Chapter 8 - The Flame from the Altar - Yaphank Historical Society

18 Pages·2012·3.19 MB·English

EIGHT
THE FLAME FROM THE ALTAR
“My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame”
In one of the perennial surveys conducted by every department and committee
of the Church, the question was asked: “What period of your parish’s history
would you call it’s ‘Golden Age’?” Well, the answer to that question is easy:
Our incredibly rich heritage is most certainly a treasure and is thoroughly cher-
ished by us, and yet this is the beginning of a new Golden Age of St. Andrew’s
Church!
In his sermon on the occasion of our 135th anniversary in 1988, the Rt. Rev’d
Lloyd Gressle, the retired Bishop of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania said: “Take the
flame from the altar, not the ashes.” We know that God wants us to walk for-
ward in the Light, and He also requires that we know from whence we came and
that we also remember and follow the faith of the saints. We are inspired by the
faith and dedication of the canonical saints, and also by such as Susan, James,
William, Clara, August, Willard, Alice, Auguste, Ruby, Edward, Henry, and so
many others. The ministry of the bishops, priests, deacons, and laity of St.
Andrew’s has been registered in heaven. The mantle has fallen to us and is upon
our shoulders.
AN EXPERIMENT
In a new departure, in the fall of 1971, Archdeacon Paul Wancura recom-
mended to Bishop Sherman that the Rev’d Richard C. Chapin be appointed part-
time priest-in-charge of St. Andrew’s Church. Fr. Chapin was employed full-
time by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services as a teacher / coordina-
tor of special education, having resigned as Rector of St. Paul’s, Patchogue after
a nine year tenure. It was the first appointment of a “worker priest” in the dio-
cese.
The new vicar and his wife, Jean, along with their son Jeremy, came to St.
Andrew’s on the first Sunday in January, 1972. Their daughter, Cynthia, re-
mained at St. Ann’s, Sayville, where she was a member of the choir. The Chapin’s
had the advantage of a previous acquaintance with several families, primarily
through St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Patchogue. Olive Williams, who was a
member of St. Andrew’s Executive Committee and president of the Episcopal
Churchwomen, was also principal of St. Paul’ School, having been hired as a
teacher by Fr. Chapin in 1965. Other members of the Executive Committee with
connections to St. Paul’s School were Edward Ramshaw, whose son Dennis was
an alumnus of St. Paul’s, and Henry Overhoff, whose grandchildren had also
attended the school. The Middle Island Nursery School, founded by a former
teacher at St. Paul’s School, Patchogue, had been renting space in our parish
house on weekdays for several years, providing about one third of our annual
budget.
Fr. Chapin’s first goal was to visit each family belonging to the mission. The
old adage that “a home-going parson leads to a church-going people” is as true
as the day is long. In 1972 St. Andrew’s had an average attendance of 25. We
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parked our cars on the front lawn of the church and along the road. The first new
activity was a weekly coffee hour, so that we could spend a little time together
after service. Someone suggested that, since we had so many children attending
regularly, we might revive the Sunday School. Olive Williams volunteered to
teach on Sunday’s, as she had in the past, and Diane Heisser offered to help.
The three students were Jimmy Heisser, Eric and Karin Sives.
Even before all these signs of new life at St. Andrew’s, people in the neighbor-
hood began hearing beautiful sounds from the church tower as the bell was once
again rung to announce the service. The bell tower was soon the object of an all
day cleaning project carried out by the vicar and his troop of special education
Boy Scouts. Many buckets of “matter” were lowered to the ground. In the
process of cleaning the tower, the old pew doors were found where they had
been stored many years before. Bob Heisser volunteered to clean and reinstall
them on the pews. The lighting inside the church was so poor that we bought
pewter wall sconces and proceeded to light the candles each Sunday. Although
they did not give a lot of light, they did provide a warm and cheerful glow. Two
of the sconces were later dedicated as memorials to Margaret and Charles Knight;
Margaret was our organist from June, 1973 until she died from injuries incurred
in an accident in January, 1975. One year, when the weather was pleasant, we
celebrated mass outdoors under the pines in front of the church using a portable
electric organ to assist in singing the hymns.
