About Our Lady of the Valley · Middleburgh, New York
Our Lady of the Valley is a Roman Catholic parish in Middleburgh, New York, located in the rural Schoharie County valley region and part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. The parish was formed in 2009 through the merger of two historic congregations — St. Catherine's of Middleburgh and St. Joseph's of Schoharie — under the Diocese's "Called to BE Church" initiative. Today it worships from its church at Main Street and Wells Avenue and shares a cluster liturgy schedule with neighboring Our Lady of Fatima parish in Delanson.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Valley (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the Marian title 'Our Lady of the Valley')
- Rector
- Father Thomas (Tom) Zelker
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Valley is a small, mission-focused parish where nearly every member can know one another by name. Its intergenerational GIFT faith-formation program welcomes the whole family, and outreach runs deep into the community through the Middleburgh Food Pantries, Cradle of Love diaper drive for Community Maternity Services, bereavement support, and seasonal service projects with the City Mission and local summer-lunch programs. With weekday and Sunday Masses offered in the parish church and reconciliation readily available, it is a faithful, accessible Catholic home for residents of Middleburgh and the broader Schoharie valley.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Valley
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday after the Vigil Mass
- Sunday 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM (before Mass)
- By appointment (contact the Parish office)
History of Our Lady of the Valley
Our Lady of the Valley is the parish created in 2009 when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany merged St. Catherine's Church of Middleburgh with St. Joseph's Church of Schoharie under Bishop Howard Hubbard's 'Called to BE Church' pastoral initiative. The merged parish continued worship at the Middleburgh site on Wells Avenue; the Schoharie worship site was subsequently closed. Since then the parish has served Catholics across the Schoharie valley and shares resources with neighboring Our Lady of Fatima in Delanson.
- 2009 — Parish established by merger of St. Catherine's (Middleburgh) and St. Joseph's (Schoharie)
- St. Joseph's Schoharie worship site has been closed since the merger
- Part of the Diocese of Albany's 'Called to BE Church' reorganization
- Continues as a Schoharie County cluster parish with Our Lady of Fatima, Delanson
Parish Staff & Clergy
Our Lady of the Valley is currently led by Father Thomas (Tom) Zelker as Pastor, with Deacon Gary Riggi assisting. Parish operations are supported by an Administrative Assistant (Laura Pelton), Faith Formation Coordinator Sena Monaco, Parish Musician Kathy Burgin, and Liturgical Ministries Coordinator AnneMarie Robinson, along with housekeeping and music volunteers.
- Pastor — Fr. Thomas (Tom) Zelker ([email protected])
- Deacon — Gary Riggi
- Administrative Assistant — Laura Pelton
- Religious Education Director / Coordinator of Faith Formation — Sena Monaco
- Parish Musician — Kathy Burgin
- Liturgical Ministries Coordinator — AnneMarie Robinson (518) 701-1575
- Housekeeping — Linda Connors, Kellie Rogers
Mass & Worship Schedule
Our Lady of the Valley offers Saturday Vigil, Sunday morning, and Wednesday morning Masses from its church on Wells Avenue. The parish is part of the Schoharie County cluster, so weekday and weekend Masses are intentionally staggered with Our Lady of Fatima in Delanson to give the rural community more opportunities for worship.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:45 PM
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 AM
- Wednesday Mass — 9:00 AM
- Cluster: Saturday 4:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Fatima, Delanson
- Cluster: Tuesday 9:00 AM at Our Lady of Fatima, Delanson
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Our Lady of the Valley runs the GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) program, an intergenerational faith-formation process shared with Our Lady of Fatima in Delanson. GIFT gathers the whole family — children, youth, and adults — for seasonal learning sessions, service projects, and sacramental preparation, viewing faith formation as a lifelong journey from Baptism onward.
- GIFT — Growing In Faith Together (intergenerational, seasonal sessions)
- Required for sacramental years: First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation
- Confirmation preparation begins in Fall; Confirmation is celebrated in Spring (10th grade and up)
- First Eucharist preparation in 2nd grade or age 7+, Spring celebration
- Liturgy of the Word newsletter for grades 1–5 with crayons and activity pages
- Children's Stations of the Cross dramatized each Lent
- Faith Formation website: olfgrowinginfaith.weebly.com
- Coordinator of Faith Formation: Sena Monaco
Other Sacraments
Beyond the Eucharist and Reconciliation, the parish prepares and celebrates all the usual sacraments of initiation, healing, and vocation. Couples are asked to begin marriage preparation six to twelve months ahead, and the RCIA process welcomes adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.
- Infant Baptism — preparation required; contact the Parish Office
- First Eucharist — Spring, with GIFT participation
- Confirmation — Spring, after Fall preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — on request for the seriously ill or dying
- Marriage — 6–12 months advance notice; Diocesan Pre-Cana required
- RCIA — for non-baptized adults, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and Catholics needing Confirmation
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Our Lady of the Valley runs an unusually broad outreach effort for a small rural parish — feeding the hungry, supporting new mothers, accompanying the grieving, and engaging youth in service. Many ministries are tied to the seasons of the liturgical year and the GIFT program.
- Middleburgh Food Pantries — ongoing collection of cereal, rice, soap, hygiene items
- Cradle of Love — diapers and wipes for Community Maternity Services (bassinet in the parish hall)
- Meals on Wheels — accompaniment ministry
- City Mission volunteer partnership (Schenectady)
- Backpack food-delivery program for local families
- Summer Lunch Program — serving at Middleburgh HS and Presbyterian Church in Schoharie
- Bereavement Support Group — meets every two weeks
- Vegetable Exchange — share-the-bounty table at the church side entrance
- Flowers-for-church volunteer ministry
- Annual Missionary Weekend supporting the Church in Haiti
Liturgical Ministries
Lay faithful serve the parish as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Counters, and musicians under the coordination of the Liturgical Ministries Coordinator. Music is led by Parish Musician Kathy Burgin, with cluster support from Carol Wilber at Our Lady of Fatima.
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Lectors
- Counters / Finance volunteers
- Parish Musician — Kathy Burgin
- Liturgical Ministries Coordinator — AnneMarie Robinson
Community Life & Annual Events
The parish gathers annually for a picnic, the Diocesan Marriage Anniversary celebration, a Christmas Crib/Pageant, and seasonal GIFT service projects. Bulletin announcements frequently highlight parish fellowship moments such as the 'Paint with a Saint' events and outings to the Diocesan Camp Lake Retreat in the Adirondacks.
- Annual Parish Picnic
- Diocesan Marriage Anniversary Mass (1st, 25th, 50th and other milestones)
- Diocesan Camp Lake Retreat outing
- 'Paint with a Saint' intergenerational art event
- Christmas Crib and Cradle of Love collection
- Stations of the Cross for Children followed by soup supper (Lent)
About the Diocese of Albany
Our Lady of the Valley is one of the parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, which covers 14 counties of eastern and upstate New York. The current Diocesan Bishop is Edward B. Scharfenberger, and the Diocese's headquarters and cathedral are in the city of Albany.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
- Diocesan Bishop: Most Rev. Edward Scharfenberger
- Diocese website: https://www.rcda.org
- Parish listing: https://www.rcda.org/parishes/parish/parish-our-lady-valley-middleburgh-ny
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Matt Wetsel
Listed as Pastor on an older version of the parish website (olvchurch.weebly.com); likely served before Fr. Zelker.
- Fr. Thomas (Tom) Zelker
Current pastor; noted in 2025 bulletins as Pastor with email [email protected].