About Our Lady of Sacred Heart · Watertown, New York
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic parish on the north side of Watertown, New York, staffed since 1876 by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) — the oldest MSC community in the New World and the second oldest in the world outside Issoudun, France. The parish worships at 320 West Lynde Street, serves about 700 households, and operates Calvary Cemetery on Ridge Road. Its current pastor, Fr. Frank Natale, MSC, leads a community that shares in sacramental life, faith formation, choir, outreach, and missionary ties to Papua New Guinea and Colombia.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Sacred Heart)
- Rector
- Rev. Frank Natale, MSC
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ogdensburg
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a welcoming French-Catholic-rooted parish on Watertown's north side where parishioners share in a full sacramental and ministerial life: serving as readers and Communion distributors, singing in a choir of 20+ faithful members, preparing children and adults for the Sacraments through RCIA, Confirmation, and CCD, joining the Holy Name Society, Knights-related activities, Legion of Mary, Ladies of the Sacred Heart, Boy Scouts, Lay Missionaries of the MSC, and reaching out to the wider community through food drives for the Urban Mission. With daily Mass, monthly First Friday Adoration and Rosary, a strong cemetery ministry at Calvary Cemetery, and tangible missionary ties to Papua New Guinea and Colombia supported by the Sacred Heart Foundation, members here are part of a small but active community with deep history — roughly 700 households serving Christ together since 1878.
Mass times at Our Lady of Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays: 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
- Saturdays: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- First Fridays: 7:00 AM Adoration
History of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish
Catholic life in Watertown began in 1831, and the French-speaking community organized Our Lady of the Sacred Heart as a distinct parish in 1878 under Fr. Joseph Durin, MSC, after the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart arrived from France in 1875-76 and purchased the 'vast house' on Thompson Street as the oldest MSC community in the New World. The original wooden church on Thompson Street served until 1906, when the Gothic-style church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was dedicated by Bishop Gabriels on May 31. A devastating fire on February 13, 1969 destroyed that church; under Fr. Benoit Dostie the parish rebuilt and dedicated a new church on November 7, 1971, and celebrated its 50th anniversary with Bishop Terry R. LaValley on October 16, 2021.
- 1875 — Fr. Jean-Baptiste Chappel, MSC, arrives in Watertown (first MSC in the U.S.)
- 1876 — MSC purchase the Thompson Street house, founding the order's oldest community in the New World
- 1876 — Association of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart established (Archconfraternity, 1877)
- 1878 — Parish formally founded; wooden church opens July 28
- 1881 — First MSC mission to Papua New Guinea led by Fr. Durin
- 1906 — Gothic church dedicated May 31
- 1923 — Sacred Heart School opens with six grades
- 1950s-60 — Cafeteria, gymnasium, classrooms and library added under Fr. Francoeur
- 1969 — Fire of unknown origin destroys the Gothic church on Feb. 13
- 1969 — First post-fire parish festival held in June; still held annually
- 1971 — New church dedicated November 7
- 1976 — Sacred Heart Prep Seminary closes
- 1987 — Archconfraternity HQ moves to Aurora, Illinois
- 2021 — 50th anniversary of the new church celebrated with Bishop LaValley
Worship, Sacraments & Devotions
Daily Mass is offered Monday through Thursday at 8:15 AM; Friday Mass is celebrated only on First Fridays, preceded by Adoration at 7:00 AM and the Rosary at 7:30. The Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:00 PM and Sunday Mass is at 9:30 AM. Reconciliation is heard Tuesdays 7:30-8:00 AM and Saturdays 2:45-3:30 PM. Baptisms are scheduled by appointment, matrimony requires six months' notice and a Pre-Cana program, and Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the parish office. The parish Confirmation program is a two-year commitment for Grade-9-and-up students, with monthly Saturday meetings that begin at the 4:00 PM Mass.
