December 14, 2021 at 6:06 p.m.
RENEW AND RESTORE
RENEW AND RESTORE
The parish has a long history in the Capital District as the first Mass was celebrated in 1851 by Father John Corry in a nearby feed store. The next year, Mass was celebrated in a temporary wooden structure that served as the first church. After the completion of the first brick church in the fall of 1857, the cornerstone was blessed by Bishop John McCloskey. A fire destroyed the original church in 1890, however. On Nov. 22, 1891, Mass was celebrated in the current church, which was dedicated by Bishop Francis J. McNierney in 1892.
With any historic church, renovations and repairs are always needed. Father Thomas Konopka, pastor, said the recent renovation project was begun by Deacon Greg Mansfield as part of the parish’s Re-Igniting our Faith campaign. In 2017, the roof, which was leaking and causing interior damage, and the steeple were under repair.
COVID put a halt to the work, but it began again this year.
“Through the generosity of a couple of parishioners, the decision was made to fix the apse this year and then move next year to the nave,” Father Konopka explained via email. “However, once the apse was finished and people saw the results, they wanted to continue into the nave. Plus, the scaffolding was already in the church and it was cheaper to continue than to take the scaffolding down and put it back up.
“The work in the church consisted of fixing all plaster cracks and issues. After that was repaired, it was painted and some of the original stenciling in the apse was replaced.”
Father Konopka said all the work was done by a local craftsman, artist and construction company, and added “given that the building is over 100 years old, the work is never done. The next big project will be the restoration of the stained-glass windows.”
Photographer Cindy Schultz spent a recent Sunday morning at the church taking pictures of the impressive updates.
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