Ash Avenue, built during
the first wave of ultra-wealthy resort housing during the mid-19th
century in the town of Flushing.]
On November 7, 1924, the
Church and contents were almost totally destroyed by fire. While the
insurance coverage provided about $22,600.00 for damages, a campaign was
undertaken to obtain funds to erect the present church building. While St. John's was
being rebuilt, service were held in the building on Murray Street and
Sanford Avenue, then known as The Flushing Conservatory. It is now the
Church of Christ.
St.
John's was rebuilt from stones taken from the Church of Heavenly Rest in
New York which was moving to another location. Some stained glass
windows and pews were also donated largely through the connections of the
Rev. Eccles. The Rev. Eccles, a connoisseur and antiquarian
devoted his knowledge to the beautifying of St. John's Episcopal Church,
Flushing. Some of the
stained glass windows were made in Europe from his designs. The present
church is as depicted in the picture below.
The Second Rector was the
Rev. Leo L. Twinem [right photo] He served from 1926 to 1936. During
his tenure, the Hook and Hasting Pipe Organ was installed [in October
1930]. At that time, it was the latest and the very best available.
 The third Rector of St.
John's, the Rev Herbert C. Benjamin [left photo], was installed in February of 1936.
One of his main endeavors was to clear the Church of debt which was
accomplished through the Building Reconstruction Program. It was during
Father Benjamin's tenure that many of the Memorial Stained Glass windows
were installed. In 1947 the original mortgage was paid off.
A consecration service for
the second church building was held on April 13, 1947 with The Rev.
James P. DeWolfe, Bishop of Long Island as Consecrator. The Instrument
of Donation was read by Mr. John L. Mand, who at that time was the
Senior Warden of St. John's Episcopal Church, Flushing. A twelve page
program of the service was issued in memory of the late Frederick L.
Green who had served as Vestryman and Warden of the parish for twenty
years.
 On Easter Sunday, 1958, the
Rev. Canon Milton W. Good [right and left photo] was installed as the fourth Rector of St.
John's Episcopal Church, Flushing. "Father Good" as he was fondly
called,
 studied for his priesthood at the New York General Theological
Seminary. He came to St. John's after serving as Canon pastor at the
Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City, for eleven years.
Father Good
was instrumental in obtaining the assistance of the parishioners to make
a number of improvements to the church property. These improvements
included a chapel altar, stained glass windows in the balcony and
Narthex, an Ampex music sound system, a lawn statuary, the arrangement
of the sanctuary, the free standing Communion Altar made by Italian
craftsmen, the introduction of the New English Bible for the lectern and
new vestments for acolytes and servers, that are more expressive of the
1979 Book of Common Prayer. In 1980, Father Good retired.
 On all Saints Day, November,
1981, The Rev. Bruce Foster Irwin [left photo] became the fifth Rector of St. John's
Episcopal Church, Flushing. Serving as Dean of Northeast Queens, Throg's
Neck Deanery for eight years, he brought together congregations for the
Deanery Lenten Program. He served on the Diocesan Commission for
Ministry and the Department of Mission. Father Irwin enabled AA programs and
HIV/AIDS support groups to use St. John's facilities. Father Irwin also
initiated the idea to have an annual auction which was held for 8 years.
Many People were involved and helped in making this event possible and a
grand success. The Thursday 10:00 A.M. healing service and Saints Day
services commenced upon Father Irwin's arrival. In September 30,
1993, Father Irwin retired.
The parish was not able to
call a rector immediately after the retirement of the Rev. Bruce Irwin.
The Very Rev. Lloyd Lewis, Jr., Archdeacon Roper Shamhart and the Rev.
Frederick Howard served as supply priest between October, 1993 to
August, 1995. Out-migration of most members of St. John's Flushing
congregation; the influx of non-Episcopalian immigrants to the the
Church neighborhood; and the scarcity of a full time rector took its
toll on St. John's congregation. Thus, on account of a declining church membership, St. John's
Episcopal Church, Flushing was yoked with St. Paul's Episcopal Church,
College Point, New York.
