About Spirit of Hope Parish @ St. Agatha · Canastota, New York
Spirit of Hope Parish @ St. Agatha is a Catholic church located at 329 N. Peterboro Street in Canastota, New York. Originally established in 1883 as the Parish of St. Agatha under the patronage of an early Sicilian martyr, St. Agatha is now one of eight churches in the canonically unified Spirit of Hope Catholic Community, which was formed on June 11, 2023, and serves Catholics in Canastota, Verona Beach, North Bay, Oneida, Irish Ridge, Vernon, and Sherrill. The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, with its central office at 121 St. Joseph Place, Oneida. Sunday Mass at St. Agatha is celebrated at 8:45 a.m., and a Saturday Vigil Mass is offered at 6:00 p.m. (except August 14th, when it moves to St. Mary's, Verona Beach).
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- St. Agatha of Sicily
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher (Chris) Ballard
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
St. Agatha offers a long-established Catholic community in Canastota with Sunday Mass at 8:45 a.m. and a Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:00 p.m., part of the larger Spirit of Hope Catholic Community that brings together eight churches across Madison and Oneida counties. The parish runs faith formation for children and teens (including the summer Totus Tuus program), a youth ministry for high schoolers, a monthly Faith Sharing Group, a Young Adult Bible Study, an Outreach Ministry, and a Loaves & Fishes community meal served out of the St. Agatha Parish Center. Newcomers are welcomed through the parish's Get Involved & Parish Registration process, and liturgical roles (lector, extraordinary minister, sacristan, altar server, usher, greeter) are filled by parishioners across all eight churches.
Mass times at Spirit of Hope Parish @ St. Agatha
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 2:45 PM at St. Joseph, Oneida
- Saturdays at 4:30 PM at St. Mary, Verona Beach (Memorial Day Weekend to Columbus Day Weekend)
- By appointment
About Spirit of Hope Parish
Spirit of Hope Catholic Community is a unified parish of eight churches in Canastota, Verona Beach, North Bay, Oneida, Irish Ridge, Vernon, and Sherrill. According to the parish's own statement, the community has come together 'that we may thrive as a community of Catholic believers,' anchored in Romans 15:13: 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.' The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, with its central office at St. Joseph Place in Oneida.
- Eight worship sites across Madison and Oneida counties
- Canonical unification: June 11, 2023
- Principal church: St. Patrick, 347 Main St., Oneida
- Diocese of Syracuse
St. Agatha, Canastota
St. Agatha is the Canastota church of Spirit of Hope, located at 329 N. Peterboro Street on the corner of Peterboro Street (Route 13) and Wilson Avenue. It is the site where Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:45 a.m. and Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:00 p.m. (except Aug. 14th, when the Vigil moves to St. Mary's, Verona Beach). The parish was established in 1883 and grew steadily through Irish, Belgian, German, and Italian immigration, with a particular flourishing after large numbers of Sicilian immigrants began arriving just before the turn of the twentieth century.
- Founded 1883
- Patron: St. Agatha of Sicily
- GPS/church address: 329 N. Peterboro St., Canastota, NY 13032
- Sunday Mass 8:45 AM; Saturday Vigil 6:00 PM
A History of St. Agatha's Church
St. Agatha's was established in 1883 when the Bishop of Albany, Francis McNeiry, gave permission for a new parish in Canastota under the patronage of the Sicilian martyr St. Agatha. Originally a mission of St. Patrick's, Chittenango, it later reversed that relationship as Canastota's Catholic population outgrew Chittenango's. The first congregation numbered about thirty families, half of them Irish; glass-factory workers (Belgian and German), railroad laborers (more Irish), and dairy farmers (Irish, French, German) arrived over the next two decades, with a major wave of Italian immigration beginning just before 1900.
- 1883: parish established under Bishop McNeiry of Albany
- First pastor: Father James Collins (also first resident pastor of St. Patrick's, Chittenango)
- 1931: four Daughters of Charity from Emmitsburg arrive to teach catechism
- 1948: Sisters take up residence at 316 N. Peterboro St.
Buildings and Growth
The original 1883 church was enlarged in 1914 with a new sanctuary, vestibule, and choir gallery. The first parish hall was built in 1926, and the church received further improvements in 1949 and 1952. A second wave of expansion came in the 1960s: a spacious new parish hall in 1962 for catechetical classes and parish social activities, followed by an entirely new church five years later. In December 1971 the Sisters moved into a newly built convent on Spencer Street, and in 1981 a new parish house was completed on the site of the old rectory. The parish celebrated its centennial in 1983 with a memorial booklet.
- 1914: new sanctuary, vestibule, choir gallery
- 1926: first parish hall
- 1962: new parish hall
- 1967: new church building
- 1971: new convent on Spencer St.
