Two parishes note golden anniversaries

ST. CATHERINE, MIDDLEBURGH

On June 3, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard presided at a liturgy marking the golden anniversary of St. Catherine's Church in Middleburgh.

Children from the religious education program processed into church with a large banner imprinted with their hands to kick off the event.

St. Catherine's began as a mission of St. Vincent de Paul parish in Cobleskill. Parish records date the original mission starting in 1919, with Mass frequently celebrated in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Vroman until an Episcopal school building was purchased for use as a church.

In 1956, Bishop William A. Scully assigned Rev. Leonard Hicks to be the first pastor of the newly established St. Catherine's parish. Three years later, Rev. Edward McManus succeeded him and directed the building of the current church, which was completed in 1961.

During the 1960s, the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement drove from Cobleskill to conduct religious ed classes for 130 children. Priests from Our Lady Queen of Peace Franciscan Friary in Middleburgh and the LaSalette Seminary in Altamont assisted with pastoral duties.

Today, the parish has 260 registered families; Rev. Thomas Holmes has been the pastor there for eight years.

"There are a lot of dedicated people here at St. Catherine's," he told The Evangelist. "The parish is made up of a nice blend of 'down-staters' -- people who used to visit during the summers and have now retired in the area -- and local parishioners. For years, they all have worked together to build the parish community."

Father Holmes is also the sacramental minister for St. Joseph's in Schoharie and, in a reversal of the situation 50 years ago, at St. Vincent's in Cobleskill, where Sister Connie James, SND, is the parish life director.

To mark the jubilee, the parish has also planned a strawberry festival on July 14, 6-9 p.m.; a picnic on August 5; an outdoor Mass and chicken barbecue on August 20; a dinner-dance on Sept. 23; and a healing Mass on Oct. 26.

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ST. GABRIEL, ROTTERDAM

On June 4, members at St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Rotterdam, celebrated the parish's 50th anniversary at a Mass with Bishop Howard J. Hubbard.

When the parish was established in 1956, its first liturgy was held at a fire hall. A year later, when the new church was completed, the Schenectady Gazette said that its "aesthetic and functional design is one which is said to have caused widespread interest among architects and contractors. [It] contains a 'crying room' for infants, a kitchen and a stage, with ample off-street parking."

The first pastor was Rev. Joseph Honan, who put strong emphasis on the development of parish grounds and buildings, according to the history of the parish.

As the Second Vatican Council concluded in the 1960s, parishioners began to focus on involvement of the laity in such ministries as usher, choir and altar server.

In 1973, Rev. Thomas Vail became the second pastor; he was succeeded in 1984 by Rev. Leo Markert, who has served the 500 families for 22 years.

In a letter to parishioners marking the opening of their golden anniversary year, he highlighted lay involvement in ministry as one of the reasons for the continued success of the parish.

"Our many achievements over the years are due to the dedicated involvement of so many lay leaders and workers in the ministries of spirituality, worship, education and service to God and the Rotterdam community," he said. "We are a family of God on a mission of caring, sharing and loving."

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