Jesuits to leave Oceanside parish — the sole LI Catholic church the religious order runs

The religious order that Pope Francis belonged to is pulling out of the only Catholic parish on Long Island that it runs, ending nearly a half-century of ministry.

The Jesuits plan to leave St. Anthony’s parish in Oceanside in June because of the declining numbers of priests in the order, said the Very Rev. Joseph M. O’Keefe, head of the Eastern province of the Jesuits in the United States.

"I must announce with great sadness that the Jesuits will be leaving St. Anthony’s parish in June of 2026," O’Keefe wrote in a letter published in the parish bulletin. "This has been a painful decision but also a necessary one. It grieves me and all of us who have served in Long Island over the years."

Parishioners are heartbroken over the news and are mounting an effort to get the Jesuits to stay, though they realize it may not be possible, said Joseph Hissong, a lay leader at the parish.

"Everybody is upset obviously," he said. "There’s a reason that we go to a Jesuit parish. They’re smart. They’re dedicated. They have a real spirit of helping others. The motto of the Jesuits is ‘Men for Others’ and they’ve instilled that in the whole parish."

O’Keefe said the number of Jesuits in what were the East Coast provinces of Maryland, New York and New England has dropped from about 3,000 in the 1960s to 532 today.

"Within a few years, less than half that number will remain active in ministry," he wrote.

The three provinces are now combined into one, USA East Province Jesuits.

Number of priests drops

The number of Jesuits has dropped because of aging, death and a decline in vocations, or men joining, he said.

When O’Keefe became head of the province in 2020, it staffed 19 parishes, he said. That is now down to 15 and it will be 13 by summer 2027 — "with more withdrawals happening in subsequent years," he said.

O’Keefe suggested the Jesuits, while no longer running St. Anthony’s, may maintain some presence on Long Island and in the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

"Although there will no longer be a Jesuit community on Long Island, individual Jesuits will continue to assist the people of the Diocese as they are able," he wrote.

Jesuits started serving at St. Anthony’s in 1978. Five are currently based there.

The Rev. James Donovan, pastor of St. Anthony’s, announced the departure at Masses a few weeks ago before O’Keefe’s letter was published.

"We’d like to stay," Donovan said in an interview, but the demographics of declining numbers of priests "is killing us."

St. Anthony’s is one of the few suburban parishes the Jesuits run in the United States — most are in cities or affiliated with universities, he said. "This one is rather unique."

The decision to leave was made by the Jesuits and not the diocese, church officials said. Orders such as the Jesuits are permitted to operate in parishes in dioceses at the discretion of the local bishop. They often are sought after since they can bolster the numbers of diocesan priests, which are also on the decline.

O’Keefe said he had informed Bishop John Barres, head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, of the Jesuits’ departure.

"He assures me that he will work with you and the province to ensure a graceful transfer of the parish from the Jesuits to the Diocese," O’Keefe wrote.

The diocese did not respond to a request for comment.

Parish drew from near and far

St. Anthony’s attracted faithful from near and far, with some traveling from as far as Bay Shore on a regular basis, Donovan said. Many were drawn to the Jesuits’ spirituality, good preaching and generally progressive outlook.

"This is a destination," Donovan said, adding that many parishioners attended Jesuit colleges. St. Anthony’s also has a growing Latino population, making up about 25% of worshippers at Masses, he said.

The other major apostolic work the Jesuits conducted on Long Island was the St. Ignatius retreat house in North Hills. It closed in 2013 after the Jesuits decided it was too costly to maintain and run. The majestic 87-room, nearly century-old Tudor Elizabethan mansion was sold for $36 million to a developer who demolished it and built upscale single-family homes.

The Jesuits are known as leading intellectuals of the Roman Catholic Church. They run more than 20 U.S. colleges, including Fordham University, Georgetown University and Boston College.

Francis, who was from Argentina, was the first Jesuit elected pope, and the first pope from Latin America. He became known for his charisma and progressive stances on issues such as climate change and migration.

O’Keefe told the parishioners at St. Anthony’s that "I am personally and deeply grateful for your goodness, faith, and generosity over the years. I hope that we Jesuits have likewise been a blessing for you."