Bohemia Historical Society
St. John Nepomucene
The Heart of the Faithful in Bohemia
1869
Faith in a Freethinker Town
The Catholic community in Bohemia traces its roots to 1869, when the first Mass was celebrated in the one-room schoolhouse at the corner of Church Street and Smithtown Avenue.
The arrangement was short-lived but pivotal. Bohemia was unique among Long Island villages for its strong population of “Freethinkers”—Czech immigrants who had left the church and established secular benevolent societies. Tensions often ran high. When Catholic parishioners, eager to sanctify their makeshift worship space, placed religious images on the schoolhouse walls, it sparked a local controversy. Complaints filed with the school board forced the congregation to leave, rendering them homeless but more determined than ever to build a church of their own.
For several years, the faithful gathered for Mass in private homes, keeping their community alive without a permanent roof.
1885
A Permanent Home: The “Little Church”
Stability arrived in the form of Fr. James Bobier, pastor of St. Patrick’s in Bay Shore. Recognizing the devotion of the neighboring community, he organized the construction of a dedicated house of worship. The story of St. John Nepomucene is a testament to the resilience of Bohemia’s founding families. In 1885, on five acres of land donated by the estates of Alexander Wallis and Frederick Coe, the chapel was built at Church Street and Locust Avenue.
As originally constructed, the “Little Church” was a humble wooden structure measuring just 36 by 20 feet. Its entrance, located directly through the bell tower, was so narrow that parishioners could only enter single-file—a charming detail that spoke to the intimate size of the early congregation (holding 13 rows of pews seating 104 people).
In 1922, the structure underwent its first major renovation. The sides of the vestibule were extended to widen the entrance, creating the rectangular footprint the building maintains to this day.
1919–1957
Resident Pastors and the Parish School
For over thirty years, the mission had no resident pastor. Priests had to travel by horse and buggy from St. Patrick’s in Bay Shore, St. Mary’s in East Islip, or St. Lawrence in Sayville to celebrate Mass—sometimes only once a month. This era of “visiting clergy” finally ended in 1919, when Fr. Wenceslaus Kroupa was appointed as the parish’s first resident pastor, marking St. John’s maturity into an independent parish.
Education was always central to the parish mission. A parochial school opened in 1927 under the direction of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. For decades, it educated the children of the village until disaster struck in 1957, when a fire destroyed the school building.
The community rallied quickly, replacing the lost structure with a new school that served the parish until 1992, when it was regionalized with the Catholic school in Sayville.
1981
A New Church for a Growing Parish
By the late 20th century, the “Little Church” could no longer accommodate the growing families of Bohemia. A modern church, designed to seat 600, was constructed just steps away from the original chapel. The cornerstone was laid in 1981, and the new building became the center of weekly worship, while the historic 1885 church began a new chapter as a youth center and meeting hall.
2012
The Miracle on Locust Avenue
In April 2012, history nearly repeated itself. A midday fire broke out inside the historic 1885 church, devastating the interior and scorching the roof. For a terrifying few hours, it seemed the oldest landmark in the parish would be lost.
However, thanks to the rapid response of the Bohemia Fire Department, the “bones” of the structure were saved. In the aftermath, the community witnessed an outpouring of generosity. An anonymous donor reportedly stepped forward to fund a comprehensive restoration. The renovation included a durable new copper roof and a stucco façade, preserving the beloved “Little Church” for future generations.
Today, it stands not just as a relic, but as a survivor—a symbol of the parish’s endurance through fire, displacement, and changing times. At the present time, the original church serves the parish as a youth center, while the congregation worships in the new 600-seat church dedicated in 1981.
History
Who was St. John Nepomucene?
Born around 1345 in the town of Nepomuk, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), John Wolflin is better known to history as St. John of Nepomuk. A high-ranking church official and confessor to the Queen, John found himself embroiled in dangerous disputes with the King regarding church and state authority.
Legend holds that the King demanded John reveal the secrets of the Queen’s confession. When John steadfastly refused to break the sacred seal, he was tortured and thrown into the Vltava River in Prague. Miraculously, lights are said to have appeared over the water, revealing the location of his submerged body. Today, St. John is revered as the martyr of the “Seal of the Confessional”—the absolute obligation of a priest to keep confessions secret. Consequently, he is often depicted in art with a finger pressed to his lips. Highly venerated in Czech lands and American communities settled by Czech immigrants, his feast day is celebrated on May 16.
