About St. Anthony of Padua Church · Inlet, New York
St. Anthony of Padua Parish of Inlet and Raquette Lake is a small Catholic parish in the southern Adirondack hamlet of Inlet, New York, serving worshippers at 183 North Route 28 in Hamilton County. It is twinned with St. Bartholomew's Church in nearby Old Forge under a single pastor, and its formal name reflects the historic mission church it still tends — St. William's Chapel on Long Point, Raquette Lake. The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg and is currently shepherded by Reverend Thomas E. Kornmeyer, VF, along with Office Manager Jeanne Candee, Faith Formation Director Debra McCoy, and Music/Organist Br. Edward Bick. Worship is warm and seasonal, with weekend Mass on Sunday morning in Inlet and a fuller daily Mass schedule in summer when the Fulton Chain of Lakes draws thousands of visitors.
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Reverend Thomas E. Kornmeyer, VF
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua is a tight-knit, mission-minded country parish that warmly welcomes both year-round Adirondack residents and the seasonal visitors who flock to the Fulton Chain of Lakes each summer. Weekend Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM in Inlet pairs with Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass at St. Bartholomew's in Old Forge, and confessions are heard before every Mass and by appointment. The parish offers faith formation for children through Director Debra McCoy, liturgical music led by Brother Edward Bick, and the unique privilege of being custodians of historic St. William's Chapel on Raquette Lake — making it a spiritually rooted community in one of the most beautiful corners of New York State.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 – 7:45 AM at St. Anthony's Church, Inlet
- Saturday 3:00 – 3:30 PM at St. Bartholomew's Church, Old Forge
- By appointment at either church
Parish Identity & Worship Sites
St. Anthony of Padua Parish of Inlet and Raquette Lake is a small mission-style Catholic parish in Hamilton County, New York, that is pastorally twinned with St. Bartholomew's Church in Old Forge. The two churches share one pastor, one parish staff, one office (103 Crosby Boulevard, Old Forge) and one mailing address (PO Box 236, Old Forge, NY 13420). The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg and traces its formal establishment to 1915.
- St. Anthony of Padua Church, Inlet — 183 North Route 28, Inlet, NY 13360
- St. Bartholomew's Church, Old Forge — 103 Crosby Boulevard, Old Forge, NY 13420
- St. William's Chapel (mission), Long Point, Raquette Lake
- Shared Rectory — 189 Park Avenue, Old Forge
History of the Parish
St. Anthony's was created to serve the Catholic residents of Inlet, a small Adirondack town on the Fulton Chain of Lakes that was itself only formally erected in 1901 out of the old Town of Morehouse. According to the Town of Inlet's own historical record, St. Anthony's was dedicated in 1913 and established as a parish in 1915. The parish grew alongside the hotels, inns and summer camps that made Inlet a popular Adirondack resort destination in the early 20th century.
- Parish established 1915 (church dedicated 1913)
- St. William's Chapel on Raquette Lake consolidated into parish in 2004
- Twinned with St. Bartholomew's, Old Forge, under one pastor
St. William's Chapel, Raquette Lake
In 2004 the Diocese of Ogdensburg formally consolidated the historic St. William's Chapel on Long Point, Raquette Lake into St. Anthony of Padua Parish. Built in 1890 by Great Camp architect William West Durant and designed by the prominent New York firm J. Cleaveland Cady in the Shingle Style, the chapel was once the parish church for the Irish and French-Canadian Catholic pioneers of Raquette Lake. The chapel property was later transferred to a non-profit, St. William's on Long Point, Inc., which now maintains it as a seasonal retreat accessible only by boat. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
- Built 1890 by William West Durant, designed by J. Cleaveland Cady & Co.
- Architectural style: Shingle Style
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, January 7, 2005 (NRHP #04001446)
- Now preserved by St. William's on Long Point, Inc.; mission chapel of St. Anthony of Padua Parish
Pastoral Leadership
The parish is led today by Reverend Thomas E. Kornmeyer, VF, who was appointed pastor of St. Bartholomew's Church, Old Forge, with St. Anthony of Padua Parish of Inlet and Raquette Lake effective August 31, 2022. He succeeded Msgr. John Murphy, who retired the same day after many years of service and continues in diocesan roles. Father Kornmeyer brings a background that includes U.S. Army service and pastoral ministry in the far northern parishes of the diocese, including Fort Covington, Burke/Chateaugay and Constable/Westville/Trout River.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Thomas E. Kornmeyer, VF (since August 31, 2022)
- Previous Pastor: Msgr. John Murphy (retired August 31, 2022)
- Title "VF" indicates Father of Vows or a diocesan honorific designation
- Ordained May 26, 1990 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana
Parish Staff
The parish is supported by a small, dedicated staff who serve both worship sites in Inlet and Old Forge. The Office Manager handles day-to-day administration from the Old Forge office, the Faith Formation Director coordinates religious education for parish children, and a Brother from a religious order serves as the parish's Music Director and Organist.
- Jeanne Candee — Office Manager
- Debra McCoy — Faith Formation Director
- Brother Edward Bick — Music Director / Organist
Faith Formation
Religious education for parish children is coordinated by Faith Formation Director Debra McCoy. The program serves the families of both St. Bartholomew's, Old Forge and St. Anthony of Padua, Inlet, and prepares young parishioners for the reception of the sacraments.
- Faith Formation Director: Debra McCoy
- Programs available for both Old Forge and Inlet worship sites
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at both worship sites is led by Brother Edward Bick, the parish's Music Director and Organist. Brother Edward's ministry supports Sunday Masses at St. Bartholomew's in Old Forge and St. Anthony of Padua in Inlet, and any seasonal services held at St. William's Chapel on Raquette Lake.
- Music Director / Organist: Brother Edward Bick
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 315-369-3554 (fax 315-369-2049) or by email at [email protected]. The mailing address is PO Box 236, Old Forge, NY 13420. The Inlet church sits on NY Route 28, the main highway running through the hamlet, making it easy to find for both year-round residents and the many seasonal visitors who come to enjoy the Fulton Chain of Lakes and Inlet's other Adirondack attractions.
- Phone: (315) 369-3554
- Fax: (315) 369-2049
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: PO Box 236, Old Forge, NY 13420
- Inlet church: 183 North Route 28, Inlet, NY 13360
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. John Murphythrough August 31, 2022
Retired August 31, 2022; also served the diocese as Episcopal Vicar for Education and the New Evangelization and Director of Deacon Formation. Past assignments included St. Bernard's in Saranac Lake, St. Paul in Bloomingdale, St. John of the Wilderness in Lake Clear, St. Mary's in Evans Mills, St. Henry's in Long Lake and St. Therese in Newcomb.
- Reverend Thomas E. Kornmeyer, VFAugust 31, 2022 – present
Previously pastor of St. Mary's of the Fort in Fort Covington and the Catholic Communities of Burke/Chateaugay and Constable/Westville/Trout River since 2015. Born in Constableville, raised in Boonville, graduated Wadhams Hall in 1980, served four years in the U.S. Army, then studied at St. John's Seminary in Boston. Ordained May 26, 1990 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana.