About Blessed Sacrament Church · Albany, New York
Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany, New York, is a Roman Catholic parish dedicated to worshiping God and serving Jesus Christ. Established in 1902 to serve Catholics moving into the West End of Albany and adjacent areas, especially those working in the local train yards, the parish has grown to meet spiritual, educational, and charitable needs. The church building was completed in 1902 with future expansion in mind, and underwent major renovations in 1952, the 70s, and a full update during its 2002 Centennial. The parish also maintains records and artifacts from former neighboring parishes, including St. Casimir, St. Patrick, and Our Lady of the Angels, and offers sacramental services, faith formation, and community outreach such as a food pantry.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Blessed Sacrament
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel Quinn
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, NY
Why belong here
Join a parish that serves the spiritual, educational, and charitable needs of its community, including faith formation for all ages, sacramental services, and outreach programs like the food pantry. The parish also preserves the history and records of former neighboring parishes, offering genealogical and sacramental assistance to those seeking connections to their faith heritage.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 3:00 PM (before Saturday Mass)
- 1:30 pm (Tuesday, Thursday)
- 7:30 am (First Saturdays)
Adoration times
- 12:30 pm (Tuesday, Thursday)
- 7:30 am (First Saturdays)
History & Archives
The Church of The Blessed Sacrament was started in 1902 to meet the needs of the growing numbers of Catholics moving into the West End of Albany and adjacent Town of Colonie, especially to work in the train yards known as the “West Albany Shops” (where CDTA and other large industrial buildings stand today). The current parish church was built in 1902 with a temporary rear wall for future expansion. Our windows were created in 1910 by Franz Mayer of Munich, Inc., and are similar to those in nearby St. Vincent de Paul church. A booklet about the windows is available for a small fee. In 1952, at the time of the 50th anniversary of the parish, the church was expanded and completed, with a new sanctuary and an altar with a baldacchino. At some point in the 70s the church was renovated, and then during the Centennial Celebration in 2002, the entire Church building was updated. In 1916, Blessed Sacrament School was opened and continues today in a second structure erected in 1963. Today, the parish continues to meet the spiritual needs of our area and beyond. The religious education of the people of all ages are met as well as the needs of the poor and the ill. Right: the marble Crucifix and statues of Mary & the Beloved Disciple, and the statues around the Church of the Gospel Writers (not shown), come from the high altar of St. Joseph Church in Ten Broeck Triangle (see the display in the back of the church for more information). Our pulpit and paschal candle stand come from the German parish of St. Lawrence in Troy (not shown). Archives Blessed Sacrament Church also maintains the records of many of the parishes from Central Ave., Sheridan Hollow, and West Hill that have been suppressed: Our Lady of the Angels was a traditionally German parish and school on the corner of Central Ave. & Robin St. It had a school associated with it, and was staffed by the Conventual Franciscans: https://findingyourpast.blogspot.com/2017/04/our-lady-of-angels-albany-ny.html. St. Casimir, on Sheridan St., with its school, was traditionally a Polish parish. The former rectory now houses one site of the Sr. Maureen Joyce Center with the Food Pantry. St. Patrick, with its school, on the Corner of Central & Lake was the traditionally Irish church that is now known as Our Lady of the Americas/Nuestra Señora de las Americas. In later years, it was also known as Holy Family Parish, when Our Lady of the Angels, St. Casimir, & St. Patrick were merged. Blessed Sacrament holds the sacramental records for these churches, and our archivist is able to access them for sacramental requests (i.e. Baptism certificates for an upcoming Marriage, Baptism certificates to be sent to another parish prior to First Communion or Confirmation, etc.) For genealogical requests, a small fee is requested; please fill out this form (.pdf): Blessed Sacrament Genealogical Request Form We also have inherited many relics, statues, and other items from the patrimony of these much beloved parishes. Although we have some artifacts from the traditionally Lithuanian parish of St. George on the corner of Livingston Ave. & Thornton St. (now one of the Sister Maureen Joyce Center sites, where our Soup Kitchen, the Garden of Feeding, and Mary’s Corner are located), we do not hold their records. Please contact St. Joan of Arc in Menands for St. George’s sacramental records. More information can be found at: https://ourladyoftheamericas.org/about-us/our-history/ https://findingyourpast.blogspot.com/2017/08/historical-talk-on-st-patricks-church.html
Sacraments
Before we celebrate any sacrament, we take some time to prepare to celebrate them. The following discusses the seven sacraments and the preparation required for each. Baptism Reconciliation Confirmation Marriage Holy Orders Anointing the Sick
Baptism & OCIA
The first of the Sacraments of Initiation is Baptism, the washing with water, just as Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist. For us, this sacrament washes away Original Sin, fills us with the Holy Spirit of God, and incorporates us into God’s family, becoming adopted sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters in the body of the Church. Incorporated into the Holy Trinity, we have God the Father as our Father, Jesus the Son as our Brother, and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Babies To make arrangements regarding the Baptism of a baby or young child under 6, please contact the main office by phone or e-mail. You may also complete the Baptism Information Sheet and email it to [email protected]. Children To make arrangements regarding the Baptism of a child who has reached the age of reason, about 7 and older, please contact our Faith Formation leaders. Adults For adults looking to be baptized, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, now known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA/OCIA), is the process you are looking for. Conversational preparation sessions are arranged for Sunday mornings after 9:00 Mass, 10:00-11:00, and we meet in the vestibule of the Church. Our schedule of topics this year is as follows: Begins in September schedule TBD Godparents For information on Godparents, their role, and who is qualified to be a godparent for Baptism and for Confirmation, please take a look at these articles: Great Joy of Being a Godparent and Godparents. Please complete a godparent eligibility form for each godparent. You may submit those either with the after submitting the baptismal information sheet.