- Daily Mass Mon-Thu 8:15 AM
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM; Sunday 9:30 AM
- First Friday: Adoration 7:00 AM, Rosary 7:30 AM, Mass 8:15 AM
- Confessions: Tuesdays 7:30-8:00 AM, Saturdays 2:45-3:30 PM
- Baptism by appointment
- Matrimony: 6 months notice + Pre-Cana
- Confirmation: 2-year program for Grade 9+, monthly Saturdays
- Anointing of the Sick: call parish office
Faith Formation & Sacraments for Children & Adults
OLSH forms disciples through three entry points — RCIA for unbaptized seekers and returning Catholics, Confirmation for teens in Grade 9 and above, and K-8 CCD for parish children. The RCIA team welcomes adults at any stage of inquiry. Confirmation is a two-year journey led with assistance from Maura Kilbride; classes typically meet once per month on Saturdays and begin with attendance at the 4:00 PM Mass. First Communion photos are posted on the parish website after each class celebration. The parish is also recruiting K-8 CCD instructors and adult RCIA catechists for the coming year.
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults & Children)
- Confirmation (two-year, Grade 9 and up)
- First Communion preparation
- CCD/Christian Formation (K-8) — currently recruiting instructors
- Discovering Christ — a 7-week experience co-hosted with neighboring parishes (e.g., St. Paul's, Black River)
Music & Liturgy
The Sacred Heart Choir, with over 20 faithful members — many of whom have sung together for more than 20 years — is a steady fixture at the parish's main liturgical celebrations. Music Director Lea Tannous accompanies the choir from the piano and also serves cantors for funerals, weddings and special events. Choir Director Shannon Zaykoski, a band teacher at South Jefferson School, leads the choir and other musicians in rendering Mass. The choir sings at Sunday Mass (taking only July and August off), all Holy Week and Christmas liturgies, and special occasions including the City-wide Retreat, Confirmation and First Communion.
- Lea Tannous, Music Director / accompanist
- Shannon Zaykoski, Choir Director
- 20+ members; seven men in bass/tenor section
- Sings Sunday Mass (vacation July & August), Holy Week, Christmas, Holy Days
- Rehearsals Tuesdays 6:30 PM in the church; new members welcome
Parish Groups & Organizations
Parish life at OLSH is shaped by an unusually deep bench of groups — from the Ladies of the Sacred Heart and the Lay Missionaries of the MSC, who together provide spiritual, social and charitable outreach, to the Legion of Mary, Holy Name Society and Boy Scouts who animate the parish's evangelization and youth presence. The Lay Missionaries of the MSC (1st Mondays, September through June, 5:30 PM at Dostie Hall) study the spiritual and social teachings of the MSC and host pot-luck suppers before their meetings; members have collected medical supplies and clothing for Kingston, Jamaica and donated food to the Urban Mission. The Ladies of the Sacred Heart (2nd Wednesdays, 5:30 PM, September through May) host monthly senior luncheons, Dollar Dinners, coffee-and-donuts after Sunday Mass, a prayer chain and weekly visits to Summit. The parish also convenes a Parish Council (quarterly) and a Finance Council (second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM).
- Ladies of the Sacred Heart — meetings 2nd Wed, 5:30 PM; Sr. luncheons, prayer chain, weekly visits to Summit
- Lay Missionaries of the MSC — 1st Mon, 5:30 PM (Sept-June) at Dostie Hall; study, charity
- Legion of Mary
- Holy Name Society
- Boy Scouts
- Parish Council (quarterly) — Pastor Fr. Frank Natale; Trustees Maura Kilbride & Dan Tontarski; Deacons Bill Johnston Jr. & John Trombley; members Chris Hanlin, Elaine Grant, Sarah Monnat, Ernest Reape, Betty Reff, Jo Ann St. Croix, Hope Thorpe, Martha Wise; Secretary Mary Peto
- Finance Council (2nd Monday, 7:00 PM)
- Chevaliers (MSC-associated)
Outreach & Mission
Outward charity is built into parish rhythm: the Urban Mission Canned Food Drive is collected the first weekend of every month, and the parish Bottle & Can Drive runs the third weekend of each month (trailer open during Mass). The Lay Missionaries of the MSC have also shipped medical supplies and clothing to a mission in Kingston, Jamaica. Through the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the parish sustains special ties to MSC missions in Papua New Guinea and Colombia, South America — a thread that runs all the way back to 1881, when founder-pastor Fr. Joseph Durin led the first MSC missionaries to Papua New Guinea. The parish supports the Sacred Heart Foundation of Watertown, a not-for-profit founded in 1967 by Fr. Pierre Aubin, MSC, that funds MSC seminarian scholarships worldwide (assets approaching two million dollars).
