About Sacred Heart (Parish of Sacred Heart, St, Theresa and Immaculate Conception) · Palenville, New York
Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the small Catskills hamlet of Palenville, New York, sharing its pastoral life with two sister churches — Immaculate Conception in Haines Falls and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Windham — under a single merged parish served by the Hudson Valley Vicariate West Network of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 9:00 AM at Sacred Heart on Route 32A, with an 11:00 AM Mass at Immaculate Conception and a Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM at St. Theresa's in Windham. A mission church, St. Francis de Sales in Elka Park, hosts special Masses that are not held on a weekly basis. The parish is led by Rev. Patrick Rice (named pastor effective July 1, 2026), supported by an administrative assistant, bookkeeper, trustees, a music director, and cantors who serve all three worship sites.
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick Rice
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany (RCDA)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart in Palenville offers a faithful Catholic home in the heart of the Northern Catskills, with three worship sites — Sacred Heart in Palenville, Immaculate Conception in Haines Falls, and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Windham — sharing a single supportive parish family. Active members can join the parish choir under Music Director Joe Eigo, walk the rosary with the Greene County Catholic Connections young adult group, receive the Sacraments of Initiation through the network RCIA, or bring their children to the Hudson Valley Vicariate West Faith Formation program (hvvwff.org). The community is small enough that every parishioner is known by name, yet connected to a wider diocesan network of clergy, faith formation, and outreach.
Mass times at Sacred Heart (Parish of Sacred Heart, St, Theresa and Immaculate Conception)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After the Saturday 5:00 PM Mass at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Windham — simply let the priest know and he will stay after Mass.
About the Parish
Sacred Heart Church in Palenville, New York belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and is part of the Hudson Valley Vicariate West Network. The merged parish comprises three active worship sites — Sacred Heart in Palenville, Immaculate Conception in Haines Falls, and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Windham — together with the St. Francis de Sales Mission Church in Elka Park. The parish office is located in Haines Falls and is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM; the network office operates out of 66 William Street, Catskill.
Clergy, Staff & Leadership
Rev. Patrick Rice was named pastor of the merged parish effective July 1, 2026 by Bishop Mark O'Connell. The parish staff also includes an administrative assistant, bookkeeper, music director, cantors, and lay trustees for both the Sacred Heart-Immaculate Conception and Windham worship sites.
- Rev. Patrick Rice — Pastor
- Mrs. Siobhain Lavery — Administrative Assistant
- Mrs. Janine O'Leary — Bookkeeper
- Mr. Joe Eigo — Music Director
- Joan Oldknow — Cantor (St. Theresa's)
- Ewa Kalinski — Cantor (Sacred Heart / Immaculate Conception)
- Marc Czermerys — Trustee (Sacred Heart-Immaculate Conception)
- Dave Armstrong — Trustee (Sacred Heart-Immaculate Conception)
- Claudia Desgache — Trustee (Windham)
- Mary Ann Ledda — Trustee (Windham)
Worship Sites
The merged parish is composed of three active churches plus a mission church, each serving the Greene County communities of the Northern Catskills.
- Sacred Heart Church — 710 Route 32A, Palenville, NY 12463 — Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM
- Immaculate Conception Church — 55 / 67 North Lake Rd., Haines Falls, NY 12436 — Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM
- St. Theresa of the Child Jesus — 5188 State Route 23, Windham, NY 12496 — Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM (call 518-734-3352 to confirm)
- St. Francis de Sales Mission Church — 660 Platte Clove Rd., Elka Park, NY 12427 — special Masses only (not weekly)
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart
On Friday, June 12, 2026, the parish combined its celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with the U.S. bishops' consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A 6:30 PM Mass was held at Sacred Heart in Palenville, followed by a parish potluck supper and a communal prayer of consecration.
Sacraments
Arrangements for all sacraments are coordinated through the Hudson Valley Vicariate West Network Office in Catskill. Baptisms and weddings especially require advance contact with the network office.
- Baptism — Call the Network Office at 518-943-3150.
- First Eucharist & Confirmation (children) — through HV Vicariate West Faith Formation at hvvwff.org.
- RCIA / Adult Initiation — for unbaptized adults and baptized adults seeking First Eucharist or Confirmation; contact the Network Office at 518-943-3150.
- Marriage — Contact the Network Office a minimum of 8 months in advance; wedding guidelines are published on the parish website.
- Reconciliation — after the Saturday 5:00 PM Mass at St. Theresa's, Windham.
- Anointing of the Sick and other sacraments — contact the Network Office.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children's religious education for the merged parish is provided through the Hudson Valley Vicariate West Network Faith Formation program. Families register and find program information at hvvwff.org. The parish also links parishioners to FORMED.org for free Catholic media — when signing up, parishioners are asked to enter 'St. Patrick's Athens-Catskill' as their parish.
- Network Faith Formation: hvvwff.org
- FORMED.org — free Catholic movies, audio, and books
- Circle of Grace — child safety curriculum
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Beyond worship and sacraments, the parish supports a music ministry led by Music Director Joe Eigo, an RCIA process for adult initiation, and several network-wide outreach programs including a bereavement support group and a young adult ministry called Greene County Catholic Connections that meets monthly online on Discord and gathers in person for events like the Walking Rosary.
- Music ministry (Choir & cantors)
- RCIA — adult initiation
- Greene County Catholic Connections — young adult group (monthly online meeting + walking rosary events)
- Grief Support / Bereavement Ministry — 8-session confidential program at the Catskill network office
Contact & Parish Office
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish through the Haines Falls parish office, the Catskill network office, or the dedicated Mass-time line for the Windham worship site.
- Parish Office: P.O. Box 379, Haines Falls, NY 12437 — (518) 589-5577 — Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Network Office (Catskill): 66 William St., Catskill, NY 12414 — (518) 943-3150
- Windham Mass times: (518) 734-3352
- Email: [email protected] or [email protected]; [email protected]
- Website: http://sainttheresas.weebly.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jay Athertonthrough June 2026
Previous pastor of the merged parish; reassigned by Bishop Mark O'Connell as Rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and parochial vicar of Historic St. Mary's on Capitol Hill in Albany, effective July 1, 2026.
- Rev. Patrick RiceEffective July 1, 2026
Named pastor of the Sacred Heart / Immaculate Conception / St. Theresa of the Child Jesus merger by Bishop Mark O'Connell; had previously served the Hudson Valley Vicariate West Network as parochial vicar from July 2025.