About Saint Christopher (Parish of St. Christopher and the Good Shepherd) · Red Hook, New York
The Parish of St. Christopher and St. Sylvia is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of New York, headquartered at the Church of St. Christopher at 7411 South Broadway in Red Hook, Dutchess County, New York. It is a merged/family parish that today also includes the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rhinebeck, the Chapel of St. Joseph in Rhinecliff, and the former St. Sylvia mission in Tivoli, served by a single pastor. The parish traces its origins to Sacred Heart Parish in Barrytown (1875); St. Christopher Church was built in Red Hook in 1925–1926 and elevated to parish status in 1975, with the St. Sylvia merger taking effect in 2015 and the Good Shepherd/St. Joseph merger following in 2022.
- Established
- 1875 (Sacred Heart, Barrytown); 1910 (St. Christopher mission); 1975 (independent parish)
- Patron
- St. Christopher
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey Maurer
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Why belong here
St. Christopher's in Red Hook is a classic Hudson Valley Catholic community with unusually deep ministerial breadth for a single parish — from RCIA and adult faith formation to a CYO basketball program, Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society, Our Lady's Guild, Women's Society, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Respect Life Committee, St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, and a prison ministry. Multiple weekly Masses at two worship sites (the stone church in Red Hook and the Good Shepherd church in Rhinebeck), regular Wednesday and Saturday confession, and Holy Spirit Chapel for retreats make it accessible for families, retirees, and seekers alike. The parish also has a long memory — sharing a pastorate that traces its roots to 1875 and a saint-hauling-the-stones founding legend — which gives it the feel of a multigenerational village parish rather than a commuter church.
Mass times at Saint Christopher (Parish of St. Christopher and the Good Shepherd)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM — St. Christopher Church, Red Hook
- Saturday 4:45 PM to 5:30 PM — Church of the Good Shepherd, Rhinebeck
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM — St. Christopher Church, Red Hook (adoration listed alongside confession on parish schedule)
History
The Catholic community that became St. Christopher's grew out of Sacred Heart Parish in Barrytown, founded in 1875 for Irish Catholic immigrants settling along the Hudson. By 1910 its growing inland flock in Red Hook was served as a mission; in 1925 the parish purchased property at South Broadway and Garden Street in Red Hook, parishioners hauled local fieldstone to build the exterior walls, and the new Church of St. Christopher was dedicated in 1926. On January 1, 1975, the Archdiocese of New York elevated the mission to an independent parish with the full succession of pastors running from Rev. James Fitzsimmons (1875) to the present pastor, Rev. Jeffrey Maurer. St. Sylvia's in Tivoli was merged in 2015, and in 2022 the parish was further merged with Good Shepherd and St. Joseph of Rhinebeck/Rhinecliff, forming the present multi-church parish.
- Sacred Heart, Barrytown founded 1875 (Rev. James Fitzsimmons, first pastor)
- St. Christopher Mission established 1910
- Cornerstone laid 1925; dedicated 1926
- St. Christopher elevated to parish status January 1, 1975
- St. Sylvia (Tivoli) merged August 2015
- Good Shepherd/St. Joseph (Rhinebeck/Rhinecliff) merged July 2022
- 125th anniversary celebrated in 2000 with outdoor Mass (Daily Freeman)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education is directed by Hillary Gaddis-Clegg, Director of Religious Education, and operates out of the parish center (the former 1962 school building). The parish runs a full catechetical program for parish children, sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation, a separate Confirmation retreat ministry (held in Holy Spirit Chapel), and an active Adult Faith Formation program. Adult initiation into the Catholic Church is coordinated through the RCIA (Maggie Burud, [email protected]).
- Director of Religious Education: Hillary Gaddis-Clegg
- RCIA coordinator: Maggie Burud
- Adult Faith Formation contact: [email protected]
- Sacramental prep: First Communion & Confirmation
- Confirmation retreats in Holy Spirit Chapel
Parish Life and Ministries
St. Christopher's has unusually broad lay involvement for a single parish, with active men's, women's, and outreach groups running simultaneously. Men's groups include the Knights of Columbus (Council 148, GK Bob Lawless) and the Holy Name Society. Women's groups include Our Lady's Guild (Cynthia Fildes), the Women's Society (Geraldine Browne), the Prayer Shawl Ministry (Celine Turchetti), and Our Lady Queen of Peace Prayer Group. Outreach ministries include the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Food Pantry, the Breads Plus Program (Mike Yanette), H2O – Helping Hands for Others (Rick & Barb Rizzolo), the Battered Women hotline (845-876-1554), Prison Ministry (Rosemary Molloy), and the Respect Life Committee (Barbara Totman).
- Knights of Columbus Council 148
- Holy Name Society
- Our Lady's Guild
- Women's Society
- Our Lady Queen of Peace Prayer Group
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- St. Vincent de Paul Society & Food Pantry
- Breads Plus Program
- H2O – Helping Hands for Others
- Prison Ministry
- Respect Life Committee
- Battered Women help line
- Senior Citizens group
- CYO Basketball (Aaron Pethic, coordinator)
Music and Liturgy
Music for parish liturgies is directed by Dick Totman, Music Director, working with parish choirs and cantors across the multiple worship sites. The parish calendar of seasons (Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter, Holy Days) is published on the website with special Mass times announced in the bulletin.
