Faith in Bloom

OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE LONG BEEN home to a rich diversity of places of worship, such as the Jewish Centre of Bay Shore and churches of various denominations, all encouraging selfexploration through faith. In this issue, we spread some local love for two historic churches dating back nearly two centuries that stand as pillars in our communities. We’re also highlighting an alternative church founded just four years ago in Babylon Village.

The annual Bay Shore–Brightwaters St. Patrick’s Day Parade marched proudly among crowds of revelers along Main Street last month, led by this year’s honorable Marshal Fr. Seán Gann, a devoted local leader and pastor at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Bay Shore, which is celebrating an important milestone this year. It’s their 140th anniversary of the very first Mass, held in 1884, following the first official appointment of a pastor, Reverend James Bobier, to administer to our then developing island.

The generations that preceded us established many churches that endure in our landscape, with their tall steeples and reverberating bells. One of the oldest congregations, the United Methodist Church, in Bay Shore, dates to 1810 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Though restoration of the church is currently in progress, its Romanesque-style vaulted wooden interior, with original stained glass windows overlooking the sanctuary, remains in disrepair. A community effort is underway to raise the funds needed to restore the dignity of this historic house of worship and once again make it a beautiful and inspiring place to celebrate the sacraments.

As the spiritual landscape evolves, it’s clear that one size does not fit all when it comes to faith. While traditional churches have long been the cornerstone of many communities, there’s a growing interest in more contemporary expressions of faith. Among these innovative spaces is Community Church of Babylon, founded in 2020 by Lou and Allie Pizzichillo. With its vibrant music, casual atmosphere, and free bagels and coffee, this church is reimagining what a faith community can look like. They offer practical applications to biblical teachings and make spirituality accessible to everyone. In our exclusive interview, Pastor Lou shares the journey and vision behind founding his church, and how they’re bringing the teachings of Jesus to life in ways that speak to modern hearts and minds.

The LIST interviews Pastor Lou Pizzichillo, Community Church of Babylon

LIST: What inspired you to start a new church?

Pastor Lou: When I was growing up, simply the mention of God or church triggered feelings of guilt and inadequacy. The image that came to mind was an angry, powerhungry killjoy. We’ve found this view to be pretty common. At some point, I was introduced to the idea that God was for me— that he was in my corner—and that Jesus came to give life to the fullest. For me, this changed everything. And so, the question wasn’t, what would it take to start a church? The question was, what would it take to change the way people think about God?

The answer was to start a church that exists to change the way people think about God—a church for people who don’t go to church.

LIST: How does your church differ from the traditional church experience?

PL: The message we teach is the same message the church has been teaching for two-thousand years. What makes us different is our approach. Our programming is designed for people who don’t have a ton of experience or interest in church. We explain biblical concepts in everyday language. Our messages are designed to be practical and encouraging to both the churchgoer and the newcomer.

It also means that our environments are intentionally less traditional. We take what we do seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.

We invest a lot of time and resources into our children’s programs. We work hard to make sure the kids are having a blast, not just for their enjoyment, but for their education. Kids learn when they’re having fun. Their experience isn’t an afterthought, it’s a priority. As a parent, I want my kids to grow up loving church.

LIST: What is your message?

PL: Come as you are. We’re big on being real. You can belong before you believe, and you’ve got permission to be in-progress. We bring our questions, hang-ups, doubts, and failures. We believe God meets us as we are, where we are—so we try to do the same.

To learn more about Community Church of Babylon, go to communitychurch.net.

To read a full biography of Reverend Seán Gann, pastor at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Bay Shore and 2024 Marshal of the Bay Shore–Brightwaters St. Patrick’s Day Parade, go to bsbwstpatricksparade. com/fr-sean-gann-bio.

For more information on the United Methodist Church of Bay Shore or to donate to the Sanctuary Restoration Project, go to bayshoreumc.org/restoration.

The LIST Magazine respects all forms of faith, personal systems of belief, and religious traditions rooted in love. As a lifestyle magazine, our content is meant to be informative and inspirational.