Parish History

St. William Church was first established as a mission of St. Matthew Church in Cranston. The church was erected on land bounded by Harrington, Perry and Majestic Avenues in the Norwood section.

This building was dedicated as St. William's Chapel on April 11, 1926, and in 1933 was made a parish.

Warwick grew, and under the direction of Father Thomas Kelley, six acres of land were purchased in 1958. A new building was completed and dedicated March 20, 1960.

The church we worship in today was originally planned to be the auditorium of St. William School. The cost and lack of teachers led to the changes in original plans to make it a school.

The rectory was moved from its original location in 1974. The parish center was added in 1976.

By Marion Hunt

Warwick was Rhode Island's newest city when St. William parish was founded on September 22, 1933. The church building, "old St. William's," antedated the parish by seven years, having been dedicated by Bishop William A. Hickey in whose honor it was named, as a mission of St. Matthew parish, Cranston, April 11, 1926.

The mission chapel has been described vividly by one of the original parishioners, Miss Melina Giroux, as a grey, wood stock building brought in from Indiana in sections and assembled on land bounded by Harrington Avenue, Perry Street and Majestic Avenue in the Norwood section of Warwick. It was poorly heated in winter by a single hot-air furnace. In summer, the candles on the altar would melt and fall over unless removed promptly after the service.

Religious education then, as now, was important. The children were instructed after the one Mass on Sunday, there being one class for the boys and another for the girls. The women of the area had formed a club just before the chapel was dedicated. This became the St. William Rosary and Altar Society, later known as the St. William Women's Club, with Mrs. Rose Lothrop serving as the first president.

On September 22, 1933, Bishop William Hickey announced the formation of three new parishes: St. Peter, of Pawtuxet, St. Andrew, of Block Island, and St. William, Norwood. Named as the first pastor of St. William was the Rev. Joseph M. Walsh.

At the time of Fr. Walsh's appointment, there was no rectory, so the new pastor rented a room in Campbell's Tourist Home at the corner of Elmwood and Pawtuxet Avenues. Later, rented houses on Harrington Avenue and Hollywood Avenue served him as rectories, with a Miss McNally as the first housekeeper.

Fr. Walsh, in his four years as pastor, planned and carried out the renovation of the mission chapel. The outer walls were covered in yellow stucco; a full basement was added, with stage and kitchen facilities, and a choir loft. The building seated 400 people. There were 140 families – 640 souls – in the parish when Bishop Francis P. Keough rededicated the building on Sunday, November 10, 1935.

By September 23, 1937, when Fr. John L. Ryding was appointed as second pastor of St. William Church, two Masses were being offered on Sundays, and this was soon to become three. There was still no rectory, so Fr. Ryding rented a small house across the street from the church. The building of the St. William rectory was to be one of Fr. Ryding's accomplishments during the nearly seven years he served as pastor.

The "old church" on Harrington Avenue
Illustration by William DeFusco

Permission to build a colonial-style rectory, on land adjacent to the church, at a cost of $11,000, had been secured from the bishop in October 1939. The actual work did not begin until after Easter 1941, fifteen years after the dedication of the mission chapel. The rectory has served the parish well, having been moved to its present location near the new church in 1974.

St. William's third pastor, Rev. John J. McLaughlin, was appointed on January 27, 1944. By 1947, he was able to announce that the final payment had been made on the mortgage debt. Minor repairs and painting of the church property were all that was necessary for a while, but the parish was entering a period of rapid growth, along with the city of Warwick, in the years following World War II.

Rev. Thomas J. Kelley was named fourth pastor on October 11, 1950. He was to serve the parish the longest, being pastor and pastor emeritus for nearly 18 years. Miss Betty Finn, the longtime housekeeper at the rectory, began her service with Fr. Kelley.

Fr. Raymond Luft, who was born and raised in St. William parish, and later served as assistant to Fr. Kelley, credits the latter with inspiring his own decision to become a priest. Fr. Luft recalls Fr. Kelley's love of the outdoors, his long walks and berry-picking expeditions, accompanied by the boys of the parish. Among Fr. Luft's most poignant memories are those of the last eight years of Fr. Kelley's life. A stroke made it necessary for the pastor to learn to speak again. While unable to carry on his duties as pastor, Fr. Kelley spent hours in practice until he could once again say his private Mass.

While the size of the parish did not for some years warrant the assignment of a full-time assistant priest, Fr. Kelley was helped by priests from Our Lady of Providence Seminary. Of these, Fr. (now Msgr.) John Cox, served the longest, offering Mass at St. William for 30 years.

Fr. Kelley realized that a larger church was needed and spent much of his time seeking an adequate location. In 1958, the parish acquired six acres of land, situated between Norwood and Pettaconsett Avenues.

The present church building was completed and dedicated by Bishop Russell McVinney on Sunday, March 20, 1960.

Fr. Kelley was named pastor emeritus on September 8, 1967. He remained in the parish until his death on May 31, 1968. His accomplishments had been many in his long tenure.

Fr. John McAlear succeeded Fr. Kelley as pastor. During his pastorate, the parish continued to grow. The old church (the mission chapel) was razed and the land sold. Several ranch houses were eventually built on the site. The parish council was established during Fr. McAlear's time at St. William's. Many parishioners have served on this organization and it has become an active force in the parish.

On June 2, 1972, the Rev. Nicholas Iacovacci was named the sixth pastor of St. William's. Beginning in 1974, renovations were made to the rectory, offices being provided in the basement. A new building to be used as a parish center was completed. After Confirmation ceremonies on November 2, 1976, the center was dedicated by Bishop Louis Gelineau and named in honor of Fr. Kelley.

Rev. Timothy P. Prendiville succeeded Fr. Iacovacci as pastor on February 8, 1976. Under Fr. Prendiville, an ongoing process of repairs and renovations to the church property began. The Montessori preschool, under the guidance of two Sisters of Mercy, was established in the church meeting room.

In December 1978, a team ministry was appointed to St. William's, a "first" for a suburban parish in our diocese. Rev. John J. Lavin and Rev. J. Louis Collignon shared the responsibilities of guiding the parish. The parish saw an increased "reaching out" beyond the usual parish boundaries.

Since the founding of the parish 50 years ago, St. William's has grown, not only in size and numbers, but in the active life and participation so necessary to meet the demands of the future. May St. William's parishioners dedicate themselves to making the next 50 years as successful and meaningful as the past 50.

This parish history was prepared by Marion Hunt on the occasion of the parish's 50^th anniversary in 1983. Mrs. Hunt now resides in Florida.

Aerial view of the old church and rectory at the corner
of Harrington Avenue and Perry Avenue.
The land was sold and the rectory was moved
to its present site in the mid-1970s.