Vital Records of Closed Roman Catholic Parishes
in the Albany Diocese, New York State
Webpage by Cliff Lamere Mar 2009
Where do Parish records go after a Parish is closed? I asked that question of Sister Nola Brunner, Archivist of the Albany Diocese. She sent me pages 169-170 from The Catholic Directory of the Diocese of Albany. The following closed Parishes are in the New York counties of Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Montgomery, Rensselaer, and Schenectady. The closed Parishes listed below are alphabetized by the local location rather than by the county name. The current repository of the records of each closed Parish is also listed, including mailing address and telephone number.
In 2009-2011, about 33 additional Parishes will be closed. Sister Nola sent me a list of the 9 Parishes that had been closed as of the writing of this webpage. However, the last of them is in Otsego Co. which is not part of the Diocese.
The last church on this list was in Otsego County, outside the Albany Diocese.
On 9 Mar 2009, Kay Brearton, Secretary of the Troy Irish Genealogy Society, sent me the following information:
Records for St. William's (closed as of 2/22/09) have gone to Sacred Heart, Troy
Records for St. Francis de Sales (closed February 2009) will go to Our Lady of Victory, Troy
Records for St. Paul the Apostle will go to Our Lady of Victory, Troy
Records for St. Peter's will go to St. Anthony's, Troy
Records for St. Mary's will go to St. Joseph's, South Troy
Records for St. Patrick's will go to St. Augustine, North Troy
The Daily Gazette, newspaper of Schenectady NY, published January 18, 2009 the following list of 33 Churches to be closed. Judy Patrick, managing editor, gave me permission on March 6, 2009 to include the list on this webpage.
ALBANY COUNTY
City of Albany
St. John’s/St. Ann’s and St. James will merge by July 1, 2010, with both worship sites to remain open.
St. Teresa of Avila and St. Catherine of Siena will merge by Oct. 1. St. Teresa’s worship site will close.
Holy Cross and St. Margaret Mary will merge by Oct. 1 . Holy Cross’s worship site will close.
St. Teresa’s School and Holy Cross School will merge on July 1 at the Holy Cross School site.
Elsewhere
St. Bernard’s in Cohoes will close by Feb. 25.
St. Joseph’s in Cohoes will close by Feb. 25.
St. Rita/Sacred Heart in Cohoes will close by Feb. 25.
St. Michael’s in Cohoes will remain open and become a territorial parish.
St. Bernadette’s Mission Church in Berne will close by Dec. 31, 2010.
SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Our Lady of Assumption Church in Rotterdam and Immaculate Conception Church in Schenectady will merge by July 1, 2010. Immaculate Conception’s worship site will close by January 1, 2011.
St. John the Baptist in Schenectady will close by Feb. 25.
St. Mary’s in Schenectady will close by July 1.
St. Margaret of Cortona in Rotterdam Junction will become a mission church of St. Joseph’s in Schenectady by July 1.
SARATOGA COUNTY
Assumption/St. Paul in Mechanicville will determine one worship site by July 1.
FULTON COUNTY
St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Gloversville and Sacred Heart in Gloversville will merge by July 1. Diocese officials said they will decide which worship site will close by July 1.
Holy Trinity Church will be located at one of its three worship sites, and the other two will be closed. Diocese officials said they will decide which of the three worship sites of Holy Trinity Church will remain open by July 1.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
St. Casimir’s in Amsterdam will close by May 3.
St. John the Baptist in Amsterdam will close by Feb. 25.
St. Michael’s worship site in Amsterdam will close by Feb. 25.
St. Peter & Paul in Canajoharie, St. James in Fort Plain and St. Patrick’s in St. Johnsville will merge by July 1. Recommendations for additional worship sites will be submitted to the diocese by July 1, 2010.
SCHOHARIE COUNTY
St. Joseph’s in Schoharie and St. Catherine’s in Middleburgh will merge by July 1, and St. Joseph’s worship site will be closed.
St. Mary’s Mission Church in Schenevus will close by Feb. 25.
St. Anna’s in Summit will close by July 1.
RENSSELAER COUNTY
City of Troy
St. Patrick’s will close by July 1, 2010.
St. Peter’s will close by May 31. Tridentine Mass will move to St. Joseph’s in Troy.
St. Paul the Apostle will close by May 31. Perpetual Adoration Chapel will move to the Chapel at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy.
St. Francis de Sales will close by Feb. 25.
St. Mary’s will close by July 1, 2010.
St. William’s will close by Feb. 25.
Elsewhere
St. Joseph’s/St. John’s in Rensselaer will determine one worship site for a parish by July 1, with the other worship site to close by July 1, 2010.
St. Bonaventure in Speigletown and Holy Trinity in Schaghticoke will merge by July 1, 2010, and both will remain open.
St. John Francis Regis in Grafton and Sacred Heart in Berlin will merge by Sept. 1, with both remaining open.
St. George Mission Church in Pittstown will close by July 1.
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