New activities at the church included a “Family Night” covered dish supper
which became an annual February event. During the first few years, most of the
active families attended; on one occasion, Henry Overhoff played his zither for
us. Margaret Cosier accepted the job of telephone communicator, and we had a
workable system of reaching all our members. The Episcopal Churchwomen
met regularly each month and sponsored two “Dutch treat” dinners each year, at
Christmas and in June. Olive Williams, who had been President of the group for
a number of years, asked that someone else give it a try, so the members elected
Olive Archer to succeed her mother. Margaret Cosier was Vice- President, Anne
Engelhardt was Secretary, Diane Heisser was Treasurer, and Marge Ramshaw
was in charge of the Merchandise Club, a major source of income for the ECW.
In 1972, the Executive Committee, included Ed Ramshaw, Treasurer; Beatrice
Kollett; Henry Overhoff and Olive Williams, Clerk. Bob Heisser, who had re-
cently transferred to us, was asked to join. Meetings were held, when needed, at
Bea’s home diagonally across the road from the church. During the first two
years, several long term goals were established by consensus. One was that the
diocesan missionary asking would receive a high priority among the demands
on our budget. Other goals included the reduction of diocesan aid toward the
housing allowance, and the repayment of long standing loans from the Depart-
ment of Mission. Within ten years, the first of the goals was reached; we were
contributing our full missionary quota and were completely self-supporting. Then
the committee began the process of raising the vicar’s stipend annually. Debt
reduction took a little longer because a new loan was arranged to pay for build-
ing materials for the new sacristy in 1981. By 1986, $7000. had been paid on
the low interest loans from the Department of Mission, some of which dated
back to 1960 when the parish house was built. In 1971 the total attendance at all
services was 862. In 1981 it was 3,102, and in 1982 3,425.
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Other projects during the first few years included the excavation of a small
cellar under the parish house for the installation of an entirely new hot water
heating system; Ed and Pat Sives had recently transferred to us and Ed provided
the heating installation at cost. Ed Ramshaw, who had almost single-handedly
cared for the church and churchyard for years, got to work repairing the parish
hall porch roof flashing, installing new fascia boards, and arranging for new
gutters and down spouts. He also completed the replacement of the rotted col-
umns on the front porch of the church and repaired the parish house columns.
Much of the record described in this chapter centers around the projects de-
signed to repair and preserve our buildings; that is to be expected because it had
been some time since many of these things had been done and we were adjust-
ing to new growth. Bricks and mortar, prayer, teaching and ministry went for-
ward together.
RETURN OF THE LOST 1/3 ACRE
Soon after his arrival, Fr. Chapin visited the Rev’d Richard Gray at Brookhaven
and received from him a list of families, several envelopes containing minutes
of Executive Committee meetings, all the correspondence and plans for the build-
ing of the parish house in 1958-60, and the piece of siding removed from the
church during the 1960 construction containing the 1853 signature of Edmund
Petty, the builder of the church.
There was also some interesting information regarding the lot to the east of the
churchyard. Clara Weeks conveyed the one-third acre to the diocese for St.
Andrew’s in 1929. We have a January 1931 note from the archdeacon to the
treasurer of the diocese asking whether or not he had the deed, indicating that
members of the family had inquired. Subsequently, it was learned that the dioc-
esan treasurer neglected to file for tax exempt status for the property and also
did not act when the lot was put up for tax sale. Kenneth Leeds, a land specula-
tor, purchased the lot for the taxes. When he was approached by Fr. Gray in
1961 with the suggestion that he might donate the lot to the Church for a much
needed parking lot, he responded with an offer to give the lot as a cemetery, with
each burial lot valued at $300., giving the one-third acre a value of well over a
million dollars which he could then declare as a charitable contribution for tax
purposes. Needless to say, Fr. Gray recommended that the diocese refuse the
offer and that was done.
Because we were running out of parking space, with all of six or seven cars on
the front lawn and the rest along the road, a new effort was made by Fr. Chapin
to acquire the lot. Following a visit to Mr. Leed’s secretary, Helen DiBiase, and
to Trustee Marie Erny, within a few months we received a letter indicating that
the property had been conveyed, free and clear, to the diocese. By 1972 Mr.
