As early as 1865, there was a St. Gabriel's presence in Windsor. On November 1, 1865, the Rev. James Smyth bought the former Episcopalian house of worship from a committee representing the Episcopalians of Windsor, thereby establishing St. Gabriel's mission church. St. Gabriel's originally was a mission of St. Mary's Parish in Windsor Locks, as was the present St. Joseph's Parish in Poquonock.

St. Gabriel's remained a mission of St. Mary's Parish until 1892, when St. Joseph's mission became an independent parish. St. Gabriel's then became a mission of the Poquonock Parish, and Continued so until 1921, when St. Gabriel's Church on Broad Street was completed in 1915.

In the spring if 1956, St. Gabriel's purchased the former Roger Ludlow School from the Town of Windsor. St. Gabriel's School was opened in September of that year. In October 1961, a two story addition was made to the school. The addition included eight new classrooms, a combination cafeteria-common room and a kitchen on the first floor, and an auditorium-gymnasium with stage on the second floor. The school, located at 77 Bloomfield Avenue, presently has an enrollment of 288 students.

Between 1921 and 1971, St. Gabriel's Parish had two pastors: Rev. John F. Quinn (1921-1956), and Msgr. Harold F. Daly (1956-1971).

In 1971, St. Gabriel Parish became the first parish in the Archdiocese of Hartford to be served by a three-man Ministry when Revs. William E. Dudack, Lawrence R. Bock, and Robert S. Delaney were appointed. In March 1983, Rev. Joseph McGarry and Rev. Edward Hyland were appointed to replace the prior team. In 1988, Father McGarry was appointed pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish in West Hartford and Rev. William Burns joined Father Hyland as co-pastor at St. Gabriel parish in September 1988. Father Hyland was appointed pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Waterbury in January 1991, and Rev. James C. Rush was appointed co-pastor in April 1991 to replace Father Hyland. Rev. Richard J. Neumann was appointed co-pastor with Father Rush in April 1993 and replaced Father Burns, who had been appointed pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Naugatuck. Rev. Michael F. X. Hinkley was appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Gabriel Parish in October 1993.

Father Hinkley was transferred to St. Ann in New Britain in Nov., 1997 and was replaced by Father Robert J. Grant who was with St. Gabriel parish until August, 2005, when he was appointed pastor of St. Mary Church in Union City. Rev. Grant was replaced by Rev. Edmund K. Karwowski who currently administers to St. Gabriel with Rev. Neumann.

St. Gabriel Parish has continued to grow. From a parish of 800 in 1935, it now has a membership in excess of 8,000 individuals making it one of the largest parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford.