About Christ the Good Shepherd Parish @ St. Paul · Oswego, New York
Christ the Good Shepherd Parish (CTGS) is the Roman Catholic parish serving the City of Oswego and Town of Scriba in upstate New York, in the Diocese of Syracuse. Formed on July 1, 2019, it unified the historic parishes of St. Paul, St. Joseph, St. Stephen the King, St. Peter, Sacred Heart, and the territory of St. Mary of the Assumption, along with the already-closed parishes of St. John the Evangelist and St. Louis. The community worships primarily at the former St. Paul's Church at 134 East 5th Street, the oldest Catholic congregation in Oswego, and continues the legacy of its six predecessor parishes with Mass, the sacraments, faith formation, music, and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 2019
- Patron
- Christ the Good Shepherd
- Rector
- Rev. John Leo Oduor (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
Christ the Good Shepherd welcomes new members into a community that has served Catholic Oswego since 1830 and now unites the heritage of seven historic parishes under one roof at St. Paul's on East Fifth Street. A parishioner can join a full sacramental life — daily and Sunday Mass, Saturday confessions, OCIA, faith formation for every grade, plus Confirmation and First Communion prep — and a real music ministry with choirs for Saturday Vigil, Sunday morning, and funerals. Outreach runs through parish organizations like the St. Anne Society, St. Stephen's Altar and Rosary Societies, St. Joseph's Golden Age, the Polish Legion of American Veterans Post 17, and a youth group that mixes faith with service projects and social events.
Mass times at Christ the Good Shepherd Parish @ St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
- By appointment
Parish Identity & Heritage
Christ the Good Shepherd Parish (CTGS) is the Roman Catholic parish of Oswego and the Town of Scriba. Its mission statement describes itself as 'richly steeped in the traditions of our heritage' and striving 'to be a community faithful to Christ and His Church.' It carries forward the combined legacy of St. Paul, St. Joseph, St. Stephen the King, St. Peter, Sacred Heart, the territory of St. Mary of the Assumption, and the already-closed parishes of St. John the Evangelist and St. Louis.
- Formed July 1, 2019 by Bishop Robert J. Cunningham
- Patron chosen by the Oswego Catholic community in August 2018
- Mailing/Pastoral office: 50 East Mohawk Street, Oswego, NY 13126
- Worship site: 134 East Fifth Street (former St. Paul's Church)
History of St. Paul's (the Parish's Oldest Root)
St. Paul's, the oldest Catholic parish in Oswego, was organized in 1830 by Peter Lappin and twenty other Catholic residents who invited Rev. Father O'Donohue to celebrate Mass in a private home. A small frame church at East Fifth and Mohawk Streets was soon replaced by a stone edifice whose cornerstone was laid in 1840; that church was razed in 1871 and the present (then-new) church was built on the same site under Very Rev. Dean Barry, who arrived in 1869. The current St. Paul's church building was dedicated in 1969 and seats 900.
- 1830: Parish organized; first Mass in a private house
- Early frame church at East Fifth and Mohawk Streets
- 1840: Cornerstone of stone church laid
- 1869: Dean Barry arrives as rector
- 1871: Stone church razed; new church erected on same site
- 1969: Current St. Paul's church dedicated
The 2019 Unification of Oswego's Parishes
By 2017, Oswego's parishes reported unsustainable finances and projected 2020 as a 'line in the sand.' After a year of local discernment by steering and facilities committees, Bishop Robert J. Cunningham accepted the consensus recommendation that St. Paul's be the home of the new Christ the Good Shepherd Parish. The unification formally began on July 1, 2019, with celebration Masses July 6–7, 2019. Weddings, funerals, events, and daily Masses continued at each legacy site pending new uses for the other properties.
- August 2018: Community selects 'Christ the Good Shepherd' as patron
- May 11, 2019: Bishop Cunningham's letter affirms St. Paul's as the site
- July 1, 2019: Unification begins
- 2023: Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Minetto) and Our Lady of the Rosary (Hannibal) merge in
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by an Administrator, a Parochial Vicar, a retired Priest in Residence, a Deacon, and two retired Sacramental Ministers, supported by a business administrator, faith formation, family ministry, youth ministry, music, and maintenance staff.
