About St. Francis Xavier · Redwood, New York
St. Francis Xavier is a small Roman Catholic mission church at 43596 Route 37 in Redwood, New York, in Jefferson County's Thousand Islands region. It is served as one of two worship sites of the Catholic Community of Alexandria, alongside St. Cyril of Alexandria Church in nearby Alexandria Bay (the two are jointly administered from the same parish office and website, stcyrils.org). The church is a seasonal Sunday Mass site for the community, which also incorporates St. Mary's in Clayton, and falls under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg.
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Reverend Arthur J. LaBaff (Sacramental Minister)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier offers a quiet, seasonal Sunday Mass setting in the heart of the Thousand Islands, where year-round and summer residents worship together as part of the Catholic Community of Alexandria. With weekly confession available before Saturday Mass, dedicated deacons, and a Sacramental Minister who also serves neighboring St. Cyril's and St. Mary's in Clayton, the parish is a small but full part of the Diocese of Ogdensburg's pastoral life along the St. Lawrence River.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:45–5:15 PM (at St. Francis Xavier, before the Saturday 5:30 PM Mass at St. Cyril's)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday Holy Hour after the 9:00 AM Mass on the first Friday of the month at St. Mary's, Clayton (community-wide)
The Catholic Community of Alexandria
St. Francis Xavier in Redwood is one of two worship sites that make up the Catholic Community of Alexandria, the other being St. Cyril of Alexandria Church in the village of Alexandria Bay. The community describes itself as 'a diverse family of year-round and seasonal parishioners… unified in a common bond of love and service to God and neighbor. As a welcoming community we proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ through word and action.' In practice, the parish office for both churches is reached through the same phone number, email and website (stcyrils.org), and the same Sacramental Minister and deacon team serve both worship sites.
- Worship site 1: St. Cyril of Alexandria — 28 Walton Street, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607
- Worship site 2: St. Francis Xavier — 43596 NY-37, Redwood, NY 13679
- Closer pastoral link: also cooperates with St. Mary's, Clayton (Catholic Community of Alexandria / Clayton cluster)
Clergy, Deacons and Parish Staff
Pastoral leadership for the Catholic Community of Alexandria is shared across worship sites. Reverend Arthur J. LaBaff serves as Sacramental Minister, with the Alexandria Bay rectory reachable at 315-482-2670 and the Clayton rectory at 315-686-3398. Deacon Neil J. Fuller serves as Parish Life Coordinator. The parish is also served by Deacons Gary A. Frank, James B. Kavanaugh and Joel E. Walentuk, with Deacon Bernie Slate retired but still listed. Reverend Douglas G. Comstock is Pastor Emeritus.
- Rev. Arthur J. LaBaff — Sacramental Minister
- Deacon Neil J. Fuller — Parish Life Coordinator (315-405-6910; [email protected])
- Deacon Gary A. Frank
- Deacon James B. Kavanaugh
- Deacon Joel E. Walentuk
- Deacon Bernie Slate — Retired
- Rev. Douglas G. Comstock — Pastor Emeritus
- Secretaries: Maribeth McFadden & Kerry Wahl (parish office)
- Buildings/Grounds & Cemeteries: Jason Montondo and Tom Sourwine
Contact, Location and Mailing
The parish office, which serves both St. Francis Xavier and St. Cyril's, is reached by phone at 315-482-2670, by fax at 815-301-1901, and by email at [email protected]. The mailing address for the Catholic Community of Alexandria's pastoral offices is 521 James Street, Clayton, NY 13624. St. Francis Xavier Church itself sits at 43596 Route 37, Redwood, NY 13679.
- Phone: 315-482-2670
- Fax: 815-301-1901
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stcyrils.org
- St. Francis Xavier address: 43596 NY-37, Redwood, NY 13679
- Mailing address: 521 James Street, Clayton, NY 13624
Diocese of Ogdensburg
St. Francis Xavier belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, which covers the northern reaches of New York State. The diocesan directory lists the church as a worship site of the Alexandria Bay–Redwood parish, with Bishop Terry R. LaValley serving as bishop at the time of the most recent parish communications. The parish's website carries a notice that the Diocese of Ogdensburg has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization, with a link to Bishop LaValley's video message and the diocesan reorganization page.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg (rcdony.org)
- Diocesan parish page: rcdony.org/parish/alexandria-bay
- Notice on the parish website: Diocese Chapter 11 reorganization, with Bishop LaValley's video
Prayer, Devotions and Community Life
Beyond Sunday Mass, the Catholic Community of Alexandria maintains a Prayer Line and a community First Friday Holy Hour. The Prayer Line is reached at 315-771-1989 or [email protected] for prayer requests. The First Friday Holy Hour is held after the 9:00 AM Mass on the first Friday of each month at St. Mary's, Clayton. The community's identity as a mix of year-round and seasonal parishioners — including many Thousand Islands summer residents — shapes its rhythm of worship and fellowship.
- Prayer Line: 315-771-1989 / [email protected]
- First Friday Holy Hour: after 9:00 AM Mass, first Friday of the month, at St. Mary's, Clayton
- Seasonal character: serves both year-round and Thousand Islands summer residents