When is Mass?

Masses are celebrated on Saturday at 5pm; and Sunday at 8am, 10am, and 12noon. On Monday through Friday, daily mass is at 9:30am. During Holy Week and Christmas, and other Holy Days of Obligation, check the bulletin or the "Mass Times" page on this site for the schedule for Masses and services

Who is saying what Mass?

The Presiders and altar servers for the upcoming week are in the current week's bulletin. In addition, this information is also available on the "Mass Times" page of this site.  Finally the current Eucharistic Minister and Lector schedule are also available online.

What time are Confessions (the sacrament of Reconciliation) heard?

Confession are heard each Saturday from 4pm to 4:45pm. They will be heard at other times by appointment. Please call the Parish Center at (631) 271-4455 for a particular priest and convenient hour.

How can I reach someone in the Parish Center?

You can reach the Parish Center at (631) 271-4455 by phone, (631) 271-1415 by fax or Center@stelizabeth.org by email. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have an emergency and require the immediate attention of a priest, call the main telephone number and follow the instructions given.

How much of my money goes to the Diocese?

To fund the many Diocesan programs and offices in Rockville Centre, the Diocese assesses each parish 8% of regular collections. Regular collections includes Sunday, Holy Day, Easter and Christmas collections.

The Diocese does not assess contributions which are donated for an approved capital campaign or donated for a specific program, such as Parish Outreach.

Why is there only one priest at St. Elizabeth?

The number of priests assigned to a parish is based on five sacramental statistics. These are baptisms, first communions, and confirmations (children only), marriages and funerals. A four year average is calculated for each parish. The proportion of this parish average to the Diocesan wide average is then applied to the number of active priests in the Diocese. Unique situations must also be considered. These would include the need for priests who speak a particular language used in the area or the age or health of the assigned priests.

As of July, 2002, there were less than 300 active priests in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. There are 134 parishes in the Diocese. There are now 45 one-priest parishes, one third of the parishes.

Extern priests are not included in this figure. An extern priest is a priest from another diocese serving in the local diocese. If an extern priest wishes to become a permanent member of the Diocese, he must receive permission from his home diocese and be accepted into the Rockville Centre Diocese. He may then be incardinated into the Rockville Centre Diocese after having served well for a number of years in two diocesan assignments.

Please understand that we have no control over Diocesan personnel policy.

What are the boundaries of St. Elizabeth Parish?

The parish is roughly rectangular in shape. Our northern border is Jericho Turnpike. Our southern border is the northern service road of the Long Island Expressway. To the east, our parish boundary is Deer Park Road (then Deer Park Road West) and to the West, Hartman Hill Road and Mount Misery Road.

Families are no longer bound by official boundaries and many families visit the local parishes before registering.  Click here for a map and further information.

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How many Catholic families are there in St. Elizabeth Parish?

There are approximately 3500 families registered in the parish (about 9000 people). Only about 1/3 of those families are active parishioners, attending mass on a regular basis and supporting the parish with their time, talent and treasure.

How do I get help from Parish Outreach?

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, (temporary or long term), and need assistance with food, or need to find out what resources are available to pay for rent or mortgage in arrears, or what to do if your gas & electric may be shut off, or if you are unable to pay for heat in the winter, contact Parish Outreach.

If you are experiencing other difficulties and don't know where to turn for help, contact Parish Outreach.

Volunteers staff the office on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon or you may contact Anita Dos Santos, C.S.W. at 631-271-4455 ext. 309 to set up an appointment for other times.

I want to get married at St. Elizabeth Church.

The first step in planning a wedding is to call the parish secretary (631-271- 4455) to arrange for an appointment with a priest or deacon.

I would like to have my baby baptized at St. Elizabeth Church. What should I do?

The first step in planning a baptism is for the parent(s) to call the parish secretary (631-271- 4455) to determine a date for the baptism. For first time parents a Baptism Preparation Class is required. The Preparation Class reviews the theology of the sacrament of Baptism, the ritual of the Baptism day, and the challenges and joys of raising children in the Catholic faith.

What is an Annulment? How do I get one?

An Annulment is a judgment by the Church that a presumed valid marriage, which ended in divorce, was lacking from the very beginning the essential maturity or capacity required for valid marital consent.

An Annulment does not deny that a marriage existed. It simply states that this "thought-to-be" marriage, which may have been entered into sincerely and with good will, may not have been valid because of defective consent.

A Church Annulment has no effects in the civil law of our country. Such matters as the legitimacy of children, property rights, alimony or child support, etc. are in no way affected by a Church declaration of nullity.

How does a divorced person petition the Church to investigate an Annulment case?

A phone call to the Diocesan Tribunal is made to initiate the case (516-678-5800 X 571). At this time some preliminary information will be taken on the phone and you will be assigned an Advocate to assist you in preparing your formal petition and gathering the necessary documents.

I want to get involved. Where can I find more information about ministries at St. Elizabeth?

Simply click on one of this link in our Ministries Index to learn about the many ministries at work here at St. Elizabeth. Or if you would like, call or stop by the Parish Center (175 Wolf Hill Road) and ask for a copy of our Ministry Catalog, in which you will find more comprehensive descriptions of all the ministries. If you are interested in participating in a ministry here at St. Elizabeth, click on this link and complete the St. Elizabeth Time and Talent Commitment Form and submit it electronically. You will be contacted by a member of the St. Elizabeth Stewardship Committee to help you assess your talents and where they might best be applied within the ministries at St. Elizabeth

What is Stewardship? What is time and talent?

Stewardship begins with the recognition that all we are and all that we have are gifts from God. Through the efforts of the annual stewardship campaign, we are brought to reflect upon those gifts of time, talent and treasure that we might choose to offer up to God, in thanksgiving for our gifts. Springtime in our parish is the time we reflect upon the time and talents we might choose to dedicate to one or more of the various active ministries at St. Elizabeth. In the fall we renew our commitment of treasure to support the mission of our parish, diocese, and the universal church.

Does St. Elizabeth have a religious education program?

Yes. St. Elizabeth offers religious education to our young and our adult parishioners, through our Family Program. The Family Program is the name of our religious education and spiritual formation process for families with children in elementary and junior high School. It is in session in the parish Center from fall through spring for parents and children. Children study with volunteer catechists (religion teachers) while parents study selected religious subjects in other rooms with members of the Pastoral Team (professional parish leadership) or other qualified teachers. Many volunteer leaders serve the program. There is also a Home-Study option for families who learn together at home. For more information, contact Lois Szypot at (631) 271-4455 x 313.

Does St. Elizabeth have a school?

Yes, we are part of a regional elementary school. Our school is called Trinity Regional School. The main campus, grades K-8, is on the grounds of St. Anthony parish, East Northport. Trinity also has two feeder campuses for nursery and pre-k. One Early Childhood campus (Nursery and Pre-K) is on our parish grounds. The second feeder campus is located at St. Philip, Northport. Trinity Regional offers the highest quality Catholic education to children of many parishes in the Western Suffolk area. You can learn more by calling Trinity (631-261-5130)

What do the images on each of the stained glass windows signify?

The image on the stained glass window behind the organ (i.e. the north side of the church) represents the life of St. Elizabeth. The images on the other stained glass windows depict each of the seven sacraments. To see a slide show of each window including and explanation of the St. Elizabeth stained glass click here.