- Rev. John Leo Oduor — Administrator
- Rev. Matthew T. Lyons — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Richard P. Morisette — Priest in Residence (Retired)
- Dc. John F. Lalande II — Deacon
- Rev. John Smegelsky — Sacramental Minister, OLPH (Retired)
- Rev. George Wurz — Sacramental Minister, OLR (Retired)
- Michelle Brown — Business Administrator
- Therese Chawgo — Faith Formation Director
- Frances Lanigan — OCIA Coordinator
- Deanne Hall — Pastoral Associate, Family Life Ministry
- Richard Cummings — Youth Ministry
- Kathleen Flaherty & Diane Zych — Directors of Music
- Justine LeVea — Receptionist
- Vincent Ecke — Custodian; Michael Bateman — Maintenance; Daniel Hall — Grounds Keeping
Faith Formation (Religious Education)
The Faith Formation program serves children from PreK through Grade 12, with Sacramental Preparation in Grade 2 (First Reconciliation/First Communion) and Confirmation preparation in Grades 9–10. Fees are $40 for Sacramental Students in Grades 2, 9 and 10 and $25 for all other grades, with a $75 family cap; no student is turned away for financial hardship. Older youth meet at the Hall Newman Center at SUNY Oswego. Payment may be made in the collection basket, by mail, or online at ParishGiving.org.
- Sunday: Grade 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 — 9:00–10:00 am at CTGS
- Sunday: Sacramental Prep Grade 2 — 9:00–10:00 am at CTGS
- Monday: Sacramental Prep Grade 2 — 6:00–7:00 pm at CTGS
- Sunday: Grades 7–12 — 7:30–8:45 pm at Hall Newman Center, SUNY Oswego
- Sunday: PreK–K — 9:00–10:00 am at CTGS (pending two volunteers)
Faith & Family Ministry
Pastoral Associate Deanne Hall leads a Faith & Family Ministry that uses 'God's Love, Grace and Mercy as a role model' to help families build spiritual and emotional home 'sanctuaries.' The ministry welcomes all family shapes and stages, acknowledging that 'no parent is perfect' and that 'parenting is a vocation' requiring ongoing spiritual growth.
- Director: Deanne Hall ([email protected])
- Focus on healthy bonds, coping skills, supportive and nurturing relationships
- Open to families of varied personalities, lifestyles, cultures, and generations
Youth Group
The parish Youth Group focuses on growing in faith and friendships through social, spiritual and civic activities, including the Walk for Life, youth rallies, an annual Seabreeze summer trip, bowling, movie nights, and service projects.
- Contact: [email protected]
Music Ministry
Music is treated as an integral part of the parish's liturgies, in the words of the parish page quoting St. Augustine: 'He who sings, prays twice.' Choir members come from many walks of life — teachers (active and retired), nurses, SUNY Oswego staff, engineers, retired construction workers — and the choirs sing an eclectic repertoire from Gregorian chant and Renaissance masters such as Palestrina through contemporary composers like John Rutter. The parish welcomes new members for the Saturday Mass choir, Sunday mid-morning Mass choir, and Funeral choir.
- Saturday Mass choir — rehearses Saturday afternoon; contact Kathy Flaherty ([email protected])
- Sunday Mass choir — rehearses Wednesday afternoon; contact Diane Zych ([email protected])
- Funeral choir — open to anyone interested
- Music licensed under ONE LICENSE A-739622
Parish Organizations
The parish carries forward traditional societies from its legacy parishes, giving members concrete ways to serve and to fundraise.
- St. Anne Society (formerly the St. Joseph's Altar Society) — contact Mary Helen Colloca, 315-343-8751
- St. Stephen's Altar Society
- St. Stephen's Rosary Society
- St. Joseph's Golden Age
- Polish Legion of American Veterans (P.L.A.V.) Korajwo Puhalski Post 17
- Youth Group
Sacraments at CTGS
CTGS celebrates the full sacramental life of a Roman Catholic parish. In addition to daily and Sunday Mass, Reconciliation is offered weekly; OCIA is coordinated for adults seeking initiation; sacramental preparation is offered through Faith Formation for First Reconciliation/First Communion (Grade 2) and Confirmation (Grades 9–10).
- Eucharist — see Mass Times
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:30–4:15 pm and by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Father O'Donohuec. 1830
First priest to celebrate Mass for the small group of Catholics that became St. Paul's, then serving all of Central New York.
- Very Rev. Dean Barry1869 – c. 1871+
Rector who arrived in 1869 and directed the razing of the 1840s stone church and erection of the present (then-new) structure in 1871; also built the parochial school and installed the celebrated organ.
- Father Richard Shanahanlate 19th century
Listed in the period parish history as 'recently appointed' curate under Dean Barry.
- Father Guy Baccarothrough June 30, 2019
Pastor of St. Paul's at the time of the unification; held his assignment until Christ the Good Shepherd's pastor took office July 1, 2019.
- Father Hoganthrough June 30, 2019
Pastor of St. Joseph at unification; appointed pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Camden, effective July 1, 2019.