About Christ Our Hope Parish @ St. Patrick Mission · Forestport, New York
Christ Our Hope Parish @ St. Patrick Mission is a Roman Catholic mission church serving Forestport in northern Oneida County, New York, as part of a combined three-church parish in the Diocese of Syracuse. The mission church itself is St. Patrick Church, located at 11996 River Street in Forestport, and it is the spiritual home of a community whose roots go back to 1848, when Irish canal workers settled along the Black River Canal and founded the parish. Today, St. Patrick's worships alongside its sister churches — St. Joseph in Boonville (the main church and parish office) and St. Mary of the Snows Oratory in Otter Lake — under one parish family called Christ Our Hope, formally created in 2009.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas I. Ward
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
Christ Our Hope Parish welcomes visitors and parishioners into a tight-knit Catholic community serving the rural villages of northern Oneida County, with regular Mass at St. Patrick Church in Forestport on Sundays and Wednesdays, a vibrant Faith Formation program for children in Pre-K through 10th grade, and active outreach through a parish food pantry and the St. Patrick's Thrift Shop. The parish offers traditional Catholic devotions including Eucharistic Adoration, a daily Eucharistic Holy Hour with Confessions, rosary-making gatherings, and the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process for adults seeking to become Catholic. With shared facilities like Kiefer Hall in Forestport and Gill Hall in Boonville, and a clear mission to "go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:19-20), it is a welcoming place for families, seasonal residents, and lifelong Catholics alike.
Mass times at Christ Our Hope Parish @ St. Patrick Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM at St. Patrick Church (before 8:00 AM Mass)
- Monday–Friday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM at St. Joseph Church (during the Eucharistic Holy Hour)
Adoration times
- Tuesdays following daily Mass (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Monday–Friday 6:00 PM Eucharistic Holy Hour with Confessions and Evening Prayer at St. Joseph Church
About Christ Our Hope Parish
Christ Our Hope Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Northern Oneida County, New York, made up of three worship sites: St. Joseph Church in Boonville (the main church and parish office), St. Patrick Church in Forestport (the mission church featured here), and St. Mary of the Snows Oratory in Otter Lake (a summer-only chapel). The parish's mission statement is drawn directly from Christ's Great Commission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you, and know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!" (Matthew 28:19–20). The parish office serves all three locations from 108 Charles Street in Boonville.
- St. Joseph Church — Boonville (main church & parish office)
- St. Patrick Church — Forestport (mission church)
- St. Mary of the Snows Oratory — Otter Lake (summer chapel)
History
The three churches that make up Christ Our Hope have distinct origins but a shared missionary past rooted in the Black River Canal era of the mid-19th century. Their stories converge in 2009, when they were combined into a single parish family to better serve the rural communities of northern Oneida County.
St. Patrick Church, Forestport (1848)
St. Patrick Parish was originally established in 1848 to serve the Irish canal workers who settled along the Black River Canal. It began as a mission and remains today a vibrant Christian community — now formally classified as a mission church within Christ Our Hope Parish. St. Patrick's retains its own cemetery (River Road, Forestport), Thrift Shop (12000 River St.), and Kiefer Hall (9004 E. River St.) for parish gatherings.
- Founded 1848 for Irish canal workers
- 11996 River Street, Forestport
- Cemetery on River Road
- Thrift Shop at 12000 River Street
- Kiefer Hall at 9004 E. River Street
St. Joseph Church, Boonville (1878)
St. Joseph was founded in 1878 as a mission out of Constableville, NY, and went on to become the mother parish of both St. Patrick (Forestport) and St. Mary of the Snows (Otter Lake). Today it is the parish office location and hosts most daily Masses, the Eucharistic Holy Hour, Faith Formation, and many of the parish's outreach ministries. It also operates St. Joseph's Cemetery (Moose River Road) and Gill Hall (114 Charles Street).
- Founded 1878
- 112 Charles Street, Boonville
- Parish office and main church
- Gill Hall — 114 Charles Street
- St. Joseph's Cemetery — Moose River Road
St. Mary of the Snows Oratory, Otter Lake (1921)
Originally a summer chapel, St. Mary of the Snows has served as a summer devotional chapel for the faithful of the area since 1921. It is listed in the Diocese of Syracuse's records as "Christ Our Hope at St. Mary of the Snows Summer Mission" with Sunday Mass at 11:15 AM during the season. Its 911 address is 14040-NY 28, Forestport, NY 13338.