- Urban Mission canned food drive — 1st weekend of every month
- Bottle & Can drive — 3rd weekend, trailer in parking lot
- Medical supplies/clothing to Kingston, Jamaica
- Ties to MSC missions in Papua New Guinea & Colombia
- Sacred Heart Foundation of Watertown (founded 1967) supporting MSC seminarians
Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Cemetery, located on Ridge Road just off Eastern Boulevard, is operated and maintained by Sacred Heart Church. Caretakers mow, trim, and prepare grave sites throughout the year to keep the grounds in good order. Plots can be purchased through the parish office at 782-1474 and include perpetual care in the cost of the plot.
- Location: Ridge Road, off Eastern Boulevard, Watertown
- Operated and maintained by Sacred Heart Church
- Plots available via parish office (315-782-1474); perpetual care included
Clergy & Staff
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart continues to be served by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, with parish- and residence-based priests and two deacons currently listed. Fr. Frank Natale, MSC, has been pastor since June 22, 2020. Fr. Jaya Kumar Francis, MSC is the parochial vicar listed on the diocesan directory, while MSC USA also identifies Fr. Joseph Kanimea, MSC, as serving Watertown alongside the parish. Retired or in-residence MSC priests include Fr. David DeLuca, MSC. The parish council recognizes Deacons Bill Johnston Jr. and John Trombley; the diocesan directory also lists Deacons William M. Johnston, Daniel G. LeRoy and Noel D. Voos.
- Rev. Frank Natale, MSC — Pastor (since June 2020)
- Rev. Jaya Kumar Francis, MSC — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Joseph Kanimea, MSC — assigned to Watertown
- Rev. David DeLuca, MSC — in residence
- Deacon Bill Johnston Jr.
- Deacon John Trombley
- Diocesan directory also names Deacons Daniel G. LeRoy and Noel D. Voos
Parish Bulletin & News
The parish produces a weekly bulletin available in print at Mass and in digital format online. The News & Events page lists ongoing parish activities (URBAN MISSION canned food drive first weekend, BOTTLE & CAN drive third weekend, Parish Council first Monday at 7 PM, Finance Council second Monday at 7 PM) and special notices such as parish festival plans, Summer Dostie Hall availability for community use, and Confirmation / RCIA registrations. Bulletin submissions can be emailed to the parish.
- Weekly bulletin available online via olshparish.org/weekly-bulletin.html
- Recurring events: Urban Mission Canned Food (1st weekend), Bottle & Can Drive (3rd weekend), Parish Council (1st Mon 7 PM), Finance Council (2nd Mon 7 PM)
- Summer: Dostie Hall and gym available for community events (by reservation)
- 150th MSC celebration registration linked from homepage
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Durin, MSC1878-1881
Established Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in 1878; built the wooden Thompson Street church; began the parish school with the Sisters of St. Joseph; led the first MSC mission to Papua New Guinea in 1881.
- Father Pierre Lesperance, MSC1893-1900
First American to be ordained a Missionary of the Sacred Heart; trained at St. Joseph Apostolic School.
- Father Stephen Royet
Began plans for the Gothic-style church at Thompson and West Lynde Streets, dedicated May 31, 1906.
- Father Amedee Lacasse
Led the legal incorporation of the parish and converted it from ethnic to territorial, serving Catholics on the north side of the Black River.
- Father J. Arthur Francoeurmid-1950s-1960
Oversaw major expansions of the school including a cafeteria, gymnasium, classrooms, offices and library.
- Father Benoit Dostie, MSC
Pastor at the time of the February 13, 1969 fire; led parish fundraising and rebuilding; the dedication of the new church in 1971 followed his tenure. Dostie Hall on the grounds is named for him.
- Father Jonas Tandayu, MSC2013-2020
Transferred to Holy Family Parish, Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in June 2020.
- Father Frank Natale, MSC2020-present
Formerly parochial vicar at Holy Family, Nazareth; transferred to Watertown June 22, 2020. Also serves St. Paul's, Black River, and St. Mary's, Evans Mills.