About Sacred Heart Church (One Faith Community) · Cairo, New York
Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the hamlet of Cairo, Greene County, New York, in the northern Catskills. It is one of three worship sites that together form a single parish 'network' — the others being Our Lady of Knock Shrine in East Durham and St. John the Baptist Church in Greenville — sharing one pastor, one staff, and one mailing address in Catskill. The present church was built in 1895 to serve middle-class Catholic boarders who had moved into the area from New York City, and it belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. On the church grounds stands St. Catherine of Siena Chapel, a small chapel open 24 hours a day for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Jay Atherton (current per bulletin and diocese; Fr. Russell Bergman announced as next pastor effective July 1, 2026)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is the heart of a small but lively Catholic network in the northern Catskills, where one pastor shepherds three worship sites — Sacred Heart in Cairo, the national Our Lady of Knock Shrine in East Durham, and St. John the Baptist in Greenville. Parishioners can pray before the Blessed Sacrament any hour of the day or night in St. Catherine of Siena Chapel on the Sacred Heart grounds or in the adoration chapel at St. John the Baptist, attend Faith Formation for their children through hvvwff.org, and prepare for the sacraments through the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. It is a place where the rhythms of the seasons, the Irish Catholic heritage of the Catskills, and small-town community life come together.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Church (One Faith Community)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM at Sacred Heart Church (per Catholic Church Directory)
Adoration times
- St. Catherine of Siena Chapel (on the grounds of Sacred Heart Church, Cairo) — open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- St. John the Baptist Adoration Chapel (rear of church, Greenville) — open 24/7
- Our Lady of Knock Shrine (East Durham) — open daily 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
About the Parish Network
Sacred Heart Church in Cairo does not stand alone. The parish describes itself on its own website as the 'Sacred Heart Church / Our Lady of Knock Shrine & St. John the Baptist Church' network — three Catholic worship sites in the northern Catskills, all sharing one pastor, one bulletin, and one mailing address. The mailing address for all three sites is c/o 66 William Street, Catskill, NY 12414, and the parish network office can be reached at 518-943-3150.
- Sacred Heart Church, 35 Church St., Cairo NY — Mass: Sunday 11:00 AM
- St. John the Baptist Church, 4987 NY 81, Greenville NY — Mass: Sunday 9:00 AM; Adoration Chapel open 24/7
- Our Lady of Knock Shrine, 2052 Route 145, E. Durham NY — Mass: Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM; open daily 8 AM–7 PM
- St. Catherine of Siena Chapel — on the grounds of Sacred Heart, open 24/7
History
The present Sacred Heart church building dates to 1895, when the Catholic community of Cairo erected it to serve the middle-class Catholic boarders who had moved up from New York City. GCatholic lists the parish as founded in 1895 under the Diocese of Albany. The parish once supported mission churches in surrounding hamlets, including St. Edmund's in Acra, which was later deconsecrated and acquired by the Town of Cairo for municipal offices. Today Sacred Heart is woven into a three-site parish network alongside the 1989 Our Lady of Knock Shrine and St. John the Baptist in Greenville.
- 1895: Church built, serving Catholic boarders from New York City
- 20th century: Mission churches included St. Edmund's in Acra
- 2018: St. Edmund's, Acra, sold and repurposed as town offices (per The Evangelist)
- 2021: Father Jay Atherton named Pastor of the three-site network (Bishop Scharfenberger)
- 2026: Father Russell Bergman announced as incoming Pastor effective July 1, 2026 (Bishop O'Connell)
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation for children and youth in the parish network is coordinated centrally by MaryJo Buzzanco, who administers programs for Sacred Heart in Cairo, Our Lady of Knock Shrine in East Durham, St. John the Baptist in Greenville, and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Windham. Detailed information is published at hvvwff.org. Sacramental preparation (for First Eucharist, Confirmation, etc.) and the OCIA process for adults are arranged through the same office.
