Father Patrick Kenny Triangle

This triangle is named in honor of Reverend Patrick Joseph Kenny (1908-1986), who founded St. Bernard’s, a local church in Bergen Beach. Father Kenny worked tirelessly for his parishioners and was always available in times of need.

Born in Woodside, Queens and baptized at St. Sebastian’s Church, Kenny attended Cathedral College in Brooklyn and the Institute of Philosophy in Huntington, Long Island. He was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest on May 21, 1932 at St. Mary’s Seminary and was first assigned to the St. Gerard Majella parish in Hollis, Queens. In 1961 he received orders to oversee the establishment of a new parish to be named St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn.

The first few years at St. Bernard’s were trying. The church had yet to be built and services were held in a makeshift tent, but Father Kenny maintained a positive outlook and good sense of humor throughout the transition. He was often seen outside in the cold sweeping inside the tent or shoveling snow. He took each new obstacle in stride with the knowledge that he was helping the people of his parish. In 1980, with the church built and opened, Father Kenny’s daily ministry was recognized and he was elevated to the position of Pastor Emeritus. In addition to serving his parish, he was also a member of the Priest’s Senate. Father Kenny died on July 17, 1986 at 78 years old.

This triangle, a small plot of land bounded by Veterans Avenue, East 69th Street, and Avenue T, became a Greenstreets site in March 1998. The Greenstreets program, a joint project of NYC Parks and the NYC Department of Transportation, began in 1986 and was revived in 1994 with the goal to convert paved street properties, such as triangles and malls, into green spaces.