Albany parish closing

When the final Mass is celebrated on Feb. 10 at Our Lady Help of Christians Church on Second Avenue, one of the last ethnic parishes in Albany will be gone forever. "Maria Hilf" means "Mary Help" in German; Germans formed the predominant ethnic group in the area when the parish was founded in 1880.

According to Rev. Robert Hohenstein, pastor, the closing is all because of the numbers -- or rather, the lack of them.

Missing persons

Over the past three years, the parish has experienced a sharp decline in its population, along with rising costs, necessary repairs and insurmountable debt.

For several years, he added, it has been obvious to both him and diocesan officials that the dwindling number of parishioners was leading to a possible restructuring or eventual closure of the 122-year old parish.

Delay in closing

At that time, however, officials made the decision to maintain the status quo, and Father Hohenstein revised the weekend Mass schedule, eliminating at least one Mass. That helped the parish cut back on costs associated with use of the church building.

Father Hohenstein has been serving Maria Hilf for 31 out of his 34 years as a priest. He began there as an associate pastor and returned in 1975 as pastor. He believes he has served the parish longer than any pastor in its history.

Beginnings

The German parishioners, according to the parish history, mortgaged their homes to obtain the down payment for the church building. A parish school was established shortly after and remained open for nearly 100 years.

The Gothic structure has a unique interior with stained glass windows imported from Germany and an altar that is one of the highest in the northeastern U.S. It is made of Vermont white and imported marbles.

Changes

"All that is left are 100 families," the pastor said, "consisting mostly of the elderly -- people that have lived here all their lives, raised their families and watched them move away. They are dedicated parishioners who have done all they can to keep this parish open. Unfortunately, it just isn't enough anymore."

Father Hohenstein said that the Diocese has criteria that it follows when considering the restructuring or closing of a parish, and those were met when administrators make the decision to shutter Our Lady Help of Christians.

Finale

"After I announced the closure that Sunday, one of our teenage boys began to cry," the priest recalled. "He cried throughout the entire service. It was very, very sad."

Several nearby parishes have opened their doors to parishioners, including St. John/St. Ann's and St. James, which sent baskets of flowers with an invitation to attend services. In addition, parishioners of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, St. Patrick's in Ravena and St. Thomas in Delmar have extended their welcomes.

What's next

"I am sad to see this parish close; but, realistically, it's the right time to do so," he said. "I am grateful for the fact that I am still here to share it with all the wonderful people of this parish. We have been through so much in the past 31 years. After all this time, I wouldn't want it any other way. We will close the parish with dignity, and we will go through it all together. The time has come."

(Editor's note: Blessed Sacrament in Springfield Center, a mission of St. Thomas the Apostle parish in Cherry Valley, has also been closed.)

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