- Founded 1921 as a summer devotional
- Located on State Route 28, Otter Lake
- Sunday Mass at 11:15 AM in season
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Christ Our Hope Parish is served by an Administrator appointed by the Bishop of Syracuse. The parish shares one priest across all three worship sites. The parish office can be reached at (315) 942-4618 for appointments with the priest, including OCIA inquiries.
- Rev. Thomas I. Ward — Administrator (effective July 1, 2025)
- Rev. Matthew E. Rawson — previous Pastor (through June 30, 2025)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation for children in Pre-K through 10th grade is held on Sunday mornings at Gill Hall in Boonville. The 2025 class schedule runs from January through May and includes sacramental milestones: First Reconciliation (February 9), First Communion (May 4), and May Crowning (May 11). Registration is handled through the parish office. Adults seeking to become Catholic participate in OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA) — by appointment with the pastor.
- Faith Formation: Pre-K through 10th grade, Sundays at Gill Hall (Boonville)
- First Reconciliation — February 9, 2025
- First Communion — May 4, 2025
- May Crowning — May 11, 2025
- OCIA for adults — by appointment, call (315) 942-4618
Outreach & Parish Life
Christ Our Hope Parish runs two major outreach ministries through St. Patrick's in Forestport: the parish Food Pantry and the St. Patrick's Thrift Shop. The Thrift Shop is open to all on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to noon, with a $3 bag sale starting May 2025 and a clothing drop-off box available year-round. The Food Pantry accepts non-perishable food, personal care items, and cash or check donations (made payable to "St. Patrick's Food Pantry"), which can be placed in the collection basket or mailed to the parish office. The Catholic Women's Club also supports parish life and outreach.
- St. Patrick's Food Pantry — accepts non-perishable food & personal care items
- St. Patrick's Thrift Shop — Saturdays 10 AM – Noon (12000 River St.)
- $3 bag sale starting May 2025
- Clothing drop-off box at St. Patrick's Church
- Catholic Women's Club
Parish Groups & Devotions
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the parish community gathers for rosary-making on Monday mornings after daily Mass in Gill Hall, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, the daily Holy Hour, and the parish's family Faith Formation program. The Catholic Women's Club offers another way to get involved in parish life.
- Rosary Making — Mondays after daily Mass, Gill Hall
- Catholic Women's Club
- Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesdays
- Eucharistic Holy Hour — Mon–Fri evenings, St. Joseph
Buildings, Cemetery & Facilities
The parish operates a number of supporting buildings across its three locations for worship, gatherings, burial, and community outreach. St. Patrick's in Forestport has its own cemetery, thrift shop, and Kiefer Hall; St. Joseph's in Boonville has its own cemetery and Gill Hall; and St. Mary of the Snows Oratory sits on State Route 28 in Otter Lake.
- St. Patrick's Cemetery — River Road, Forestport
- St. Patrick's Thrift Shop — 12000 River Street, Forestport
- St. Patrick's Kiefer Hall — 9004 E. River Street, Forestport
- St. Joseph's Cemetery — Moose River Road, Boonville
- St. Joseph's Gill Hall — 114 Charles Street, Boonville
Visiting Christ Our Hope @ St. Patrick Mission
St. Patrick Church in Forestport is located at 11996 River Street (Forestport, NY 13338). From NY-28 toward Woodgate, turn left/north at River Road into town; the church will be on the right side shortly after passing the Forestport Fire Department. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:00 AM and Wednesday Mass at 8:30 AM. For all parish business, the parish office is at 108 Charles Street, Boonville, NY 13309, telephone (315) 942-4618, email [email protected].
- Address: 11996 River Street, Forestport, NY 13338
- Parish Office: 108 Charles Street, Boonville, NY 13309
- Phone: (315) 942-4618
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.christourhoperc.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Matthew E. Rawsonthrough June 30, 2025
Previously Pastor of Christ Our Hope at St. Joseph (Boonville), St. Patrick Mission (Forestport), and St. Mary of the Snows (Otter Lake); reassigned July 1, 2025 to Pastor of Church of the Annunciation, Clark Mills, and St. John the Evangelist, New Hartford.
- Rev. Thomas I. Wardeffective July 1, 2025
Appointed Administrator of Christ Our Hope at St. Joseph (Boonville), St. Patrick Mission (Forestport), and St. Mary of the Snows (Otter Lake) in the Diocese of Syracuse's Spring 2025 pastoral assignments.