The first influx of Catholic families in the Carmel vicinity came in the Post-Civil War era, but it was not until the middle of the 1880's that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in Carmel.

The pioneer Catholics of Carmel attended Mass in two private homes; those of the McCarthy and the Burke families. Within a few years Mass was being celebrated by the light of a kerosene lamp in a rented loft. The loft, which was rented for the unimaginable sum of $36.00 per year, stood at the present site of Memorial Hall.

Some 25 years later the determined Catholic families living in Carmel began a drive to have a church of their own. Their number was limited, but enthusiasm great, and in the year 1902 the first funds for the new church were collected. Five years later the dreams of our dedicated ancestors became a reality when they attended the cornerstone laying of our little green Church of St. James the Apostle on Brewster Avenue.

In 1909 their church was blessed and opened. His Excellency, Bishop Thomas F. Cusack, administered the Sacrament of Confirmation for the first time. The church was small and inexpensive; the entire cost of the building was $7,000 but it thrilled those who had sacrificed so much in its construction.

For the next fifty years the little church served as a focal point of Catholic activity in Carmel. But during most of these years it was a mission of St. John the Evangelist in Mahopac. Many dedicated priests traveled the road between Carmel and Mahopac during those years, bringing the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Holy Eucharist to our town.

When World War II came to an end the growth of the Catholic population in Carmel received an enormous boost. Returning servicemen, and renewed prosperity brought many new families to Carmel. The Archdiocese decided that the time had come to elevate St. James the Apostle to the status of a full-fledged parish (with Our Lady of the Lake as a mission church).

In January 1947, our parishioners greeted Reverend Edward M. McQuade, fresh from a tour of duty in the Army, as their first pastor. Even a former war chaplain must have been a little awed at his 25-square-mile parish, which had no facilities other than the aging green frame church on Brewster Avenue.

Father McQuade's first task was to place a notice in the paper announcing the establishment of the parish and that Sunday Mass would be offered in a motion picture theater. Father McQuade’s next task was to gather the children of the parish and establish Christian Doctrine classes, which were held in the rectory and a variety of private homes.

The early days of St. James an estimated 300 to 400 people attended Mass on Sunday, but time proved that God was with our young parish. As the years passed the attendance at Sunday Masses doubled.

By 1954 St. James had advanced to the point where a modern new school was erected to provide for the spiritual and educational needs of our children. The Sisters of the Dominican Order came to St. James to assume the teaching duties. The school's first graduating class in 1957 had 28 students.

Soon after the completion of our school, Father McQuade’s efforts were recognized by Rome and he was elevated to the rank of Domestic Prelate, with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor. However, in January 1957, with a note of sadness he was transferred. Father William E. Sweeney, who had studied at St. Joseph’s Seminary, with Msgr. McQuade, was named the second pastor of our young parish.

In 1959 St. James School became fully staffed with the addition of Sister Regina and two additional Sisters. Mass was celebrated in the auditorium and gym of the school from 1954 until the church was completed in 1964.

During the years of expansion it was becoming increasingly evident that a new church would eventually be needed, and in July of 1960 plans were submitted for a new building.

During the following year Father Sweeney, with the approval of archdiocesan building authorities, secured the services of J. Edward Luders, a prize-winning architect from Irvington, and commissioned him to design the new church. The building plans for St. James the Apostle Church were completed in the spring of 1962. The parishioners were enthusiastic and willing to finance the cost of $350,000. The church was designed to seat 600 people.

The shell shape of our church (symbol of the pilgrim and traveler) was decided upon for two reasons; first, because the shell is symbolic of St. James the Apostle; and second, because the shape of the church automatically focuses attention on the Blessed Sacrament.

The 125 foot-wide stained glass window was created by Pierre Millous, a famous French artist from Chartes, France. The window depicts five episodes in the life of St. James: his call to become a disciple of Jesus; his attendance with Christ at the raising of the daughter of Jarius; his witnessing of the Transfiguration; his presence with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane; and his martyrdom.

The large mosaic which graces the entrance of St. James is the work of Lithuanian artists, Mr. & Mrs. A. Kasuba. It depicts an Old Testament scene at Mt. Carmel, where the prophet Elias challenged pagan priests. St. James' martyrdom by the sword inspired the unique cross above the mosaic of Elias.