- Music Director: Dick Totman
- Music Ministry for both St. Christopher and Good Shepherd
- Seasonal Holy Day Mass schedules posted in bulletin
Buildings, Chapel and the Parish School Legacy
The parish operates from two principal sites. At Red Hook the Church of St. Christopher sits at the corner of South Broadway and Garden Street; the adjoining parish center is the former parish school building (opened 1962, closed 1985 due to chronic low enrollment; staffed by the Sparkill Dominican Sisters). The center was repurposed and today contains Holy Spirit Chapel, whose stained-glass windows depict the four Evangelists, St. John Bosco, St. Maria Goretti, and four American saints: Sts. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Elizabeth Ann Seton, John Neumann, and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. The Good Shepherd campus in Rhinebeck includes its own church and rectory; St. Joseph's in Rhinecliff and St. Sylvia's in Tivoli are maintained as dependent chapels for occasional Masses.
- St. Christopher Church (1925–1926, fieldstone walls)
- Parish center / former school (1962–1985)
- Holy Spirit Chapel, with American-saint stained glass
- Church of the Good Shepherd, 3 Mulberry St., Rhinebeck
- St. Joseph Chapel, Rhinecliff
- St. Sylvia Church, Tivoli (occasional services)
- Cemetery at St. Joseph's Mission (per parish Locations page)
Parish Staff, Trustees and Councils
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Jeffrey Maurer, assisted by three Permanent Deacons (Raymond Ricci, Anthony Silvestro, and Keith White), with lay governance provided by the Parish Council (Chair Gwen McCann) and Finance Council (Chair Joseph Soave). Day-to-day operations are run by Parish Secretary Fran Remenek (Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Good Shepherd), Office Assistant Maureen Terranova, Bookkeeper/Religious Ed staff member Lori Pociask, and Buildings & Grounds Manager David Whelly. Lay Trustees are Barbara Rizzolo and Joseph Soave.
- Pastor: Rev. Jeffrey Maurer
- Deacons: Raymond Ricci, Anthony Silvestro, Keith White
- Director of Religious Education: Hillary Gaddis-Clegg
- Music Director: Dick Totman
- Parish Secretary: Fran Remenek
- Office Assistant: Maureen Terranova
- Bookkeeper/Religious Ed: Lori Pociask
- Buildings & Grounds: David Whelly
- Parish Council Chair: Gwen McCann
- Finance Council Chair: Joseph Soave
- Lay Trustees: Barbara Rizzolo, Joseph Soave
Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors are encouraged to plug in to one of the many active organizations, with named contacts published on the parish's Parish Contacts page. Direct contact emails are listed for RCIA, Adult Faith Formation, CYO Basketball, the Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society, Our Lady's Guild, the music director, and the various outreach ministries. Online Giving is available through the parish website for those who wish to support the parish financially but cannot attend Mass.
- Online Giving via stchrisredhook.org
- Volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul / Food Pantry
- Join the Knights of Columbus (GK Bob Lawless) or Holy Name Society
- Help with CYO Basketball
- Prison Ministry or Battered Women ministry
- Prayer Shawl Ministry, Respect Life Committee
- Parish Council and Finance Council nominations
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James Fitzsimmons1875–1885
First pastor of Sacred Heart, Barrytown — the parish from which St. Christopher's developed.
- Rev. William J. McClure1886–1893
Sacred Heart, Barrytown.
- Rev. Daniel J. Cronin1893–1899
Sacred Heart, Barrytown.
- Rev. Hugh P. Cullum1899–1901
Sacred Heart, Barrytown.
- Rev. Matthew J.F. Scanlon1901–1919
Sacred Heart, Barrytown.
- Rev. Joseph B. Cherry1919–1922
Sacred Heart, Barrytown.
- Rev. P. McAleer1922–1923
Sacred Heart, Barrytown.
- Rev. Cornelius Fitzsimmons1924–1932
Sacred Heart, Barrytown / St. Christopher mission.
- Rev. John Kenny1932–1937
St. Christopher mission.
- Rev. Louis A. Jaudas1937–1940
St. Christopher mission.
- Rev. John A. Walsh1941
St. Christopher mission.
- Rev. Msgr. John R. Carroll1941–1969
Long-tenured pastor (Sacred Heart / St. Christopher mission).
- Rev. Hugh Devers1969–1974
Led parish on eve of St. Christopher's elevation.
- Rev. Theodore J. Schulz1974–1980
Stewarded parish during and after 1975 elevation to independent parish.
- Rev. Louis J. Mazza1980–1986
First pastor after parish school closed in 1985.
- Rev. Msgr. Charles P. Coen1986–2008
Celebrated the parish's 125th anniversary in 2000; oversaw transformation of the old school into the parish center.
- Rev. Patrick F. Buckley2011–2021
Led parish through 2015 St. Sylvia merger.
- Rev. Douglas Y. Crawford2021–2022
Brief interim pastorate.
- Rev. Jeffrey Maurer2022–present
Appointed administrator July 1, 2022; current pastor; came from March 2022 parochial vicar role; previously pastor of St. Mary's, Washingtonville (2010).