The Augustinian Academy on

Staten Island, New York Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

, was founded on May 30, 1899, in conjunction with the new

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

parish of

Our Lady of Good Counsel Our Mother of Good Counsel () formerly known as Our Lady of Paradise is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a purported miraculous painting of the Madonna and Child enshrined within the namesake Minor Basilica at ...

, both by the

Augustinian Friars The Order of Saint Augustine (), abbreviated OSA, is a mendicant religious order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were following the Rule of Saint Augustine ...

. The academy expanded in 1926 and closed in 1969. During its life, it added 245 priests to the Augustinian order.

History

The academy's original buildings were first erected for the Visitation Sisters, and were purchased and modified by the Augustinians for educational purposes. The academy was dedicated by Archbishop

Sebastiano Martinelli Sebastiano Martinelli (20 August 1848 – 4 July 1918) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Congregation of Rites. Early life Sebastiano Martinelli was born in Borgo Sant'Anna within the Archdiocese of Lucca ...

on September 10, 1899, and officially opened on September 13 as "The Catholic High School of Richmond Borough". This was the first Catholic settlement in

Tompkinsville Tompkinsville may refer to: *Tompkinsville, Kentucky *Tompkinsville, Maryland *Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York ** Tompkinsville (Staten Island Railway station) {{geodis ...

, and the first Mass in the neighborhood was celebrated on November 12, 1899, in McRobert's Hall on Arietta Street, now Victory Boulevard. Our Lady of Good Counsel occupied the large chapel in the academy building, along with the small chapel of Our Lady of Consolation, erected in 1902 on Saint Paul's Avenue.Riordan, Michael J., et al, editors
''The Catholic Church in the United States of America, Volume 3, Section 1''
(New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p. 396. The original program of study comprised classical, commercial and grammar courses, and was soon accredited by the

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state governmental umbrella organization that oversees all educational institutions, including schools, libraries, and museums in New York State. It is governed by the Board of Regents. D ...

. The valuation of the academy and church property was about $100,000 in 1914, . On May 30, 1909, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the academy's founding, the

Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH; ) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be male, Catholic, and either born in Ireland or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is in the United States, where it was founded in New Yo ...

presented the academy with a handsome 100-foot flagpole and a large American flag. Among the properties that the academy owned, and founded, was a site in

Morrisania, Bronx Morrisania ( ) is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern Bronx, New York City, New York. Its boundaries are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, Crotona-Prospect Avenue to the east, East 163rd Street to the south, and Webster Avenue ...

, on the east side of Andrews Avenue, 200 feet south of Fordham Road. The structure would be a two-story brick school, 54x100 feet, built in 1906 to the design of architect J. O'Connor for $50,000, for the now-closed St. Augustine's School. The academy began educating boys for the priesthood in 1921. It expanded to a 16-acre site in the

Grymes Hill Grymes Hill is a tall hill formed of serpentine rock on Staten Island, New York. It is the second highest natural point on the island and in the five boroughs of New York City. The neighborhood of the same name encompasses an area of and has ...

neighborhood in 1926, but finally closed in 1969. The Tompkinsville property became the offices and parochial school of Good Counsel Church. The Grymes Hill property was used as a retreat house until 1983, acquired by

Wagner College Wagner College is a private university in Staten Island, New York. It was established in 1883 and, as of the 2023–2024 academic year, it enrolled approximately 1,932 students, including 1,592 undergraduates and 340 graduates. Its theatre prog ...

in 1993, then heavily damaged by fires, and ultimately razed in 2006.

Legacy

"During its 70 years of existence, Augustinian Academy graduated approximately 1,348 men and added about 250 priests to the Augustinian order." One nationally prominent graduate was Edmund Dobbin from the Class of 1953, who went on to become the president of

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

. In 2009, New York City renamed the academy's former location on Grymes Hill as "Augustinian Academy Way". In 2012, Good Counsel Church dedicated its Augustinian Academy Historical Monument, including the bell from the school's demolished tower.

History

Legacy

References

Further reading