The Church of St. Peter in Monticello celebrated its 150th Anniversary on Sunday, July 14 with a special mass, “A Century & a Half of Faith & Service.” The Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, officiated the mass alongside current and past Priests and Deacons of the church, including current Pastor, Father Bob Porpora, its 18th pastor and appointed in 2021. 

Other pastors in attendance and helping to celebrate the past and present and looking forward to the future of the 150-year-old Roman Catholic church were Father Robert Ginel, the church’s 16th pastor - who served from 1996 to 2008, Father John Tran - who served as pastor from 2008 to 2021 and Father Glen Sudano, who serves at Chaplain of Holy Family Farm, a not-for-profit religious retreat in Monticello. 

Bishop Peter Byrne, who has served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York since 2014, also partook in the mass as he ventured from Staten Island to come to Monticello. The church choir led the congregation in song while Dan Desmond played tunes on the flute and former music educator in Sullivan County, Gary Siegel, was on trumpet. 

In his homily, Cardinal Dolan called out each of the pastors who were partaking in the mass, Bishop Byrne and the Deacons. 

“God’s Holy Word from the Bible gives us a lot to think about and a lot to be grateful for,” Cardinal Dolan said, noting his gratitude for the company of the pastors, Bishop and Deacons. 

Cardinal Dolan spoke about the history of St. Peter’s in Monticello as well as the story of Saint Peter from the Bible and how being sent out to spread the Word of God isn’t always easy. Saint Peter, in fact, was arrested and crucified upside down when God sent him out to spread his message. 

“So being sent out isn’t always easy, as you all know,” proclaimed Cardinal Dolan. “If you look at the history of the parish for 150 years and if you look at it today, it isn’t easy. There are always challenges, there’s always difficulty. But God has never let us down. Jesus entrusts and sent us out. He will give us the grace to accomplish the mission for which he has sent us and give us mercy for when we fail. That’s why we are ready to move forward to the 175th anniversary.”

Father Porpora thanked Cardinal Dolan for making the trip to St. Peter’s to officiate the special mass, presenting him with a tourist gift bag of items from around Sullivan County including a Dove Trail sweatshirt, brochures of the literature about the history of the county and a Woodstock bandana. Father Porpora also said that they have a dozen bagels for Cardinal Dolan when the Bagel Fest in Monticello takes place on August 11. 

Cardinal Dolan presented Harold Speer’s widow, 103-year-old Zita, with a statue of St. Peter for Harold’s bravery in running into the burning church in 1975 to save the Eucharist in the Monstrance. 

The late Harold Speer was a parishioner and fire policeman, and alongside associate Pastor Father John Bida, entered the burning building to remove the Ciborium containing the Eucharist from the Tabernacle. 

There was heavy interior damage to most of the stained-glass windows, statues and church furnishings while only the main structural beams remained. 

No one was hurt and after more than $200,000 was raised for the restoration efforts, the church was ultimately rebuilt, restored and re-dedicated by His Eminence Cardinal Terrance Cooke on May 15, 1977.