Monday, January 2, 2012

Holy Family, Hicksville


Above is the parish sign facing NY Highway 106, Newbridge Road, about a mile southwest of the Hicksville railroad station.  The intersection with Fordham Avenue has a traffic signal.  Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.  Photo from early 2012.


The address is 17 Fordham Avenue, Hicksville, NY 11801, telephone 516-938-3846. The parish website is linked here.  


This view looks west along Fordham Avenue towards Newbridge Road.  One entrance of the church, at the tower, leads to both naves, with the altar where they meet.  At the right of the above photo, the white door leads to the new foyer created during the 2013 renovations. The smaller nave (in the distance) had pews for about 130 but now has chairs.  The window honors the St. Ann, as shown below.  (In editing, I just realized the appropriateness of this window, as Ann is Grandma to Jesus, in the Holy Family.)
  

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The altar now faces the longer nave, as shown below.  The shorter nave is to the left of the altar.



Each photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.  Note the representation of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, Joseph) to the right of the altar. Also, please note at the right the wise installation of a ramp for those who find the altar steps difficult. The baptismal font is at the left in this photo.





Clear glass provides light for the church and offers a beautiful view of trees.  Before the construction of the school in 1960, this long nave had rooms for religious ed classes during the week.  On Sunday, partitions were folded back and chairs arranged for the overflow of Sunday congregants.
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The parish was established in 1951, and a cornerstone of the smaller nave has the date 1953.  As the families grew simultaneously in the Levitt homes there was a surge in population.  The homes of parishioners have Hicksville, Westbury, East Meadow, and Levittown addresses.  Recall that William Levitt's first houses were built near Center Lane near Hempstead Turnpike.  As the years progressed, he continued to build on farmland in each direction.  At some point, he was limited by the older homes in Hicksville or places where other builders had purchased land.  Tax records show a 1952 construction date for homes near the church.


Holy Family parish school is at 25 Fordham Avenue, Hicksville NY 11801, telephone 516-938-3846. Its website is linked here.  The church is to my left.  



That's my school bag.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for your profile of our church. I would have gladly taken you on a tour of the renovation. There is one correction to your information. All masses are celebrated in the church. Mass was only celebrated in the Parish Center Chapel during the renovation.

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