Our History

St. Robert Bellarmine Parish
Who are we?
 

In 1963, Bishop Russell McVinney asked Fr. James Cooney to engage on a mission to establish a new Catholic parish in Johnston, RI.  Going from door to door, Fr. Cooney invited former parishioners from St. Brigid, St. Thomas on Fruit Hill and other area churches where parishioners were not affiliated by nationality or language to become members of St. Robert Bellarmine.

The parish was canonically established on August 27th, 1963, by Bishop Russell J. McVinney.  The first Mass was held on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8, 1963, at the Johnston High School and daily Mass in the Chapel in the Rectory at 1804 Atwood Avenue.  On March 21, 1965, parishioners gathered and watched their Pastor, Reverend J. Joseph Cooney, accompanied by his trustees, Edward Halpin and Michele Damiano, and the Pastors of the neighboring parishes, break ground at the 10 1/2 acre site of the new church located in the Cherry Hill section of the town of Johnston, RI.  The property was previously owned by the Gemma family and included a house, garage and barn.

Eight months later, on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1965, the church was blessed and the first mass was said by the Right Rev. Msgr. John L. Drury, Vicar General of the Diocese of Providence.  The Church was officially dedicated by Bishop McVinney at 11:30 AM mass on March 13, 1966.  The cornerstone was laid at that time and the marble altar was consecrated.

The new church building and furnishings cost approximately $350,000 and Mario Di Benedetto of Providence was the architect and the Alrae Construction Co. of Providence was the contractor.  J. Harold Fleming, a home decoration teacher, assisted with the decorating and the Right Rev. Msgr. Daniel P. Reilly, chancellor of the Diocese and the Very Rev. Msgr. William J. Carey, Chairman of the diocesan building commission also assisted in the completion of the church.

Today, we are a large, suburban parish of over 1700 families.  We are singles, couples, widowed, traditional and non-traditional families.  We are homemakers, business people, laborers, teachers, professionals, students and retired people.  We are life long Catholics, recently baptized Catholics and those striving to learn what it means to be a follower of Christ today.  While we rejoice in our diversity, our strength comes from what we have in common...the love of God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and our desire to successfully meet the challenge of the Gospel.

To this end, we depend on the active involvement of our parishioners, putting their faith into action by reaching out to the community's spiritual and temporal needs. 

Ministries and activities that make up our parish along with the names of contact people who coordinate these activities can be found on our home page under the "Ministry and Activities" tab.

We welcome you to St. Robert Bellarmine Parish!

OFFICIAL DECREE FOR THE INCORPORATION OF
ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE CHURCH

DEI ET APOSTOLICAE                                                             SEDIS GRATIA
 

A      D E C R E E
 

In the name of  the Lord , I, Russell Joseph,  by the grace of God  and the favor of the Apostolic See, Bishop of the Church of Providence in the State of Rhode Island , United States of America, for the good of the souls of the large number of faithful residing on the fringes of St. Thomas Parish, Providence, St. Philip's Parish, Greenville, St. Joseph 's Parish, North Scituate, St. Rocco's Parish,  Johnston,  St.  Brigid's Parish,   Johnston, and  Our  Lady  of  Grace Parish,  Johnston,  having  consulted the Reverend Pastors of the said parishes above-mentioned, together with the Board of Diocesan Consultors, do hereby decree that a new parish under the patronage of St.  Robert Bellarmine and with Reverend James J. Cooney as first pastor be canonically erected to care for the spiritual needs of all the faithful residing within these limits:
 

Starting at the corner of Belfield Drive and Hartford Avenue,  southeasterly  by an airline to the corner of Pocasset Road and Dry Brook, easterly by an airline from this point to the corner of Borden Avenue and Loxley Drive, northerly along and  including both sides of Borden Avenue to Hartford Avenue, westerly along Hartford Avenue to City View Parkway, northerly along but not including City View Parkway to Moorland Street,  northerly  along but not including Moorland Street to its end , northerly  from this point  to Union Street, northerly along and including both sides of Union Street to Cherry  Hill  Avenue,  northerly  by  an airline  from this  point  to  the junction of Salina Avenue and Greenville Avenue, northerly by an airline from this point to #135 Pine Hill A venue,  westerly  by  an airline  from this point  to the corner of Harrilla Lane and Greenville Avenue, southerly by an airline from  this  point  to the  starting point.  

Granted at Providence,  this 27th day of August,  in the year  of  Our Lord  1963.

Pastors of St. Robert Bellarmine


Rev. J. Joseph Cooney, 1963-1968


Rev. Patrick F. Hanrahan, 1968-1973


Rev. Joseph Horgan, 1973-1986


Rev. Francis O'Hara, 1986-1991


Rev. John LaPointe, 1991 - 2019
Pastor Emeritus, 2019 - present
 

Rev. Richard A. Narciso, 2019 - present