Warrensburg Catholics mark 125 years of faith

St. Cecilia's Church in Warrensburg remains a vibrant parish 125 years after its founding, with a parish house that once was a bank and a hall dedicated in memory of a well-known pastor. But it's the people, not the buildings, that truly make the parish, said Sister Linda Hogan, CSJ, parish life director for the past year.

"All of the generosity, cooperation and support expressed in the 125th anniversary celebration planning are nothing more than a continuation of the way it's been all along," she said.

Genesis

The cornerstone for a church was set July 23, 1875, and the building was finished Sept. 5, 1877. Construction cost $6,000, and furnishings cost $2,000, a large total considering that there were less than 200 members, and annual salaries in those days were in the hundreds of dollars.

It's unknown why the church was called St. Cecilia's; one possible explanation is that Father Kelly was a musical priest, and St. Cecilia is the patroness of Church music.

Irish touch

* Rev. W. O'Mahoney, 1882-90;

* Rev. Joseph Graham, 1890-1901;

* Rev. John Reilly, 1901;

* Rev. Patrick Livingston, 1901-15; and

* Rev. John Kilduff, 1915-44.

Wide area

When Father Livingston died in Albany in 1921, many Warrensburg residents of all faiths made the trip to the city for the funeral and accompanied his body back to St. Cecilia's for additional services and burial in the mission cemetery.

Rev. Pierre Levesque was pastor of St. Cecilia's in 1949, when the church became its own parish. He was succeeded by Rev. Elmer Donnelly, the first resident pastor, who stayed until 1955. Other pastors have included:

* Rev. James Carroll, 1956-57;

* Rev. James Hickey, 1957-69;

* Rev. Vincent Jaracz, 1969-83;

* Rev. Cyril Periera, 1983-84;

* Rev. Dennis Murphy, 1984-92; and

* Rev. Nellis Tremblay, 1992-98.

The rectory that housed many of St. Cecilia's priests is located next to the church and was at one time Burnhans Bank; today, it's known as the parish house, where Sister Linda lives.

Father Jaracz, who served as administrator of St. Cecilia's before becoming its pastor, was loved by parishioners. Among those who attended his 1983 funeral were 72 priests and hundreds of friends; the parish hall since has been dedicated in his memory.

Renovations

Volunteers responded to his call for help in taking out the old pews, "and within a couple of hours, the whole church was stripped," he said. "I could have given a thousand pews away. People loved them, and it was a nice parish effort."

Other work included painting, removing carpeting in the sanctuary to show the hardwood floor underneath, replacing a marble baptismal font with a wooden one and refinishing the altar.

He and some helpers also renovated the parish hall and turned an attic that was accessible only from an outside fire escape into classroom and office space.

Father Murphy enjoyed seeing many types of worshipers at the parish: campers during summer, skiers during winter, seniors who stayed around from May until October, and year-round churchgoers. Many out-of-town Catholics found something at St. Cecilia's that wasn't present in their home parishes.

"They'd often remark how nice it was to have a small community because they came from New York City or Long Island and be thrilled to have the personal touch of a small parish," he said.

Home parish

"I've been going to that church for years, and it was a great homecoming for me," he said.

He helps out at the parish once in a while, but a sacramental minister and weekend associate take care of most liturgical responsibilities.

"I loved the people and the place," he said. Sister Linda "is doing a beautiful job. She's not just there to keep the parish going; she's building it up."

New challenges

"The parish has been incredibly supportive and ready to move into the future. They have been willing to accept the situation and be Church themselves," she said.

(St. Cecilia's will celebrate its 125th anniversary with chamber music on August 21 at 4 p.m. Bishop Howard J. Hubbard will celebrate Mass at 4:30 p.m.; a reception follows.)

(08-19-99) [[In-content Ad]]