Leeds was terminally ill and had begun to lose interest in the acquisition of
earthly treasures. Mrs. DiBiase was a good friend who had a major influence of
the future of St. Andrew’s. The Executive Committee asked Ed Ramshaw to
have some of the trees removed so that the lot could be used for parking. Tire
ruts were smoothed out and the front lawn was re-seeded.
On December 2, 1973 we celebrated the 120th anniversary of the building and
the 100th anniversary of the dedication of St. Andrew’s. Our guest preacher was
the Rt. Rev’d Jonathan G. Sherman, Bishop of Long Island. Prior to the anni-
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versary, the Brookhaven Department of Parks and Recreation sent a crew of
men to clean out the old cemetery. This was an age wherein town and church
could help each other without benefit of contentious watchdogs busy blocking
up the doors in the “wall of separation”.
In 1975, the committee had reduced the diocesan subsidy toward the salary
from $1200. to $740. and had assumed responsibility for the vicar’s pension
premiums. The major accomplishments of that year were the erection of wel-
come signs at each end of Main Street and on Long Island Avenue, the installa-
tion of a post and rail fence around the parking lot, and well attended work days
on which whole families came out to clean the church and yard. Just keeping
the cemetery from being overrun with brambles and vines was a big job. Paint-
ing of the buildings was also attempted on a piecemeal basis; this effort went on
year after year. By 1976, we needed a new well and pump, so Ed Sives came to
the rescue, digging and installing a new well in the cellar.
The early 1970’s saw the reintroduction of acolytes. At first, it was Jeremy
Chapin, Marty Klein, Jr., Mark Skowron, and Bob “Beezy” Williams”, fol-
lowed later by Jimmy Heisser, Karin and Eric Sives. By 1977, our acolytes were
vested, and the old processional cross had been repaired and embellished with
the cross of St. Andrew. Floodlights were installed in front of the church, insu-
lation was added above the church and parish house ceilings. A cemetery com-
mittee was appointed, with Lucille Stroud as chairman, and several gravestones
were repaired and restored. Henry Overhoff, Lucille, and Wally Stroud worked
many days returning the cemetery to an acceptable appearance.
NATIONAL BICENTENNIAL
A letter sent out to our members in the fall of 1976 stated: “In the year 2003,
St. Andrew’s will be 150 years old and there will be, no doubt, a great celebra-
tion. In case you’re not sure whether or not you will be able to attend that
service, you might want to take advantage of this year’s celebration, when our
church will be 123 years old.... “We will mark the day with ... the 1776 Service,
using the liturgy of our forefathers.”
A major project, completed in time for the nation’s bicentennial, was the cre-
ation of needlepoint kneelers to supplement those that had been made from car-
peting and horsehair in the last century. The members of the ECW chose Long
Island wild flowers as the theme, and the work went on for more than a year.
Another highlight was the Independence Day parade in Patchogue, in which St.
Andrew’s and St. Paul’s marched together representing the Episcopal Church.
We carried our flags and banners, and we had a float. Fr. Chapin’s recently
restored 1903 Concord Runabout (buggy) was pulled by two members of St.
Paul’s and carried three little children dressed in colonial garb. The vicar car-
ried an 1801 Bible and wore 18th century vestments. The buggy appeared two
years later for our 125th Anniversary, being carried to church on top of the vicar’s
Volkswagen, and parked on the front lawn. The congregation posed for a photo-
graph with JoAnn Amos, one of our new members, sitting in the buggy dressed
in mid -19th century clothing.
