About Queen of Heaven · Henderson, New York
Queen of Heaven Church is a Catholic mission church in the small town of Henderson, in Jefferson County, northern New York. It is a mission of St. Cecilia's Church in Adams, and together the two parishes are served as a single pastoral family under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg. The mission sits on NY State Route 3 and gathers its rural community for weekly Sunday Mass and a quiet program of devotional life. Beyond Sunday worship, Queen of Heaven participates in Christian Formation (religious education K–10), OCIA for adults discerning Catholicism, an active Altar and Rosary Society, Knights of Columbus fraternity, a monthly parish holy hour, and joint outreach with St. Cecilia's to local food programs such as the Rohde Center food pantry.
- Patron
- Our Lady, Queen of Heaven
- Rector
- Reverend Shane M. Lynch
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
Why belong here
Queen of Heaven offers a small, rural Catholic community in the Henderson area with weekly Sunday Mass, an active Altar and Rosary Society, and a Knights of Columbus council that meets at the Kehoe Center for Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Worshippers can take part in Christian Formation for children (K–10), the OCIA process for adults discerning the Catholic faith, and a Family/Youth Ministry Group that has attended youth Masses, Steubenville East, and the March for Life in Washington, D.C. The parish also partners with St. Cecilia's Adams on practical outreach — including a monthly free fresh food distribution from the Central Food Bank of NNY and quarterly donations to the Rohde Center food pantry — and members receive free access to the FORMED library of Catholic videos, audio talks, and ebooks.
Mass times at Queen of Heaven
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday at 8:00 am (before Mass) at Queen of Heaven, Henderson
- By appointment with the pastor (call 315-232-2392)
- Advent and Lenten penance services (consult bulletin)
Adoration times
- First Monday of each month (September–June), 5:30 pm, at St. Cecilia's, Adams — Adoration, Rosary, and Benediction (Parish Holy Hour)
Welcome & Mission
The parish website greets visitors with a single mission statement for both St. Cecilia's Adams and Queen of Heaven Henderson: 'Our parish family welcomes you… We aim to model a faith community in which God's unconditional love for his people, the church, is evident and His message of salvation is known.' The mission church at 8900 NY State Route 3 in Henderson is the rural complement to the larger parish at 17 Grove Street in Adams.
- Mass at Queen of Heaven: Sunday 8:30 am
- Mass at St. Cecilia's: Saturday 4:30 pm and Sunday 11 am
- Office phone: 315-232-2392
- Parish email: [email protected]
Our Pastor & Staff
Following diocesan personnel changes effective July 2, 2025, the parish is led by Father Shane M. Lynch as pastor and Father Albert J. Hauser as senior parochial vicar. The pastoral team also includes Deacons Lawrence R. Ambeau and Gerald F. Bouchard. Phyllis Conley serves as Office Manager, Laura Mallan as Christian Formation Catechesis (Director of Religious Education), Catalina Van Camp as Custodian, and Nina Hershey as a Commissioned Lay Minister for Family Ministry.
- Pastor: Rev. Shane M. Lynch
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. Albert J. Hauser
- Deacon Larry Ambeau
- Deacon Gerald F. Bouchard
- Office Manager: Phyllis Conley
- Director of Religious Education: Laura Mallan
- Custodian: Catalina Van Camp
- Family Ministry: Nina Hershey (315-938-7363)
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the full sacramental life of the Church. Parents are urged to contact the pastor at 315-232-2392 as soon as possible after a child's birth to begin Baptism preparation. Children typically prepare for First Reconciliation and First Communion in second grade through the Sunday Christian Formation program; classes meet on Saturday mornings in the fall. OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) welcomes adults discerning the Catholic faith or completing initiation (including adult Confirmation). The parish also coordinates Marriage preparation and visits the homebound, hospitalized, and those in nursing facilities with Holy Communion and the Anointing of the Sick.
