Any ideas?

Mez1982

Hello all,
I've been trying to research my family tree on my mother's side for quite a while but never really got too far because of lack of information. Recently I received a picture from my mother of a priest which was said to be her 3rd cousin. On the back of it there is some writing that says:
Joey seagriff and Fr. L Phillips taken Aug 17 1944 at E. And a space then for the area which I cant make out) New York.
The problem I'm having is while the initial at first glance looks to be an L , I can't be 100pc sure.Also Her family are all said to be originally from Tipperary. He looks to be in around his 40s in this picture. My question would be is there anyway to find a list of priests for this area (assuming he became a priest here first before he went to America) Also he was said to be a missionary would that make it harder to find any info?
Any help or guidance would be very much appreciated

Coolnabacky1873

Four instance of Joseph Seagriff in the state of New York in the 1940 U.S. federal census. All in Brooklyn. (Presuming he was in the state of NY in that year)

The four men listed have varying years of birth. Can you estimate the age of the man in the picture and compare to census ages?

There is an area of Brooklyn called "East New York", or maybe it refers to a street. e.g. E. 14th St?

If you get the street names from each census image you can see what Catholic (I'm presuming that is the denomination you need with the Irish connection) Church is nearby and research the parish history to find priest names. Most have websites.

Can you post an image of the picture, from and back?

Ponster

Coolnabacky1873 wrote: »

There is an area of Brooklyn called "East New York", or maybe it refers to a street. e.g. E. 14th St?

Nope, just a district of Brooklyn which was named "East New York' in the 19C in the hope of attracting business.

Mez1982

The man in the picture with this Fr Phillips looks to be in around his late 40 I'm guessing. I would have posted the picture and writing on my first post but unfortunately posters with less than 50 posts can't post images.

Ponster

Image link

Coolnabacky1873

Ponster wrote: »

Nope, just a district of Brooklyn which was named "East New York' in the 19C in the hope of attracting business.

Is it not still called East New York today? Plenty of references to it when I lived in NYC, sadly as quite a dangerous area.

Waitsian

Could the letter denoting his first name be an 'E'? There was an Edward J. Phillips serving in Brooklyn who was ordained in 1937.

http://www.panix.com/~cassidy/PRIESTS/PRIESTSO-P.html

He served here: http://stmartindeporresparish.org/st_peter_claver.htm

and here: http://www.parishesonline.com/scripts/hostedsites/Org.asp?ID=10939

Ponster

Coolnabacky1873 wrote: »

Is it not still called East New York today? Plenty of references to it when I lived in NYC, sadly as quite a dangerous area.

Yeah. Still called East New York and still just as you remembered it.

Wyldwood

The address seems to be Esopus, NY. There was a seminary in Esopus, which is now closed, called Mount St Alphonsus run by the Redemptionists. it closed in 1985 but maybe they have a head house where they store records? The priest looks quite young so possibly a seminarian.

Mez1982

Wyldwood wrote: »

The address seems to be Esopus, NY. There was a seminary in Esopus, which is now closed, called Mount St Alphonsus run by the Redemptionists. it closed in 1985 but maybe they have a head house where they store records? The priest looks quite young so possibly a seminarian.

Thank you so much for solving the mystery of where this picture was taken! And for all the rest of you from helping me get the picture up to giving me help with names and locations I'm so very grateful!
Hopfully now I can start gathering more information and get closer to finding out about this person