In 1977 a threat loomed in the west. Because Fr. Chapin was the first Long
Island “worker-priest” appointed to a cure, a group of clergy interested in guar-
anteeing full-time work for all clergy, proposed a diocesan policy paper severely
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limiting any future such appointments,
suggesting that it was an undesirable form
of ministry. There were by that time a few
other clergy serving in similar situations,
but none were asked to participate in the
writing of the proposal. Worker priests or
ministers had been in use in Anglican and
other denominations for centuries, but
were comparatively new to the modern
Episcopal Church. The vicar wrote an un-
solicited and extensive evaluation of the
proposal, which received a warm response National Bicentennial, 1976
from Bishop Witcher, and the matter disapJpoeAanrne dA minotso i nth Ceo “ncroorudn Rdu fnialebo”u.t
COMMON FAITH AND PURPOSE
In the face of radical innovations in our national Church, dividing us from
other Anglicans and all Catholic Churches, most of our members, along with the
vicar, signed a statement of faith affiliating them with other Episcopalians in an
association called Episcopal Synod of America. Some years later, the synod
voted to change its name to Forward in Faith, North America, in keeping with
like-minded Anglicans in the Church of England and around the world. FIF/NA
continues to grow in membership and witness at this writing. We affirmed the
following so that faithful witness to apostolic Faith and catholic Order may be
continued within the Churches of Anglican heritage:
* I believe our Lord Jesus Christ, has given His Church an Order
which claims the loyalty of faithful Christians above and beyond
any deviation sanctioned by any humanly-invented institution,
whether secular or ecclesiastical.
* I accept the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as
“containing all things necessary to salvation,” and as being the
rule and ultimate standard of faith and morals.
* I accept the Apostles’ Creed as the Baptismal Symbol; and the
Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith.
* I accept the two Sacraments ordained by Christ Himself Bap-
tism and the Supper of the Lord — ministered with unfailing use
of Christ’s words of Institution, and of the elements ordained by
Him.
*I accept the historic episcopate, locally adapted in the methods
of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and
peoples called of God into the Unity of His Church. I do not
consider that the churches of the Anglican Communion have au-
thority to change the historic tradition of the Church that the
Christian ministerial priesthood is male, and I will refrain from
any and all actions which might signify acceptance of such pur-
ported change.
* I will do what God grants me the strength to accomplish to
uphold the Church’s Order, both materially and spiritually.
* I will resist all present and future attempts to compromise the
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integrity of this Order, without regard to the temporal conse-
quences that may be inflicted by any agency.
FIF/NA also took a stand on other issues, including the position that congre-
gations should be permitted to use classical Anglican prayer books along with
the official book, and that the Church should continue its historic pro-life wit-
ness in a culture determined to change the moral landscape of our nation.
ALL THINGS NEW
The year 1977 brought the purchase of our “Coronation Tapestry” altar
frontal and pulpit hanging (the latter sewn by Ann Engelhardt), followed by
matching mass vestments in 1985. Bea Kollett sewed a number of new altar
linens. A literature rack was also donated in memory of Fr. Willard Kile.
In 1978, on a school summer sabbatical, Fr. Chapin went to England as part of
a LI University course to study British primary schools. On one of the school
visits in East London, the students were scheduled to “beat the bounds”. They
walked the boundaries of the old parish, which included walking through a mod-
ern office building located across parish boundaries; the office staff was expect-
ing them and happily greeted the procession. At each of the four corners of the
boundary, usually on a busy street corner, the adults spread out a sturdy blanket
and a student stepped into the center, to be tossed in the air three times. It was
explained to us that in former times, a boy would be selected to be switched with
a branch or rod; the purpose was to impress upon the boys the location of the
boundaries of their parish. Modern sensibilities brought about the substitution
of a gentler attention getting method. Since the London school was a secular
institution carrying on an old custom, no prayers were said.
Upon return home the custom was explained to the parish family, and on the
next Rogation Sunday we introduced the yearly custom. After mass, while sing-
ing a hymn, we processed to the back of the churchyard, to the grave of “Little
Susy”. We reminded the children about our parish beginnings and offered prayers
for our forebears. After prayers, we tossed one child. Our second station was at
the corner which we had blessed as a memorial to all unborn children, using the
collect for Holy Innocents (adapted). Two children were tossed. The third sta-
tion was at the front corner next to our parking lot. One at a time, three children
were tossed following the prayers. At the final corner under the old pines, we
tossed every remaining child who wished to be included. Each station called for
different prayers, including some for those who harvest our food, for our nation,
etc.
November 1978 brought our 125th anniversary Festival Evensong, with the
Rt. Rev’d Reginald H. Gooden, Retired bishop of Panama as our guest preacher.
