St. Joachim's Church
Rev. Denis Sheehan followed Fr. Brophy as pastor of St. Mary’s in Wappingers Falls and continued to lay the groundwork for a new parish in the Fishkill Landing-Matteawan area. He started to keep records for the new parish in 1853 and is considered the first pastor of St. Joachim’s, even though he never resided here. He purchased property for a new church in Matteawan in 1855. The church was enclosed in 1857 and Mass has been said there ever since. The church was dedicated in 1861 under Rev. James Coyle, pastor. The rectory was purchased in 1860 and land for a cemetery was purchased in 1866. A parochial school began in 1861. The Sisters of Charity of Mt. St. Vincent began teaching in the school in 1883. The first parishioner to become a priest (Edward F. Somers) was ordained in 1886. The first parishioner to become a religious sister (Mary Agnes Horan) entered the Sisters of Charity in 1889.
In 1861, Fr. Coyle established a mission church, St. Mary’s, in Fishkill which was dedicated in October 1864. It remained a mission church for 92 years until Cardinal Spellman established it as a separate parish in 1953. Rev. Terrence Kelly, pastor 1890-1900, was the first assistant to return as pastor of St. Joachim’s. To meet the increasing needs in the area, he established a mission church, St. Francis, in Timoneyville (now Dutchess Junction) in 1899. He was the first Catholic priest to offer Mass in Matteawan State Hospital, which came under the care of St. Joachim’s in 1892. This meant that St. Joachim’s now had three mission churches; St. Mary’s in Fishkill, St. Francis in Timoneyville and Matteawan State Hospital.
St. Francis closed as a mission church in 1928 with the dwindling number of workers in the brickyards. In 1924, our priests began saying Mass in the Veterans’ Hospital in Chelsea.
The school building was essentially demolished, rebuilt and expanded during the summer of 1931. It was expanded again in the 1950’s and the gym was added in 1964.
The statue of the Blessed Mother in front of St. Joachim’s was a gift to the parish in 1938.
The old cemetery was opened in 1866 and was enlarged in 1925. The first land for the new cemetery was purchased in 1928. It has been enlarged twice since.
Rev. James F. Tully became the first priest at St. Joachim’s, and the second in the City of Beacon, to be named a Monsignor (1962). The Sisters of Charity served St. Joachim’s School for just over 100 years, ending in 1984. About 105 sisters had been missioned to the school during that time.
The Capuchin Franciscan Friars from St. Lawrence Friary assisted the parish by celebrating Mass on Sunday for a number of years, ending their service about 1985.
St. Joachim’s has had a very active CYO basketball program for many years, especially since the new gym was built in 1964. The parish has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 24 since 1922 and continually for the past 50 years. Twenty-four scouts from our troop have become Eagle Scouts.
The religious education program for grammar and high school students has been active in the parish for years. The Ursulines taught the non-parochial school children for some time in the 1950’s and 1960’s. While Rev. Tully was pastor, he had buses pick up the public school children for “released time” CCD classes taught by St. Joachim’s school staff. The program switched to Sundays when released time ended.
Six parishioners became Sisters of Charity and four became Franciscan Sisters. One parishioner was a religious brother for several years. Nine parishioners became priests as did three other men who claimed Beacon as their adoptive home. See the separate listing for brief information and consult the references for additional information on each of these people and their careers.
Over sixty-five priests served the parish over the years. (See the separate listing.)
Deacon Joseph Hafemann served the parish in the 1990’s.
St. Joachim’s held a year-long celebration of its 150 anniversary from December 2002 through December 2003. The two parishes officially merged effective January 2, 2004.
