Staten Island Street Will Be Renamed for Msgr. Dorney

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Msgr. James J. Dorney will be remembered on Staten Island with a street renaming near his beloved St. Peter’s Church, the mother church of Staten Island. He served as pastor there from 1986 until his death in 2015 at age 83. The monsignor was also a co-dean of Staten Island for many years.

The ceremony renaming part of St. Peter’s Place to Monsignor Dorney Way is set for Saturday, Sept. 29, at 12:30 p.m., at the corner of Carroll Place and St. Peter’s Place, directly behind St. Peter’s Church. After the ceremony, there will be a reception with refreshments inside the church’s Farrell Hall.

The effort to rename part of the street was led by the Staten Island chapter of the Knights of Columbus. The chapter president, Tim Geary, wrote a letter requesting the honor last March to New York City Councilwoman Deborah Rose. The City Council passed the renaming resolution in May.

Msgr. Dorney also served as a chaplain to the Staten Island Knights of Columbus, the NYPD on Staten Island, the U.S. Coast Guard on Staten Island, and the University of Notre Dame Club of Staten Island.