About St. James.Blessed Trinity Parish. · Waverly, New York
St. James Church is one of three worship sites that make up Blessed Trinity Parish, a clustered Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Rochester serving the southern Tier of New York. Together with St. John the Evangelist in Newark Valley and St. Margaret Mary in Apalachin, St. James at 503 Clark Street in Waverly shares priests, staff, faith formation programs, and a regional bulletin called "Together" with its cluster partner, St. Patrick Parish in Owego. The parish community grew out of the Diocese of Rochester's late-1990s pastoral planning process and was canonically formed on July 1, 2003, when five Tioga-area churches merged under the name Blessed Trinity.
- Established
- 2003
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle (Blessed Trinity Parish name references the Holy Trinity)
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Blessed Trinity Parish brings together four worship sites — St. James in Waverly, St. John the Evangelist in Newark Valley, St. Margaret Mary in Apalachin, and St. Patrick in Owego — into one family of faith where every member is invited to share their gifts. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass across its churches, regular Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, a robust sacramental program (First Eucharist, First Penance, Confirmation, RCIA), Children's Faith Formation Pre-K through 8th grade, Junior and Senior High Youth Ministry, Stephen Ministry, a Social Justice Committee, a Martha Ministry that provides funeral luncheons, free community meal programs, and a Sunday Night Joy covered-dish supper with faith programming for all ages. Visiting or joining means becoming part of a regional Catholic community that has pooled its resources across Tioga County for more than two decades to keep vibrant liturgy, faith formation, and outreach alive.
Mass times at St. James.Blessed Trinity Parish.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30 AM – 8:50 AM (St. James)
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (St. Patrick)
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (St. James)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (St. James and St. Patrick)
- Also available 30 minutes before each weekday Mass or by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered (consult the parish bulletin/website for the current weekly schedule)
About Blessed Trinity Parish
Blessed Trinity Parish is a clustered Catholic community in the Diocese of Rochester that brings together four worship sites across Tioga County, New York. The parish's three churches are St. James in Waverly (503 Clark Street), St. John the Evangelist in Newark Valley (28 Rock Street), and St. Margaret Mary in Apalachin (1110 Pennsylvania Avenue). It is clustered with St. Patrick Parish in Owego, and the four communities share pastors, deacons, faith formation, and pastoral staff. The parish office for the entire cluster is located at 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827.
- St. James — 503 Clark Street, Waverly, NY 14892
- St. John the Evangelist — 28 Rock Street, Newark Valley, NY 13811
- St. Margaret Mary — 1110 Pennsylvania Avenue, Apalachin, NY 13732
- Cluster partner: St. Patrick — 300 Main Street, Owego, NY 13827
- Parish Office: 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827
Parish History: From Six Churches to One
The history of today's parish begins in the late 19th century, when Catholic families in the Tioga County area were served by traveling priests such as Rev. James Dunn of St. Mary's in Horseheads, who celebrated monthly Mass in private homes from 1892 onward. By the mid-20th century, St. James in Waverly had become a parish with its own pastor and was already sponsoring mission territory — Rev. G. S. Hogan, Pastor of St. James Waverly, celebrated the first Van Etten Village Mass on February 22, 1953. In 1997–98, six Tioga County parishes formed the "Strength of Six" (SOS) coalition under the Diocese of Rochester's Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium. After a five-year strategic plan (1997) and a second plan submitted to Bishop Matthew Clark in February 2001, five of the six churches merged on July 1, 2003, into Blessed Trinity Parish, clustered with St. Patrick Parish. Bishop Clark celebrated the new beginning at Hickories Park in Owego on September 14, 2003, before more than 1,000 parishioners. In 2009, after priest assignments were reduced from three to two, St. Pius X in Van Etten and St. Francis of Assisi in Catatonk were closed, and the four remaining worship sites continue today.
- 1892 – Rev. James Dunn begins monthly Mass in homes around Van Etten, Spencer, and Erin
- 1904–1948 – Local Catholics travel to Ithaca, Waverly, or Elmira for Mass
- 1953 – First Van Etten Village Mass by Rev. G. S. Hogan, Pastor of St. James Waverly
- 1997–98 – Six Tioga parishes form the "Strength of Six" (SOS)
- 1997 – SOS five-year strategic plan created under planning-team chair Dick Orth
- 2001 – Second five-year plan submitted to Bishop Matthew Clark
- 2003 – Five parishes merge into Blessed Trinity Parish (July 1)
- 2003 – Bishop Matthew H. Clark celebrates founding Mass at Hickories Park, Owego (Sept. 14)
- 2009 – Priest assignments reduced from three to two; St. Pius X and St. Francis of Assisi close
Parish-Wide Ministries
Blessed Trinity Parish runs ministries that span all four worship sites. A Lead Ministry Coordinator (LMC) at each church provides organizational and administrative support, and the four LMCs work together to assess local needs, develop appropriate ministries, and grow parishioner participation. A regional Pastoral Council of sixteen members (twelve adults plus four youth) advises the pastor on priorities and planning, while Finance Councils and a Liturgy Committee coordinate the temporal and liturgical life of the parish.
