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When Father Cummins was appointed as the pastor of the newly founded Our Lady of Peace Parish there were neither buildings nor land. Father Cummins relied on the hospitality of the Maher family -- living in an upstairs apartment on Woodland (Larchmere) avenue.
The first "church" was the billiard parlor at the old Luna Park on Woodland near 110th St. On Sunday mornings the men of the parish would carry park benches into the parlor to serve as pews and the women brought tableclothes to serve as altar linens.
A temporary frame church was built on the corner of Buckingham Ave. and E. 121st. in 1921. It was torn down when the next church was dedicated in 1924.
In 1924 the school and attached church were dedicated. What is now the school gym and Cummins Hall served as the parish church till ne "new" church was dedicated in 1951.
The cornerstone of the present church was placed in 1949 and the building was completed in 1951. -
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