Twenty-two years after the Diocese of New York was founded in 1808, Bishop John DuBois, in 1830, authorized Father Phillip O’Reilly to establish parishes on the Hudson River north of Manhattan Island. The first congregation he ministered to was the small group of 28 Irish-born Catholic families, who on October 14, 1831 were organized as the Congregation on the Hudson. Fr. O’Reilly ministered to them until 1836. St. Peter’s is considered the Mother Church of the Hudson Valley because it founded all the parishes in Ulster and Dutchess counties. Fr. Patrick Duffy was the first pastor to the “Congregation on the Hudson” from1835 to 1837.
    St. Peter’s Church at 95 Mill Street, Poughkeepsie was consecrated and dedicated by Bishop DuBois on November 26, 1837. The first pastor of the newly consecrated Church was Irish-born Father John Maginnis. In September of 1844, the fourth pastor of St. Peter’s, Fr. Michael Riordan, founded St. Peter’s School, the second oldest Catholic school in New York State, now in our 166th year. In 1860 the Sisters of Charity arrived at St. Peter’s School and remained here for 150 years teaching the Catholic faith to many generations.
    Fr. Patrick McSweeney was pastor from 1870 until 1877. During his tenure he managed to put St. Peter’s School under the management of the Poughkeepsie Public School Board. This became nationally known as the “Poughkeepsie Plan” and it lasted until 1898. In 1906 Monsignor Joseph Sheahan was appointed Pastor. Msgr. Sheahan founded the Marist College Seminary in 1908, St. Francis Hospital in 1911, St. Peter’s High School the forerunner of Our Lady of Lourdes High School in 1926 and initiated the building of the Mid-Hudson Bridge in 1930. In 1965, the Archdiocese moved St. Peter’s Parish from Poughkeepsie to Hyde Park. The parish built a school at 9G and West Dorsey Avenue.