- Baptism — contact the pastor
- Reconciliation — Sundays 8:00 am and by appointment
- First Communion — 2nd grade with Christian Formation
- Confirmation — preparation through the Director of Religious Education
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
- Communion to the Homebound — call the parish office
Christian Formation & Religious Education
The Christian Formation program serves students in kindergarten through 10th grade and welcomes any adult who wants to build their faith. Classes follow the school year (September through May) and are coordinated by Director of Religious Education Laura Mallan. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion is held on Saturday mornings in the fall for children in second grade who are attending Sunday Christian Formation classes. The parish also offers a Commissioned Lay Ministry track through the Diocese of Ogdensburg — a two-year program of study that equips laity to serve as catechists, lay ministers, Eucharistic ministers to the homebound, and on parish council.
- Grades K–10 plus adult faith formation
- September–May, generally on the school schedule
- Contact: Laura Mallan, Christian Formation Catechesis
- Religious Education Registration Form available on the parish website
- Diocesan Commissioned Lay Ministry: 2-year program
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
Adults curious about the Catholic faith — including baptized Catholics who never received Confirmation — are invited to the OCIA Inquiry stage. The parish describes OCIA as 'a journey from death to life, from darkness to light, from partial truth to the fullness of truth,' culminating in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. 'Welcome Home' classes follow the school calendar in a relaxed, open environment, led by adult catechists following the structure of Catholic teaching.
- Open to inquirers and uncatechized Catholics
- No-obligation inquiry stage
- Contact: parish office 315-232-2392
Ministries & Vocations
Parishioners at Queen of Heaven and St. Cecilia's share a broad ministry life — liturgical (lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, music ministers, greeters, ushers), pastoral (visiting the sick and shut-ins, altar linens and flowers, small sewing and carpentry projects, office help, landscaping), and social (Altar and Rosary Society, Knights of Columbus, Family/Youth Ministry). The parish Vocation Ministry fosters awareness of married, single, consecrated, diaconate, and priestly vocations; bulletin boards at the front of both churches display photos of young people from the diocese discerning a religious vocation. Training for lectors and Eucharistic ministers is offered regularly.
- Liturgical: Lector, EMHC, Altar Server, Music, Greeter, Usher
- Service: cleaning, altar linens, flowers, carpentry, office help
- Family/Youth Ministry Group
- Vocation Ministry — board with discernment pictures from the diocese
- Volunteer Ministry Scheduler: Eunice Wescott (Queen of Heaven), 315-938-7333
Queen of Heaven Altar and Rosary Society
The Altar and Rosary Society at Queen of Heaven is a women's lay organization that supports the parish through fellowship and fundraising. Members host bake sales on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends, with proceeds going to local charitable organizations in Jefferson County. A popular annual fundraiser is the Christmas cookie tray sale — three dozen assorted homemade cookies on a gift-wrapped tray, pre-ordered at Queen of Heaven and picked up after the 8:30 am Mass. All ladies of the parish are welcome to join; meetings are held in the church on Sundays after Mass as needed.
- Bake sales: Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day weekends
- Christmas Cookie Tray Sale (pre-order; $25/tray)
- Meetings: Sundays after Mass, as needed
- Open to all ladies of the parish
Knights of Columbus
The parish's Msgr. T. Walter Cleary Council 7364 of the Knights of Columbus meets on the first and third Monday of each month. The first Monday is a family night beginning at 6:30 pm at the Kehoe Center and includes Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Membership is open to 'practical Catholic' men aged 18 and older; the council is part of the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization and serves the parish through faith, service, and fraternity.