The Ven. Harry B. Sherman, Archdeacon of Suffolk and Rector of St. Paul’s,
Patchogue, and the Rev’d Herman P.J. Schramm, Vicar of St. James’, Brookhaven
assisted. Based on Clara Weeks’ earlier account, Margaret Cosier wrote a brief
history of St. Andrew’s. The following year we were fortunate to be able to
engage Greg Sherman as our organist. He is the son of Fr. and Mrs. Sherman
and a very skilled musician. In November of 1980 we celebrated the vicar’s
25th anniversary of ordination as priest with a special service, at which we had
a collection for theological books for our seminarian assistant, Henry Chan.
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BUILD WE MUST
The increased number of people coming to St. Andrew’s was once again be-
ginning to create a problem with space. A growing Sunday School had already
filled the one room parish house. ECW meetings were held in the parish hall,
which was crowded on weekdays with the Middle Island Nursery School equip-
ment, acolytes and clergy were squeezed into our tiny sacristy, not to mention
the problems when there was a visiting bishop and other clergy! The Altar
Guild had little room in which to work and less room to store the vestments. It
was becoming increasingly obvious that we would have to do something. By
1980 everyone was convinced that it was time to build!
We measured a space, 24 x 24, behind the old sacristy, JoAnn Amos put our
rough sketch on a blueprint, and we commenced acquiring all the necessary
approvals. We had saved about $4,000., so we borrowed another $3,000. from
the Department of Mission and went to work. On the third Sunday of Eastertide,
May 3, 1981, we processed out of church to the site and had a proper ground
breaking. The vicar had to take his turn at the shovel, then dash off to St. James’,
Brookhaven, where he was once again filling in between incumbent priests.
Within a few days, Danny Tew provided the excavation as a donation. However,
on the day before the bulldozer arrived, we found that we had miscalculated the
location of some of the grave sites and had to reduce the size of the building to
20 x 24! We hired a mason contractor and an electrician, and Ed Sives provided
the plumbing labor as a donation.
We could write a whole chapter about Wally Stroud — our “diamond in the
rough”! Wally’s first reaction to the vicar’s request that he take a couple of
months from his recent well-earned retirement and build the sacristy, was pre-
dictable. He said “No way!”. However, encouraged by Lucille to persevere, the
question was asked again, and Wally said “Maybe”. His one condition, since Fr.
Chapin had volunteered to help full-time for one month, was that the vicar must
promise not to tell Wally how to build. Apparently there had been some conflict
of opinion regarding the building of the parish house twenty years before. The
vicar at that time had experience in the ancient art of carpentry and a need to
make the decisions. With the promise cheerfully given, the work began at 8:00
a.m. sharp on July 1, 1981, with Wally, Lucille and Fr. Chapin on site, with Al
Rowland, Mike Seif and others working the occasional “night shift”.
Building the Sacristy Left: Lucille & Wally Stroud with Jason & JoAnn Amos,
Right: Fr. Chapin, Assistant Carpenter
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Day by day, with help from others as their time permitted, we built the sac-
risty. Some of those who helped were Artie and JoAnn Amos, Mike Seif, Frank
Ierardi, Eric and Karin Sives, Ed Ramshaw, Jr., Margot Rosenka, and Carol
Rosenka Mauro, and Al Rowland. Leon and Sue Molini carted away many
loads of debris, while Debbie Ierardi, Ann Engelhardt and Judy Seif worked on
landscaping and other tasks. Several of our young people back filled the foun-
dation after church one Sunday. Henry Overhoff, as senior adviser, came over
from across the street occasionally to supervise. As the building progressed,
there was an outpouring of generosity which surpassed anything we had ever
seen before. Members and friends gave donations toward everything. The car-
peting, the chandelier, the large table, chairs, and the picture window to name a
few. At the same time other replacements were made including carpeting in the
church, a new dossal behind the altar, American and Church flags, and sconces
on the walls. The long list of donations is inscribed in the Book of Remem-
brance. For a few weeks, we were entrusted, by Jean Croswell Rogers Cahn,
with the sewing case of her great-grandmother Susan Jones Weeks. A note writ-
ten by Susan said that it was a gift from James before their marriage. A variety
of precious family heirlooms were in the case.
