On October 3, 1948, Fr. William Murphy celebrated Mass on an open field in Floral Park, NY, and promised the people there, “Together we shall build a new spiritual community.”
This open field came to be filled with the church, school, rectory, and convent of Our Lady of the Snows. On January 27, 1949, three Sisters of St. Joseph came to Floral Park to help start religious instruction for 50 children. To this day, the Sisters of St. Joseph still fulfill their mission of educating the children of O.L.S.
The Chapel, which was a prefabricated building purchased from the War Assets Administration, was dedicated on August 5, 1949. As the surrounding neighborhood blossomed with new homes and baby-boom families of Italian and Irish descent, a larger Church and school were desperately needed. The new church/auditorium was dedicated on May 3, 1953.
After six more years of planning, raising money, and city-wide labor strikes, Our Lady of the Snows School was finally completed in 1959. The first principal was Sr. Catherine Eugene, CSJ. The school was staffed by six nuns and five lay people and included grades 1 to 5. The first graduation was held on June 23, 1963, with 91 graduates. In 1966 an addition was made to the school with a new convent on the third and fourth floors.
Today Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy boasts a diverse student body that reflects the many immigrant communities in Queens. The school remains in the hands of the dedicated Sisters of Saint Joseph, with Sr. Roberta Oberle, our former principal of 30 years, serving as principal emeritus and a dedicated volunteer to our youngest students. Joseph Venticinque has been our principal since 2014.