- 1981: new parish house
Clergy and Central Office Staff
Spirit of Hope is led by Pastor Rev. Christopher (Chris) Ballard and Parochial Vicar Rev. Joseph P. Ryan, who was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse on June 7, 2025 and assigned to the community effective July 1, 2025. Deacon David F. Schiltz serves as Deacon & Pastoral Minister with a focus on Funeral Ministry. The Central Office at 121 St. Joseph Pl., Oneida, is open Monday–Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Rev. Christopher (Chris) Ballard — Pastor
- Rev. Joseph P. Ryan — Parochial Vicar (ordained 2025)
- Dc. Dave Schiltz — Funeral Ministry / Pastoral Minister
- Terry Houck — Business Administrator
- Scott Rapasadi — Coordinator of Buildings and Grounds
- Lisa Spooner — Director of Religious Education
- Mark Ranieri — Youth Minister / High School Faith Formation
- Marie Stoker — Coordinator of Faith Formation
- Kristina Houck — Executive Assistant
- Sena Clarke — Pastoral Secretary
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Spirit of Hope runs faith formation for children under Director of Religious Education Lisa Spooner and Coordinator of Faith Formation Marie Stoker, with Mark Ranieri serving as Youth Minister and High School Faith Formation coordinator. During the summer the parish hosts Totus Tuus, a diocesan Catholic summer program led by a team of college-aged missionaries who lead daytime sessions for children and evening sessions for teens. The 2025 Totus Tuus program at Spirit of Hope is scheduled for the week of July 27 – August 1, with a missionary team led by Leia Kadelak along with Connor Fontaine, Vanessa Marmolejo, and Macklen Bell.
- Director of Religious Education: Lisa Spooner
- Coordinator of Faith Formation: Marie Stoker
- Youth Minister / High School Faith Formation: Mark Ranieri
- Totus Tuus 2025: July 27 – August 1
- 2025 Totus Tuus team: Leia Kadelak (leader), Connor Fontaine, Vanessa Marmolejo, Macklen Bell
Bible Studies, Faith Sharing, and Devotions
The parish offers several ongoing small-group faith opportunities. A monthly Faith Sharing Group meets on the last Thursday of the month to discuss Bishop Barron's and Jeff Cavins's daily scripture reflections, facilitated by Mary Jo and Bob Newberry. A Young Adult Bible Study gathers periodically (e.g. Wednesdays 9:30–11:00 a.m.). During Lent the parish runs faith-sharing groups using Bishop Barron's 'Lenten Gospel Reflections,' Sr. Miriam James Heidland's 'Restore,' and Fr. Joe Sica's 'A Journey for the Soul.' Loaves & Fishes, a community meal, is served out of St. Agatha's Parish Center (329 N. Peterboro St.) typically on the last Thursday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A Lenten Fish Fry is offered with take-out orders taken after 2:00 p.m. on Fridays (315-829-2820).
- Faith Sharing Group — last Thursday of the month (Mary Jo & Bob Newberry)
- Young Adult Bible Study
- Lent groups: Bishop Barron, 'Restore' (Sr. Miriam James Heidland), 'A Journey for the Soul' (Fr. Joe Sica)
- Loaves & Fishes — last Thursday, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM at St. Agatha Parish Center
- Lenten Fish Fry — Fridays, take-out 315-829-2820
Outreach, Liturgical Ministries, and Getting Involved
An Outreach Ministry meeting is held periodically (e.g. Tuesdays 6:00–7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish Center, Oneida), coordinated by Deb Fazio. Liturgical roles across the community — lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, sacristan, altar server, usher, and greeter — are filled by parishioners who sign up through the parish's online scheduler, choosing from the various Mass times and roles. The parish invites newcomers to register and get involved through the 'Get Involved & Parish Registration' page on the website. Funeral Ministry is coordinated by Deacon Dave Schiltz.
- Outreach Ministry meetings (St. Joseph Parish Center, Oneida)
- Liturgical roles: Lector, EMHC, Sacristan, Altar Server, Usher, Greeter
- Funeral Ministry — Dc. Dave Schiltz
- Parish Registration via spiritofhopecatholic.org
Contact and Location
Mail for the parish should be addressed to the Central Office at 121 St. Joseph Place, Oneida, NY 13421, not to the St. Agatha church street address. The Central Office phone is (315) 363-3280 and is open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The website also lists (607) 238-2789 as a contact number. From the New York State Thruway, take exit 34A, turn left on Route 13, and continue 1.5 blocks; St. Agatha is on the right at the corner of Peterboro Street and Wilson Avenue.
- Central Office: 121 St. Joseph Pl., Oneida, NY 13421
- Phone: (315) 363-3280
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9 AM – 3 PM
- Directions: Thruway exit 34A, left on Rt. 13, 1.5 blocks