Olive Williams, 1981, in new sacristy with
Sewing Case of Susan Jones Weeks, 1818
running water!
The dedication service, October 25, 1981, was a time for rejoicing and was
presided over by our kindly and beloved Suffragan Bishop, the Rt. Rev’d Henry
B. Hucles, III. The building was dedicated to the glory of God, and in memory
of Edward T. Ramshaw, Robert Heisser and Mary Taylor. There were many
memorial gifts to furnish the sacristy and the church proper. It was good to
know that we were able and willing to do most of the work ourselves, just as a
previous generation, which included Wally, had built the parish hall themselves.
The cost of materials and the few necessary contractors was only $7,000. In all,
we spent under $10,000. and the debt to the diocese was paid up in five years.
Before the paint was dry on the new building, Wally was building shelves in
the old sacristy. We renamed that little room the Library and began our collec-
tion with a grant from the Bishop White Parish Library Association of Philadel-
phia. Later, a food pantry was begun and a few library shelves were set aside for
that work of mercy. Another project completed during the same year was the
installation of exterior Plexiglas over the windows of the church. Lucille Stroud,
one of our artists-in-residence has delighted many with oil paintings of St.
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Andrew’s on slate for special occasions, such as the honoring one of our mem-
bers, or an active family moving away. Lucille also has painted several of our
Paschal candles, with the Cross of Christ over St. Andrew’s, and has taught
groups the skill of painting miniature landscapes. Claudia Stroud Liere, a pro-
fessional cake decorator, baked cakes for many special occasions such as anni-
versaries and confirmations.
With the completion of the new sacristy, we had room to expand the Sunday
School space and our young peoples’ group enjoyed the peace and quiet of their
own room. From a modest reorganization in 1972 with three children, our Sun-
day School continued to be the fastest growing part of our parish family. Spe-
cial note should be made about those parents and others who have made it all
work. From the first, Olive Williams continued for may years as Sunday School
Superintendent, followed by JoAnn Amos, and then Olive Archer. They were
assisted at various times over twenty-odd years by Art Amos, Karen Budd, Anne
Burge, Miriam Cancel, Henry Chan, Karenjean Dickhoff, Sue Fischer, Fran
Goldhorn, Terree Hamilton, Diane Heisser, Nancy Hirsch, Denise Kern, Ginny
Krumsiek, Howard Krumsiek, Gail Lattanzio, Claudia Liere, Carol Maggio, Carol
Mauro, Maggie McCutcheon, Maureen Mercandetti, Ellie McSweeney, Tara
Norton, Lorraine Ramshaw, Kathy Rate, Helen Reilly, Frank and Gail Riccardi,
Margie Rosenka, Linda Rowland, Judy and Mike Seif, Pat Sives, Annabelle
Stipes, Enid Tooker, Linda Weeks, Bob Williams,Jr., June Wilson, Christina
Wolansky, Karen VanKleef, Kathy Verbiar, and our enthusiastic guitarist Karen
DeVries.
Christmas pageants were directed in turn by Judy Seif, JoAnn Amos, and Sue
Fischer. In 1987 we had two pageants in one week; the first by the children of
Canterbury School, and the second by our Sunday School. In the early 90’s, we
initiated a schedule of playground monitors to help prevent accidents or misbe-
havior during coffee hour. Most of the parents on duty were the same people
who were already fully involved in parish activities.
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION?
In 1982, we reported forty two children in Sunday School, total church atten-
dance was 3,425, annual budget had reached $13,000, all debts were down to
$3,000, we over pledged Episcopal Charities, we participated in the food pantry
at St. Paul’s, Patchogue, and we had a highly successful quilt raffle and a yard
sale.
By 1983, we were involved in ambitious new projects. Almost by accident,
we found that the main girder, running the full length of the church, was rotten
and in danger of collapsing. A new pressure-treated girder was installed at about
the same time that we heard of an entire congregation that had fallen through a
rotten church floor! Of course, with only a crawl space under our church, we
wouldn’t have had far to fall. Because of the increasing number of church bur-
glaries in the area, and the increased awareness of the danger of fire in an old
structure, the committee contracted to have a fire detection system installed
throughout, and a security alarm in the new sacristy. Several years later, Rich-
ard Rosenka donated and installed a central station monitoring device so that an
alarm would be relayed to fire or police departments. In 1989, the complex was
severely damaged by lightning and was replaced with a new state-of-the-art
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system. Painting of the buildings also took place in 1983, as did the gravel
surfacing of the parking lot and the building of closets in the parish hall for the
use of the Middle Island Nursery School.
Not all projects were related to the upkeep and improvement of our place of
worship, although those are the easiest to document. From 1984 to 1989, our
members were involved in the weekly Yaphank “Feed-A-Need” program housed
at the Presbyterian Church. Once each week dinner was prepared and served to
families in need, most of whom were being housed by the county in the old
motel. St. Andrew’s was represented by Anne Burge, Ginny Gautier, Hazel
Kohlmeier, Dian Schwetje, Marge Schaefer, Judy Seif, Eric Seif, Lillian Stafford,
and Enid Tooker. When the program ended, our food pantry continued, later to
be allied with “We Care” of Middle Island. We called our effort the “Inasmuch
Program” (see Matt. 25:40 KJV).
Among our children and young people who served week by week at the altar
were: Elizabeth Amos, Jason Amos, Jamie Archer, Leslie Budd, Iris Cancel,
Noemi Cancel, Tomas Cancel, Anthony Chan, Kelly DeVries, Linda Fischer,
Laurie Foy, Randy Foy, Jennifer Geiger, Jeff Goldhorn, Stephen Goldhorn,
Patricia Hamilton, Jim Heisser, Adam Hirsch, Eric Hirsch, Jennifer Hirsch, Bruce
Keegan, Michelle Keegan, Amy Kern, Heidi Krumsiek, Becky McDonald, Bobby
Lattanzio, Michael Lee, David Liere, Michelle Maggio, Chris Mallory, Jason
McCutcheon, Jamie Merriam, Bruce Meuschke, Michelle Meuschke, Laurie
Polonski, Todd Polonski, Dustin Riccardi, Erica Riccardi, Eddie Ramshaw, Jackie
Roudabusch, Melissa Rowland, Donna Russello, Erika Schaub, Michael Schiavo,
Brian Seif, Eric Seif, Tim Seif, Eric Sives, Karin Sives, Donn Stipes, Jennifer
Stipes, Melissa Stroud, Doug Tooker, Kelly Tooker, Robbie Tooker, John Walsh,
May Walsh, Coleen Watson, Lance Watson, Jessica Weeks, Nicole Woods, Heidi
Wrobel and Kelli Wrobel. Assisting the vicar, Al Rowland served as director for
several years, followed by Bob & Judy Williams.
We were greatly impacted by events at St. Paul’s, Patchogue in 1984, due to
some unfortunate leadership problems. First, the parish/regional day school, with
which several of our members were associated, was expelled from the parish.
For two years after leaving St. Paul’s, it was a “private school”, chartered by
New York State and named Canterbury School. Bishop Witcher and Bishop
Hucles then made it possible for St. Andrew’s to sponsor the school as part of
the diocese. St. Ann’s, Sayville joined us in the sponsorship, with an offer of
educational facilities. However, the quarters failed to meet building code re-
quirements. Rental facilities at a Roman Catholic parish in East Patchogue con-
tinued for another year, followed by an additional year at the United Methodist
Church, Bayport. After twenty-seven years of continuous operation, the school
was finally forced to close due to financial failure. Meanwhile, thousands of
children had been given an excellent education in a Christian environment. During
the final years, Olive Williams remained as principal and Fr. Chapin became an
active member of the school board. One of our members, Pam Foy, was chair-
man, and another, Annabelle Williams Stipes, was treasurer. At about the same
time a number of people left St. Paul’s, some of whom transferred to St. Andrew’s.
We were blessed by their addition to our family and by their leadership and
enthusiasm. After the problem at St. Paul’s was resolved, some returned and
others remained with us, having become integral members of “Little Susy’s
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