How Did Our Parish Get Its Name?

According to the tradition, it is up to the Bishop to give a name to the Parish.  After the appointment of the founding Pastor, the new Pastor submits three saints’ names to the Bishop.  Then, the Bishop selects on of the names as the Patron Saint of the new Parish.  Msgr. O’Brien’s first name was Hames and that was one of the three names which he submitted.  Bishop Gallagher’s middle name was James and, I suppose that it was with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye that the good Bishop selected James, the Apostle, as patron of our Parish.

St. James was the son of Alphaeus.  He was in charge of the Church in Jerusalem and he died there as a martyr in the year 62 A.D.  St. James was called the Less because he was shorter than the other St. James, the Apostle, who was the brother of St. John, the Apostle.  St. James is generally accepted as the author of the Epistle of St. James.  Our Patronal feast day of St. James is celebrated on May 3rd each year.  That date was selected because that is the anniversary of the dedication of the Church of St. Phillip and St. James in Rome in the year 565 A.D.