Our History

Welcome to our family!

St. Malachy

Saint Malachy was originally known by his family name O'Morgair, and was born in Armagh, Ireland in 1094. His full baptism name was Máel Máedoc Úa Morgair.

Even though Celtic names were unusual, his name was exceptionally hard to pronounce. As a result, people referred to him as Malachy when he became a priest, which means “Voice of God.” Similar to the prophet Malachi in the Old Testament, people thought God was with him…so he surely must be the voice of God when he speaks! Malachy was known for his preaching, his prayer life, and his holiness. He is the second patron saint of Ireland, but he was the first patron saint of Ireland to actually be born there.

When the Romans left England, the Anglo-Saxons took over England and the Christian Irish were cut off. The liturgy that was originally developed in Ireland was developed far away from what was going on in the rest of the main church in Rome.

Malachy went to Rome to study and returned to Ireland to become a bishop. He helped the Irish with their liturgies and the rebuilding of convents, monasteries and churches, where Ireland suffered devastation during the Viking period. When the Irish church was reconnected to the rest of the continent, there were disputes and misunderstandings about when Easter was and the order of the Mass. Malachy was in charge of working on the Irish Liturgy and reorganizing it.

Our Parish

First Mass

The first Mass of St. Malachy was held in the hot parking lot of Robert Frost School in Warren. Though there was not much other than steel chairs and bare floors, Fr. Ghelfi, the priest, was determined and ambitious about the future of St. Malachy.

A Growing Parish

About eight months passed, and on Wednesday, March 10, 1964, St. Malachy moved and dedicated its temporary church. While Robert Frost School was very hospitable, a growing parish needed its own space to do just that…grow.

First of its Kind

During the first years, the women and men of St. Malachy served as the stepping stones to the commission of our present Parish Council, which was the first of its kind to be established by any parish in the area. It was adopted to broaden the base of authority and responsibility within our parish.

Lack of Space

In just a few short years, St. Malachy’s parish grew to almost two thousand registered families. This created a lack of space that only got worse as time went on. St. Malachy’s people voted to build a new church building.

Building Fund Drive

Dedicated parishioners conducted a “Building Fund Drive” to finance the new church. This resulted in pledges of up to $365,000. Fr. Ghelfi was granted approval by the Archdiocese, and ground was broken on March 20, 1977.

New Building Dedicated

On June 18, 1978, Fr. Ghelfi, along with Eminence Cardinal John F. Dearden, Fr. Martel, priests from surrounding parishes, and the people of St. Malachy celebrated the dedication of their new building.

Church Gathering Space Expansion

The project in 2007 headed up by Fr. Joe to expand the amount of room for our community to gather before/after masses as a community.

St. Malachy has never faltered from its mission statement, which says the church welcomes all who enter with love and compassion, and encourages others to be part of the family that gathers!

Worship With Us

The worship services include a number of choirs that offer different opportunities for the parish to deepen their love for the Eucharist with praise and worship. From the beginning, the parishioners of St. Malachy have kept the atmosphere.

Community outreach

St. Malachy outreaches to the community through Christian Service Projects, such as McRest and Blood Drives, and other areas of giving that show the loving and giving heart of the St. Malachy family.

Clubs & events

The SummerFest is the highlight of the summer and brings over 10,000 participants to enjoy its festivities. It is one of the community’s favorite events! The Men’s Club and the Women’s Club both work very hard in assisting to make this event possible. These clubs offer opportunities of friendship and support to the parish community and encourage all to join the St. Malachy family!