The Roman Catholic Church of the Transfiguration, the first Lithuanian national church in Maspeth, Queens County of New York, was dedicated on August 8, 1908 and has, for over a century, remained a thriving and vital force in the spiritual realm of the Maspeth Community. Transfiguration, originally located on Hull Avenue, was established out of a dire need for a Lithuanian church to serve the surging Lithuanian population in the County of Queens.

Reverend Nicodemus Petjus served as the first Pastor. Despite the economic hardships faced by the congregation, they were very supportive and made the necessary sacrifices to build a priests rectory in 1911. By the First World War, the parish began to enjoy relative prosperity and a steady growth of parishioners. Upon its completion, Transfiguration became the second oldest Lithuanian Catholic Church in the Brooklyn Diocese.

Reverend Anthony Milukas served as the second Pastor from 1914-1933. Milukas successfully petitioned President Woodrow Wilson to proclaim November 1st as Lithuanian Day in 1916. During his tenure the Church of the Transfiguration suffered the trauma of two major fires. In 1919 a conflagration destroyed a substantial part of the original church and much of the church furnishings. With the generous financial support of the good parishioners, the church was completely restored, with the furnishings, in a relatively short period of time.

But in 1925, a second fire razed the church building to the ground. Instead of re-building, the old St. Stanislaus Kostka church property was purchased, providing a church building, priests’ rectory and additional grounds, located on Perry Avenue. The parish made changes to the church building when they obtained it, altering the steeple and making other various improvements deemed necessary. Transfiguration once again had an outward expression of faith and love and an inspiration for future generations.

Reverend John Balkunas was appointed as the third Pastor in 1933. During Balkunas’ tenure, a new church building was erected in 1935, which now serves as the parish hall, and the Lithuanian Franciscan Sisters arrived to conduct religious instructions for the children of the parish. Various Lithuanian Franciscan Fathers, Rev. Pius Lekesis, Rev. John Kartavicius, Rev. Frank Bulovas and Rev. John Pakalniskis provided dedicated and loyal assistance in the parish. The needs of the growing parish necessitated the building of a new church complete with Parish Hall and on May 27th, 1962, the new Church of the Transfiguration was dedicated. (The beautiful A-frame Church was designed by Lithuanian emigre architect Jonas Mulokas [1907-1983] known for incorporating Lithuanian themes with modern architecture. Lithuanian folk art elements adorn the co-operative achievement of all those who contributed time, energy and money over a long period of years. Rev. Balkunas, who had become Monsignor Balkunas, retired January 1, 1972.

Rev. Frank Bulovas was installed as the fourth Pastor. Fr. Frank dedicated his 11 years as Pastor to the spiritual, material and financial condition of the parish and amplified the work that Monsignor Balkunas initiated. The church hall, used for many social functions of the parish, was reconditioned and refurbished. A reconciliation room was installed. With the good cooperation of the Catholic War Veterans Post No. 869, a memorial monument was erected outside the church hall. A beautiful Lithuanian Wayside Cross shrine was erected on the church grounds with the generous support of the Transfiguration Knights of Lithuania Council No. 110.

Various parish organizations, such as Holy Name Society, St. Ann’s Sodality, Rosary Society, Golden Age Club, Altar Society, Parish Council, Third Order of St. Francis Confraternity, Transfiguration Bingo Workers, United Societies, Altar Boys, Apostleship of Prayer, the Transfiguration Knights of Lithuania Council No. 110, Legion of Mary, Catholic War Veterans Post No. 869 & Ladies Auxiliary of Post No. 869, Altar Society all thrived during this time. On July 3, 1982 Pope John Paul II granted the Monsignorate to Rev Frank Bulovas. Msgr. Bulovas remained as Pastor until 1991.

The fifth Pastor of Transfiguration was Rev. Kenneth Wicks. He improved the rectory, started a Sports program, and continued the good work of Msgr. Bulovas, until his death in 1993.

Rev. James (Ted) Rooney became the sixth Pastor in 1994. He focused on a renewed ministry to Lithuanian concerns in the Parish and provided a home for the Maironis Lithuanian School. With Fr. Ted’s guidance, the School of Religion, Sports Program, Parish Societies and the dedication of the Liturgical Ministries continued to flourish. And new needs were met – bringing Communion to the homebound as a part of Sunday Mass, visiting the homebound, St. Therese Ministry, and continued success and growth of an RCIA experience.
Father Paul A. Wood became the seventh Pastor of Transfiguration in 2003. Ordained in 1980, Fr. Paul served as a Parochial Vicar at several parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn. In 1993 he became Catholic Chaplain at Queens College, CUNY.

In 2006, Fr. Paul was presented with a third assignment in addition to the Chaplaincy at the college and Pastor at Transfiguration. He was installed as Pastor at Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church, also in Maspeth, and was given the mandate by Bishop DiMarzio to begin the “reconfiguration” of the two Churches, combining ministry and resources where possible into one, but remaining two viable, vibrant Catholic parishes.

During Fr Paul’s time at Transfiguration a new handicapped bathroom was built at the entrance to the Church. Stained glass windows were repaired in the upper Church and stained glass restored in the lower Church for weekday Mass. The Pieta and the Blessed Mother were uncovered in the lower Church and restored to their former beauty. Also, through the generosity of parishioners Charlie and Maryann Vidiksis a new granite tile floor was placed in the upper sanctuary. The statues in the upper Church and the Sacred Heart were restored and repainted.

The current pastor, Rev. Msgr. Joseph P. Calise, was ordained at Saint James Cathedral on June 28th, 1980. He attended Cathedral Preparatory Seminary, Cathedral College and the Pontifical Gregorian University while residing at the North American College in Rome. He earned a BA in English and Comparative Literature and an STB.

In January 2017, Rev. Calise was transferred to the Parishes of Saint Stanislaus Kostka and Transfiguration in Maspeth as Pastor of the two parishes with the task of overseeing their canonical merge as the Parish of Transfiguration – Saint Stanislaus Kostka.

The history above is from the parish’s website, transtans.org. Additional research from Maspeth, Our Town, by Barbara Stankowski, 1977