- Council 7364 — Msgr. T. Walter Cleary
- 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month
- Family night with Adoration and Benediction on 1st Monday
- Location: Kehoe Center
Spirituality & Devotions
Queen of Heaven and St. Cecilia's share a Marian devotional life. The Rosary is prayed before each weekend Mass — at 8:15 am Sundays at Queen of Heaven. May and October are observed as 'Mary's Months.' The Miraculous Medal (Medal of the Immaculate Conception), given by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself, is promoted as a devotion of intercession. The Parish Holy Hour combines Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, and Benediction on the first Monday of each month at St. Cecilia's, encouraging 'deep personal encounter with Christ.'
- Rosary before each weekend Mass
- Miraculous Medal devotion
- Mary's Months: May and October
- Parish Holy Hour: 1st Monday at St. Cecilia's
Outreach & Community Service
Queen of Heaven partners with St. Cecilia's Adams and area churches on direct service to neighbors in need. Every last Friday of the month, St. Cecilia's hosts a Free Fresh Food Distribution using produce from the Central Food Bank of Northern New York; numbers are distributed beginning at 1 pm, and all food is shared in a fair, non-discriminatory way. Both parishes also make quarterly monetary donations to the Rohde Center in Adams — for every $1 donated, the center is able to purchase over $10.50 of food. Donations can be left at either church.
- Free Fresh Food Distribution — last Friday of the month, St. Cecilia's
- Rohde Center food pantry — quarterly donations from both parishes
- Donations accepted at both churches
- Phone: 315-232-2621 (Rohde Center)
Hispanic Ministry
On the third Sunday of each month, the parish celebrates Mass in Spanish at 1:00 pm at St. Anthony's Church, 850 Arsenal Street, Watertown. Father Robert Decker (and now Father Shane Lynch) has been involved in this outreach, reflecting Father Bob's own years of missionary service in Mollendo, Peru with the Diocese of Ogdensburg's Peruvian Apostolate. Everyone is invited to attend.
- Spanish Mass: 3rd Sunday, 1:00 pm
- Location: St. Anthony's Church, 850 Arsenal Street, Watertown
- Contact: parish office, 315-232-2392
St. Cecilia's Cemetery
St. Cecilia's Cemetery, administered through the parish office, is located on Nohle Road in the town of Henderson. The parish describes it as 'a focus for the Christian community for prayerful remembrance of the dead' — speaking of 'life beyond life, life after death.' Inquiries about plots or arrangements can be directed to the parish office by phone at 315-232-2392.
- Location: Nohle Road, Town of Henderson
- Administered through the parish office
- Phone: 315-232-2392
- Email: [email protected]
Resources: Bulletin, FORMED & Online
The parish publishes a combined bulletin, 'Eastern Lake Ontario Catholics,' covering Queen of Heaven, St. Cecilia's (Adams), Immaculate Conception (Brownville), St. Andrew's (Sackets Harbor), and Sacred Heart (Dexter). The bulletin deadline is noon on Mondays for publication the following weekend; items should be submitted in writing to Phyllis at the parish office. Parishioners receive free access to FORMED — a Catholic on-demand library of movies, audio talks, and ebooks — at stceciliaandqoh.formed.org, with iOS and Android apps available.
- Combined bulletin: 'Eastern Lake Ontario Catholics'
- Bulletin deadline: Mondays at noon
- FORMED: www.stceciliaandqoh.formed.org
- Office: Phyllis Conley, [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Robert L. Deckerthrough July 1, 2025 (retired)
One of the 'Decker twins' of the diocese; ordained 1983; former U.S. Air Force chaplain (1988–1996); served in the diocese's Peruvian Apostolate in Mollendo, Peru (1998–2003). Long-time pastor of St. Cecilia's Adams with its mission Queen of Heaven Henderson. Retired effective July 2, 2025 per diocesan announcement.
- Reverend Shane M. Lyncheffective July 2, 2025
Watertown native; Wadhams Hall and St. John's Seminary (Boston) graduate; canon-law studies at St. Paul University, Ottawa; ordained May 12, 2001 by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito. Named pastor of the combined Brownville/Dexter/Sackets Harbor/Adams/Henderson grouping in 2025.