About St. Francis Solanus · Harrisville, New York
St. Francis Solanus is a small Catholic parish serving Harrisville, a village in Lewis County in the northern foothills of New York State's Adirondack region. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Ogdensburg (specifically the Lewis Deanery) and is pastored today by Reverend Donald J. Manfred, assisted by Deacon Peter J. Woolschlager. The parish is rooted in the mining and timber communities of northern Lewis County and continues to gather its members for weekly Sunday Eucharist at its church on Maple Street. As one of the smaller parishes of a far-flung rural diocese, it sustains the Catholic life of Harrisville and surrounding hamlets.
- Established
- early 1880s
- Patron
- St. Francis Solanus
- Rector
- Reverend Donald J. Manfred
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ogdensburg (Lewis Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Francis Solanus keeps a genuine small-parish rhythm in which families know one another and clergy know their flock. Parishioners gather for Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m., and Faith Formation for children and youth runs from 9:15 to 10:20 a.m. on Sunday mornings so families can come for class and stay for Mass. The parish also participates in diocesan-wide devotional opportunities — including monthly confessions and Eucharistic ministry weekends with visiting priests such as Father Bernard Maloney — making the Sacramental life accessible even in a rural setting.
Mass times at St. Francis Solanus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sacrament of Reconciliation offered on scheduled evenings during visiting ministry weekends — see parish bulletin or call (315) 543-2421 for the current schedule.
Parish Overview
St. Francis Solanus is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Harrisville, Lewis County, New York. It is served by the Diocese of Ogdensburg and belongs to the Lewis Deanery. The parish community gathers weekly at its church on Maple Street for Sunday Mass and supports a Sunday-morning Faith Formation program for the children and youth of the area.
- Parish name: St. Francis Solanus
- Type: Roman-Latin (Roman Catholic)
- Diocese: Ogdensburg
- Deanery: Lewis
History of the Parish
St. Francis Solanus parish was formed in the early 1880s as the Catholic community of Harrisville and its neighboring mining and lumbering villages grew. According to local historical notes compiled for the Jayville area, Harrisville was the parish seat and Jayville was held as a 'mission' of St. Francis Solanus. By 1907 the parish had expanded enough that Harrisville, Kalurah, Natural Bridge, and Lewisburg were organized into a larger parish arrangement, with additional missions in Fine and Taleville and stations (smaller outlying communities without a resident priest) in Jayville, Edwards, and Fullerville.
- Parish formed in the early 1880s.
- Jayville served as a mission of St. Francis Solanus.
- 1907: larger combined parish formed with Harrisville, Kalurah, Natural Bridge, and Lewisburg.
Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Reverend Donald J. Manfred as pastor. He is assisted by Deacon Peter J. Woolschlager, who serves in the permanent diaconate at the parish.
- Pastor: Reverend Donald J. Manfred
- Deacon: Peter J. Woolschlager
Pastoral Succession
The Diocese of Ogdensburg generally does not publish a complete succession list of pastors on the parish's current diocesan page. One verifiable link in the succession is Father Peter Helfrich, who was pastor of St. Francis Solanus in 1994 before being reassigned later that year to chaplaincy duty at the Carmel of St. Joseph in Saranac Lake.
- Father Peter Helfrich — pastor, 1994
Faith Formation
Faith Formation classes for children and youth are held each Sunday morning from 9:15 to 10:20 a.m., immediately before the 10:30 Mass — making it convenient for families to participate in religious education and attend Sunday Mass together.
- Grades K–12 Faith Formation, Sundays 9:15–10:20 a.m. (per published listing)
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by telephone, fax, or email. The official diocesan parish page lists both the physical church address and a P.O. Box address for correspondence. The parish email is monitored at the [email protected] mailbox, which is listed both on the diocesan page and on third-party Mass-time listings.
- Telephone / Fax: (315) 543-2421
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: P.O. Box 208, Harrisville, NY 13648
- Church: 14361 Maple Street, Harrisville, NY 13648
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Peter Helfrich1994
Pastor of St. Francis Solanus, Harrisville, in 1994 before leaving later that same year for the Carmel of St. Joseph in Saranac Lake.