April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
STUYVESANT FALLS/STOTTVILLE
A view from the pew of a merged parish
The Church of St. Joseph forms the one Body of Christ gathering in two locations: Stottville and Stuyvesant Falls.
Celebrating the parish's cultural diversity is a large part of this mission, with the goal of developing and maintaining a strong, unified community of faith.
"Diversity presents a great opportunity to share in our differences and determine how we as individuals can contribute to our community," said Rev. Joseph Falletta, pastor. "We have a lot of diversity here."
St. Joseph's - formerly the separate parishes of Nativity/St. Mary's (Stuyvesant Falls) and Holy Family (Stottville) - is one of only nine churches in the Albany Diocese that offers Mass in Spanish. The Spanish liturgy is at noon on Sundays in Stuyvesant Falls.
Father Falletta noted that Spanish Mass attendance at St. Joseph's has grown exponentially since the parish's inception in 1994. An annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December draws hundreds.
"We have a very fine group of Hispanic parishioners," boasted Carol Clarke, a Chatham resident who attends Mass at St. Joseph's.
St. Joseph's has also created a partnership with two other Columbia County parishes: St. John the Baptist in Valatie and St. James in Chatham.
"Each parish has a different personality, and we need to share with each other and look at the bigger picture," Father Falletta said.
Debbie Halpin, pastoral associate for administration, noted the importance of "trying to bring everyone together and spread the word about events happening in the northern Columbia County Catholic community."
Meeting needs
She listed many ways in which St. Joseph's helps foster a united sense of community and addresses needs in the area:
• serving 50 families each month through the food pantry at the Stottville worship site;
• participating in annual "baby bottle coin drives" to collect donations for Alight Pregnancy Resource Center in Hudson;
• providing services, including communion, to parishioners who are homebound or hospitalized;
• serving as an American Red Cross blood drive donation site;
• holding a day of prayer for peace on the 11th of each month at the Stuyvesant Falls worship site;
• offering resources for seniors through the 60 Plus Association (a nationwide senior-advocacy organization);
• hosting a coffee hour after Sunday Mass to encourage community fellowship, and church breakfasts several times a year;
• offering faith formation for students;
• providing Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) sessions for individuals wanting to learn more about the Catholic faith or seek membership in the Church;
• renting out a hall for public functions; and
• identifying and meeting area needs through the Christian service committee.
"In a recent homily, Father Falletta said our job is to make Christ visible to others," said Ms. Clarke. "That is what we all do."
St. Joseph's also houses the Preschool at Stuyvesant Falls, a kindergarten-readiness program. The secular preschool offers classes for three- and four-year-olds as well as a class for parents and two-and-a-half-year-olds to attend together.
On Sept. 11, St. Joseph's hosted its annual community Mass celebration, with a bilingual Mass followed by a community picnic.
"There is a definite feeling of coziness in a small parish," said Valatie resident Jill Rothwein, whose family has attended St. Joseph's since 1994. "It is very welcoming and family-friendly. I love that my priest and the other parishioners know me and my family members by name."
A catechist, Ms. Rothwein noted that she is constantly learning more about the Catholic Church as she prepares each lesson for her high school students: "Specifically, my knowledge of and love for the Mass and Scripture has increased."
For Kristina Kwacz, a member of the pastoral council, lector and parishioner at St. Joseph's for five decades, a smaller church means "you're able to become familiar with the people more readily. Even if you don't know them all by name, you recognize them and feel connected as part of something larger in sharing worship and ritual."
Welcome home
"If I had to describe St. Joseph's in one word, it would be 'welcoming,'" said Ms. Clarke, a lector, sacristan and eucharistic minister. "[On] my first visit, I entered through the front door, and the first thing that I saw was the beautiful statue of Jesus with his arms open. I thought, 'I'm home.'"
Thomas Cody, chair of the pastoral council, said that serving on committees and bringing communion to the sick "puts me in a position to know our parishioners and to learn about how good the people of our parish are."
The future of St. Joseph's is difficult to project, said Father Falletta. One concern is the declining number of clergy. There are only 110 priests currently serving in the Albany Diocese.
This, he explained, has created an emphasis on the laity having more responsibilities: "We've seen both death and growth. But I see the future as hopeful."
At St. Joseph's, Father Falletta said, "I really enjoy the people - talking and celebrating worship together. And my missionary work in South America and my work with the Hispanic community has been one of the best experiences of my life so far."[[In-content Ad]]
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