- Liturgy Committee — collaborates with pastoral staff on the liturgical life of the parishes
- Pastoral Council — sixteen members representing all four churches; advises the pastor
- Finance Councils — temporal stewardship for the parishes
- Lead Ministry Coordinators (LMCs) — one per worship site
- Social Justice Ministry — works on local and worldwide issues; oversees the parishes' tithing
- Stephen Ministry — lay caring ministry
- Website Committee
- Sunday Night Joy — covered-dish supper with faith programs for adults and children Pre-K–Grade 6
- Vacation Bible School
Ministries at St. James (Waverly)
St. James in Waverly hosts a full slate of liturgical, formation, and outreach ministries, many of which mirror those at the parish's other worship sites. Parishioners serve as Lectors, Greeters, Ushers, Sacristans, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist; visit and bring Communion to the homebound; count the weekend collection; and care for grieving families through the Martha Ministry, which coordinates funeral luncheons. Children's Faith Formation (Pre-K through Grade 8) and Junior/Senior High Youth Ministry are available, and a Daily Prayer Group gathers for ongoing prayer.
- Lectors, Greeters, Ushers
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Sacristans
- Welcome and Hospitality
- Homebound Communion Visits
- Weekend Mass Collection Counters
- Martha Ministry (Funeral Luncheons)
- Children's Faith Formation, grades Pre-K – 8
- Junior and Senior High Youth Ministry, grades 9–12
- Daily Prayer Group
- Community free meal programs
- Music Ministry
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation at Blessed Trinity Parish is unified across all four churches under the Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry. Children's Faith Formation serves students from Pre-K through Grade 8, with preparation for the sacraments of First Eucharist and First Penance. Junior and Senior High Youth Ministry (grades 7–8 and 9–12) is designed to foster spiritual growth, empower young disciples, and draw them into the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community through catechesis, prayer, service, and recreation, with retreats and overnight programs that satisfy the diocesan thirty-hour requirement.
- Children's Faith Formation, Pre-K – Grade 8
- First Eucharist and First Penance preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Junior High Youth Ministry (grades 7–8)
- Senior High Youth Ministry (grades 9–12)
- Retreats and overnight programs (fulfills the 30-hour requirement)
- RCIA / OCIA (Becoming Catholic)
Social Justice & Outreach
The parish Social Justice Ministry draws on Isaiah 61:1 — "to bring good news to the poor, liberate captives, instill the blind with new sight, and set the downtrodden free" — to address injustice both locally and worldwide. The committee educates parishioners about contemporary social issues, raises awareness of root causes of poverty, and promotes a preferential option for the poor. It also determines the parishes' tithing, supporting initiatives like collecting school supplies, supporting school nurses, providing free community meals, filling Christmas and Thanksgiving food baskets, hosting Work of Human Hands sales, and giving to OXFAM and Birthright. The Martha Ministry coordinates funeral luncheons for grieving families, and "Adopt-a-Family" and the "Giving Tree" provide Christmas outreach to local families in need.
- School-supply collections
- Support for school nurses
- Free community meal programs
- Christmas and Thanksgiving food baskets
- Work of Human Hands sales
- OXFAM and Birthright support
- "Adopt-a-Family" and "Giving Tree" Christmas outreach
- Martha Ministry funeral luncheons
Leadership & Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Jeffrey Galens, with Parochial Vicar Fr. James (James P.) Muscatella, Deacons Mike Donovan and Rick DeMars, and a lay staff that supports faith formation, music, finances, and parish operations across all four worship sites.
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens — Pastor
- Rev. James P. Muscatella — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Mike Donovan
- Deacon Rick DeMars
- Annette Larrabee — Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry (Confirmation, First Eucharist, First Penance)
- Michael Gillio — Finance and Operations Manager
- Lisa Salamida — Administrative Assistant / Central Office
- Becky White — Cemetery Manager
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments and offers sacramental preparation through its Faith Formation program. Baptisms, First Eucharist, First Penance, Confirmation, and Marriage are scheduled in coordination with the parish office; RCIA/OCIA prepares adults for full initiation into the Catholic Church; Anointing of the Sick is available to the homebound and elderly, often brought by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who visit those who cannot attend Mass.
- Baptism
- First Eucharist (First Communion)
- First Penance (First Reconciliation)
- Confirmation
- Marriage (Matrimony)
- RCIA / OCIA (Becoming Catholic)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funeral Liturgies (with Martha Ministry luncheon support)
Getting Involved
The parish periodically holds a "Ministry Opportunities" process to pause and reflect on the needs of the parish family and how each person can share their gifts and talents. Anyone interested in volunteering for a particular ministry may call the Central Office and be put in contact with the Lead Ministry Coordinator for that area.
- Ministry Opportunities Form (online via the parish website)
- Call the Central Office to be matched with a ministry
- Lead Ministry Coordinators at each of the four worship sites
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William A. Moorby2003
Appointed Pastor of newly formed Blessed Trinity Parish and St. Patrick Parish at its founding on July 1, 2003.
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens
Current Pastor of Blessed Trinity and St. Patrick Parishes.