The cornerstone was laid on May 31, 1908, by Cardinal Logue, Archbishop of Armagh, who was visiting on the occasion of the centenary of the Archdiocese of New York.

Of note are longtime pastor Louis R. Gigante— brother of notorious gangster Vincent "the Chin" Gigante[2]— who founded the Simpson Street Development Association in 1967; and Sister Miriam Thomas.

Thomas, a nun who came to St. Athanasius in 1962 as a teacher, and who joined with Gigante to found the South East Bronx Community Organization (SEBCO) in 1968.

[3] Another neighborhood activist group, the Mid-Bronx Desperadoes, was co-founded by St. Athanasius priest William Smith in 1974[4] In 1985, Thomas even organized the first South Bronx Halloween parade, in 1985[5] A 105-unit affordable housing development which SEBCO built on the last parcel of city-owned land in the South Bronx was the Sister Thomas Apartments in 2008.

"[6] Nevertheless, Sister Thomas and the flea market she long organized were expelled from the parish unceremoniously in 2010, dividing the community, shortly after the arrival of a new pastor.