- Faith Formation Administrator: MaryJo Buzzanco (covers the four-parish network)
- Program information: hvvwff.org
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — for unbaptized adults and for baptized Catholics seeking First Eucharist and Confirmation
- Adult Confirmation — for Catholics who missed Confirmation as youth
- Sacramental preparation for children — contact the parish network office (518-943-3150)
Staff & Clergy
The parish network is led by a pastor assisted by a parochial vicar and a deacon, with a small central office staff based in Catskill supporting the three worship sites.
- Rev. Jay Atherton — Pastor (bulletin and Diocese of Albany; moving to Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany, effective July 1, 2026)
- Rev. Patrick Rice — Parochial Vicar (per Diocese of Albany parish page)
- Deacon Michael McDonald (per parish bulletin)
- Rev. Russell Bergman — Incoming Pastor, effective July 1, 2026 (per Diocese of Albany announcement)
- Janine O'Leary — Bookkeeper
- Michele Brown — Communications Manager ([email protected])
- Siobhain Lavery — Administrative Assistant
- MaryJo Buzzanco — Faith Formation Administrator
Our Lady of Knock Shrine (Network Worship Site)
Although it is a separate worship site, Our Lady of Knock Shrine in East Durham is officially part of the same parish network as Sacred Heart. The shrine church was constructed in 1989 and commemorates the August 21, 1879 apparition at the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, where fifteen witnesses reported seeing the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist and the Lamb of God on the gable wall of the parish church. The interior was designed and largely built by Irish designer and craftsman Gerry Laverty of Dunkineely, County Donegal, and his workshop, then shipped to East Durham — including some seventy stained-glass windows depicting Celtic saints, mahogany carvings, and an altar screen modeled on the original Knock gable wall. The stained-glass window over the exterior doors was donated by the Mayo Society (founded 1879 in New York City to assist County Mayo immigrants after the potato famine). The Feast of Our Lady of Knock is celebrated August 17.
- Address: 2052 Route 145, East Durham, NY
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Open daily 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM for prayer and candle lighting
- Feast day: August 17
St. John the Baptist Church (Network Worship Site)
St. John the Baptist in Greenville is the third site in the Sacred Heart network, sharing one pastor and one bulletin. It is the home of a 24/7 Adoration Chapel at the rear of the church.
- Address: 4987 NY 81, Greenville, NY
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Adoration Chapel (rear of church): open 24/7
Devotions & Special Prayer
Beyond the regular Mass and adoration schedule, the parish bulletin highlights a standing Respect Life prayer hour each month, gathered before the Saturday evening Mass.
- Respect Life prayer hour — every third Friday, 5:00–6:00 PM (before 6:30 PM evening Mass)
Giving & Online Support
The parish website offers an E-Giving page for online donations to Sacred Heart Church and Our Lady of Knock Shrine, allowing parishioners and visitors to support the network electronically.
- E-Giving for Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Knock Shrine (via sholk.weebly.com/e-giving.html)
Contact & Visiting
All three worship sites share a single mailing address and parish network office in Catskill. Visitors are welcome to stop in at St. Catherine of Siena Chapel or St. John the Baptist's Adoration Chapel at any hour, and Our Lady of Knock Shrine is open daily for prayer and candle lighting.
- Sacred Heart Church address: 35 Church St., Cairo, NY 12413
- Parish network mailing: c/o 66 William Street, Catskill, NY 12414
- Church phone: 518-622-3319
- Network office phone: 518-943-3150
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jay Atherton2021 – 2026
Appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart, Cairo; St. John the Baptist, Greenville; and Our Lady of Knock Shrine, East Durham by Bishop Scharfenberger effective July 1, 2021. Announced to become Rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany effective July 1, 2026.
- Rev. Kyle Eads2021 –
Appointed Parochial Vicar of the same three-site network effective July 1, 2021.
- Rev. Russell BergmanEffective July 1, 2026
Announced by Bishop Mark O'Connell as incoming Pastor of Sacred Heart, Cairo; St. John the Baptist, Greenville; and Our Lady of Knock Shrine, East Durham.