The Kasubas also designed the hand carved stone Stations of the Cross, and the four angels in the Baptistry (Michael is seen with a sword, Gabriel with a horn, Raphael guiding Tobias, and Uriel as he halted Balaam).

The massive statue of the triumphant Christ over the main altar, and the statues of the Holy Family are the work of Mr. & Mrs. Otello Guarducci of Scarsdale.

The set of sculpture which adorn the confessional doors are: Palm Sunday representing the season of Spring; The Decent of the Holy Spirit for Summer; The Nativity for Winter; and the Archangel Gabriel for Autumn (The feast day for all four Archangels is September 29th).

On September 2, 1962, Father Sweeney announced the ground-breaking ceremony at Mass. Although it was a rainy Sunday morning, an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 300 parishioners remained for the ceremony. Father Sweeney turned the first spade of earth with a golden shovel. Actual construction work began the very next day.

By the end of 1962 St. James the Apostle Parish included more than 1,100 families, with more than 3,500 parishioners.

The parish was honored when Father Sweeney was notified of his elevation to the rank of Domestic Prelate. Bishop Joseph Pernicone came to St. James in April of 1963 to officiate at Monsignor Sweeney’s investiture.

In 1964 St. James the Apostle Church was consecrated by Cardinal Spellman.

A great deal of material progress was seen during the early years. Four old buildings on a lot adjoining the parish property were demolished to create a new parking area which accommodated an additional 100 cars. The parish hall was renovated, and two classrooms were added for release-time students.

Under our third and fourth pastors, Msgr. James McDonnell (1971) and Father Frederick Sullivan (1980); many new committees and clubs were formed. In 1947 there were 33 baptisms, and by 1987 over 200 infants were baptized; St. James Parish continued to grow. It was evident that additional classrooms were needed for St. James School children and the Religious Education students. Father Sullivan began a campaign to build such a building behind the school.

Father Joseph Faraone became our fifth pastor in 1992, and has been energetic and dynamic in the continued growth of St. James Parish.

Under the direction of Father Faraone, the Religious Education and Cultural Center was built. The top floor of the building originally contained a chapel, six classrooms, a teachers room, the CCD office and a meeting room. The lower floor (Doherty Hall) is used as a meeting room and as a wonderful gathering area for large parish social activities.

On July 28, 1996 the Education Center was dedicated by Bishop Patrick Sheridan, vicar general of the Archdiocese. Bishop Sheridan’s first assignment nearly 50 years ago was in the little green church of St. James.

Several years ago Father Joe acquired four statues from the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament Convent in Yonkers, New York. The beautiful statue of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is 100 years old, and is different than most statues of Mary. Just look at the expression on Mary’s face, as her eyes look down on the infant Jesus, and you will see her immense love for Jesus.

Our Parish has a congregation of 3,500 families. Our parochial school has almost 400 students attending grades K-8 and over 70 students in Pre-K. There are approximately 1,600 students enrolled in our religious education classes, grades 1-8, and we have 90 parent volunteers who dedicate their time teaching our students. We have 40 committees, organizations and ministries in our parish family.

Because of the continued growth of our parish, plans were made to build a chapel in the space to the right side of the church. As enrollment grew in St. James School, the Chapel Room in the Education Center was needed for the students and has now become the computer room . The rectory was short of office space, and our church was so crowded during the holidays that even in the overflow area there was no room. The chapel building fund was called “Let’s Walk With Christ into the 21st Century”.

In keeping with our theme, a brick walkway was designed for the entrance of the new "Chapel of Life". Bricks for the walkway have personal intentions and family names engraved on them. These bricks were donated by the parishioners and parish committees. A hand carved hardwood stature of the Good Shepard, by artist Sanford Werfel, stands in the entrance of the chapel. Copper plates with family names and intentions surround the stature.

The stained glass windows were designed by Kate La Ranger from La Ranger Studios. They depict the following saints: St. Joseph; Albert the Great; Blessed Margaret of Castello; St. Francis of Assisi; St. Thomas; Madonna di Montevergine; St. Bernard of Clairvaux; Divine Mercy Image with Mary from Revelation and God; the Holy Spirit; St. Lucy; The Clamshell, which is the symbol of St. James; a scene of God the Father with Angles, Holy Spirit and the Holy Family. The stained glass panels that were in the former connecting corridor were incorporated into the chapel wall. These panels were also donated many years ago by parishioners.