This page contains a brief history of the St. Rosalia - Regina Pacis Parish. As you probably know, the St. Rosalia - Regina Pacis parish consists of two churches - The Mother Church, St. Rosalia, and the Shrine Church, Regina Pacis. St. Rosalia was built in 1902 to serve the Italians in the Brooklyn area. St. Rosalia's first pastor was Fr. Sapienza. Just shy of fifty years later, in 1951, Regina Pacis Votive Shrine was built. The first pastor and builder of the Shrine, Regina Pacis, was Msgr. Angelo Cioffi.

        When the school was built in 1928, the auditorium of the school building was made into a church chapel and was called St. Theresa's Chapel.

        The Vow to build a Votive Shrine to Our Lady Queen of Peace was impressively made by the entire congregation of St. Rosalia's Parish attending the various Masses on the Second Sunday in May 1942. The object of the Vow was for a safe return of our soldiers from the battlefields and a just peace.

        Adjoining the Facade, one hundred and fifty feet high and in Indiana limestone, Regina Pacis Church features a replica of the famous Belfry of Our Lady's Shrine in Pompei, Italy. The frontal inscription carved in bold letters reads: "VIRGINI DEIPARAW REGINAE PACIS VOTO DICATUM", which translates as "To the Blessed Virgin Mother of God and Queen of Peace in fulfillment of a vow"