Pittstown parish marks its 100th

Today, Rev. John Riley hops into his minivan and drives a short distance down Factory Hollow Road to minister to parishioners of St. George's Church in Pittstown.

The pastor of the parish celebrating its centennial is glad that help isn't hard to find, even if times have changed since his first stint as pastor in the 1970s.

"We have a fair amount of good workers, but a lot of the old-timers, the volunteers who built the parish hall, are gone," Father Riley said.

Evolution

In the late 1860s, priests came from Schaghticoke on horseback to celebrate Mass in the home of Patrick O'Reilley. The grist mill owner soon purchased a small house and lot on Factory Hollow Road that he turned over to the Diocese for use as a church.

Named after St. George, this church became a mission of Schaghticoke but was transferred when another mission, St. Monica's in Johnsonville, became its own parish in 1888.

Not gone with wind

A windstorm leveled the framework for the walls, but this proved only a minor setback. Workers salvaged what they could and rebuilt. St. George's Church was incorporated in July 1899; Bishop Thomas M.A. Burke dedicated the church and administered first Eucharist and Confirmation a few months later.

Families came from as far away as Eagle Bridge and Buskirk for the ceremony and feasted afterward in the building that had served as the church for 19 years.

Pastors' roll

St. George's was established as its own parish in 1917, with St. John Francis Regis Church in Grafton as its mission and Rev. Vincent de Paul Archambault as pastor.

Other pastors who have served at St. George's include:

* Rev. William Heffern, 1921-22;

* Rev. George Gratton, 1922-25;

* Rev. Edward Hinkel, 1925-34;

* Rev. John Carroll, 1934-36;

* Rev. James Brennock, 1936-43;

* Rev. Caleb Vaughan, 1943-52;

* Rev. Joseph Honan, 1952-55;

* Rev. Philip Grady, 1955-62;

* Rev. Edward English, 1962-64;

* Rev. William Flanigan, 1964-65;

* Rev. Donald Gravelle, 1965-71.

Growing

Sisters of Mercy from St. Paul's Convent in Troy used to help teach catechism classes each Sunday. Father English saw the need for a parish hall and religious education center, but it wasn't until Father Gravelle that Jubilee Hall was built by men from the parish on nights and weekends. Bishop Edwin B. Broderick blessed the hall in 1970 when he came for Confirmation at St. George's.

Father Gravelle was succeeded by Father Riley, who remained as pastor until 1984. During his years there, the church roof was replaced, work continued on Jubilee Hall, and the church interior and exterior were painted.

Not only was he pastor, Father Riley also was involved in the local ambulance company by driving and transporting patients. Frances Breen, parish secretary who was also a crew member, remembers how "we'd be working around the parish, the beeper would go off, and away we'd go."

More changes

Improvements made to the hall kitchen during Father Lysogorski's years enabled the parish to host community breakfasts and other events.

More changes occurred in 1993, when St. John Francis Regis became a separate parish, and St. George's became affiliated with Immaculate Conception Church in Hoosick Falls and was entrusted to the Augustinians. When they withdrew in 1997, Father Riley returned as pastor.

'Coming home'

"It was like coming home because this was the first parish where I was pastor," he said.

St. George's has about 130 families, and while many "old-timers" from Father Riley's first stint are gone, there are more young families and newborns than before. A well-known former parishioner will be on hand to read the Gospel and preach at the 100th anniversary Mass: Rev. Leo O'Brien, vicar general of the Diocese of Albany.

(Bishop Howard J. Hubbard will be the principal celebrant of the Centennial Mass at 2 p.m. Oct. 17; concelebrants will include Fathers Riley, Kelly and Lysogorski; Rev. Daniel Menihane, OSA; Rev. John Sheridan, OSA; and Revs. Philip Cioppa and Randall Patterson.)

(10-14-99) [[In-content Ad]]