In September, 1995, the Rev. Anthony DiLorenzo
[right photo],
BA; M.Div; D.A.S, 
became rector of
the aforementioned yoked parishes. Fr. DiLorenzo's greatest challenge was contending with the fast changing
demograhic and cultural landscape in Flushing Queens where St. John's
was located. Asian immigrants -mostly of Chinese and Koreans descent - were
becoming the major residents of the immediate neighborhood of St. John's
Flushing. It may be said that Fr. DiLorenzo's tenure at St. John's
Flushing was defined by a concerted effort towards creating a truly
multi-ethnic ministry. Father DiLorenzo resigned in October 1998 when he accepted
an equally challenging assignment - to become Rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Ronkonkoma, New York.
 On November 1, 1998, the
Rev. Dario G. Palasi [left
photo], a
graduate of St. Andrews Theological Seminary in the Philippines, was
sent as supply priest for St. John's Episcopal Church by
Archdeacon Bernard Young, while the
Diocesan authorities wrestled with the future of the Parish. Shortly
after Father DiLorenzo left, the congregation dwindled to only 14 parishioners. Father Palasi
served as supply priest until he was appointed by Bishop Orris Walker, Jr., Bishop of Long Island, as Associate Priest in June,
2001.
[It was also in June 2001,
when St. Joseph's/Holy Trinity, a Korean Episcopal Congregation from
Astoria, New York was authorized to move to St. John's Episcopal Church,
Flushing apparently to maximize the use of the Church facilities. The
Korean congregation worships [in the Korean language ] starting at 11:00 AM during Sundays.]
Sending Fr. Palasi to St. John's
Episcopal Church, Flushing must have been a
stroke of genius on the part of Archdeacon Bernard Young or was
by Divine Intervention. While St. John's Episcopal Church Flushing
has a long way to go in terms of becoming financially independent, the English mass
congregation has grown tremendously in terms of number under the
stewardship of the Rev. Dario Palasi. The
English mass Sunday congregation currently averages from 60 to 80 worshippers
from the 14 souls when Fr. Palasi took over. Several
improvements/repairs in the church facilities were also made or being
contemplated during Fr. Palasi's, heretofore, floating tenure
at St. John's Flushing.
Notwithstanding Fr.
Palasi's outstanding stewardship, St. John's Episcopal Church Flushing
could have eventually closed without the "never-say-die" support
of Vestry Warden, Edwin Medina (picture at right); Altar Guild
Coordinator, Blanche Higgins,;Treasurer, Annette Gardocki. and the
life-long father and son church members, Ed (Sr) and Ed (Jr.) Hambrecht.
Many of the former congregation members of St. John's Flushing
transferred to other churches.
St. John's Episcopal Church
in Flushing continues to attract
people, albeit in trickles and occasionally , from nearby communities in
Nassau, the Bronx, Connecticut, Brooklyn and New Jersey. These are
mainly un-churched immigrants or minorities seeking spiritual fellowship
where they really feel welcomed - herein lies the strength of Fr. Dario Palasi's ministry.
While Fr. Palasi has recently been
conferred the title "The Very Rev." following his appointment as Dean of
the Flushing Deanery [July 1, 2006], majority of the current congregation of St.
John's Episcopal Church, Flushing, look forward to the addition of The
Very Rev. Dario Palasi's name
to the list of distinguished rectors of St. John's.
*The main source of information for the above write-up is St.
John's First Hundred Years Souvenir Program authored mainly by The Rev.
Frederick Howard; and interviews with Ed Hambrecht, who has been
with St. John's Episcopal Church, Flushing since Fr. Benjamin's tenure
as Rector of the church. His wife, Hope, was baptized by the Rev.
George W. Eccles, the first Rector of St. Johns. Comments, suggestions and/or
corrections are welcome and maybe forwarded to Lambert Sagalla at:
Igorot44@aol.com or
Igorot44@verizon.net ]
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St.
John's Episcopal Church
