The current Cathedral building is the third church on this site. It was completed in 1935 and was built using a 15th century Norman Gothic style. The present building replaced a marble church that was built in 1905. Prior to 1905 a converted public school building, which stood on this site, served the parish of St. Agnes. A rented hall on the corner of Observer Street, present day Sunrise Highway, and Village Avenue was used for Sunday Mass from 1890 to 1891 and prior to 1890 a Blacksmith Shop on Centre Avenue was used by a small group of Catholics living in the area.
The Cathedral underwent a major remodeling that began in 1981 and was completed in early 1982.
Beginning in 2015 and completing in 2016, the interior of the Cathedral underwent a major restoration and renovation effort. Chief among the restoration aspects of the project is a renewed emphasis on the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle. Chief among the changes is a return of the tabernacle to its original position at the center of the sanctuary under a new baldacchino, moving the Bishop’s chair to the left, the ambo to the right side of the sanctuary, lowering of the altar one step and repositioning the Organ Console and Piano to the nave floor. Other changes include moving the Pieta to the side chapel, installing a new altar in the side chapel and new furnishings for the sanctuary.
Additional work was also begun in 2016 on the exterior of the cathedral to repair, reinforce and clean the facade of the builidng.
Today, the Cathedral serves both the people of God in Rockville Centre and is the seat for the Diocese of Rockville Centre encompassing Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, New York.
“LORD, I love the house where you dwell, the tenting-place of your glory”. Ps. 26:8
The Cathedral Tour is presented in three sections – A tour of the Cathedral building itself, a second tour devoted specifically to the Windows of St. Agnes and a third section for the Holy Cross Chapel located in the Ministries Building. A fourth section is devoted to the San Damiano Crucifix which was installed in the Parish Center in 2009.