About St. Joseph · Oxford, New York
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church is a small but active Catholic parish in the Village of Oxford, Chenango County, New York, and the oldest Catholic church still in use in the county. Founded in 1848 among the rolling hills of the Chenango River Valley, the parish grew from a handful of families served first by missionary priests traveling by horseback from Utica and Binghamton. Today it belongs to the Diocese of Syracuse and is cared for as a sister parish alongside St. Patrick and St. Thomas Aquinas in Binghamton, with Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM and Vigil Mass Saturday evening. Members describe the community as a close-knit family that has worshipped together for more than 175 years.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Paul Machira
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
St. Joseph's offers a warm, close-knit Catholic home in the Chenango Valley where generations of the same families still worship side by side. Newcomers are welcomed by a dedicated Welcoming Committee, and there are concrete ways to get involved — liturgical ministries (altar servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, music), faith formation for children and adults, parish organizations, and the cemetery and funeral ministries. Members care for one another, especially through the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Communion-to-the-Homebound program, and the parish continues its nearly 130-year ministry to residents of the NY State Veterans Home at Oxford.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:35–7:00 PM
Our Story: A Parish Rooted in the Chenango Valley (Est. 1848)
Catholic life in the rolling hills along the Chenango River predates the parish itself. As early as 1826, missionary priests rode 60 miles from Utica by horse and wagon to celebrate Mass for scattered families — including the Flanagans of Smithville Flats. By 1848 there were enough Catholic families to form a parish, and Fr. James Hourigan from St. John's, Binghamton, celebrated the first Parish Mass in the home of James Flanagan on Greene Street. Bishop John McCloskey of Albany purchased Lot #15 from Ethan and James Clarke for $1.00, and the first church — still the oldest functioning Catholic church in Chenango County — was completed in 1851.
- 1826 — Priests from Albany diocese ride from Utica; Mass said in Flanagan homes and a log cabin near Oxford
- 1834 — Priests from St. John's, Binghamton take over sacramental care; first baptism recorded (Fr. J. V. O'Reilly)
- 1848 — St. Joseph Parish formally established with St. Joseph as patron; eight founding families
- 1851 — First church completed on Clarke-donated land
- 1852–56 — Fr. Callan founds St. Joseph Cemetery on land from C. Locke
- 1886 — Becomes part of the new Diocese of Syracuse
- 1889 — Electricity installed; first resident pastor, Rev. George C. Mahon, appointed
- 1897 — Parish begins ministry to the Women's Relief Corp Home (now NY State Veterans Home)
- 1980–85 — Fr. Richard McNerney adds Parish Center and restores clapboard exterior
- 1988–94 — Fr. Valentine Krul installs ramp, Veterans Memorial and Cemetery Chapel; last resident pastor
- 2023 — 175th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Lucia
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Joseph's aims to give youth a deep-rooted Catholic faith. Classes meet after Sunday Mass from 9:45 to 10:45 AM, September through May, and serve children age 4 through 8th grade, after which they move on to Confirmation preparation. New students are welcome at any time and a media center / library is being assembled.
- Faith Formation Director: Gwen Hornbeck (607-226-0431)
- Director of RCIA / OCIA: Kathy Anderson (607-316-1717)
- Sacrament preparation for First Penance and First Communion
- RICA / OCIA — adult initiation including Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation
- Confirmation — two-year program with classes, retreats and community service
- Religious Education — Pre-K through 8th grade
Parish Organizations & Liturgical Ministries
The parish lists a wide range of active ministries and warmly invites new members to join. Liturgical ministries include adult and youth altar servers, music ministry, Eucharistic ministers of the cup and Body of Christ (who also bring Communion to the homebound), lectors, and a coordinating Liturgy Committee.
- Altar Server Ministry (Sat. night adult, youth otherwise) — Sammy Diamond
- Music Ministry — Kathy Anderson (607-316-1717)
- Eucharistic Ministers — Gwen Hornbeck (Communion to the Homebound)
- Liturgy Committee — coordinates celebrations across ministries
- Funeral Coordinator — Marian Godfrey (607-843-9300)
- Welcoming Committee — Julie Winner ([email protected])
Parish Staff & Contacts
The parish is staffed by a small team of dedicated lay leaders and visiting clergy who keep ministries running. The Parish Office is the main point of contact for sacraments, scheduling and general inquiries.
- Pastor: Rev. Paul Machira
- Canonical Pastor: Rev. Msgr. John P. Putano
- Parish Administrator/Coordinator: John Franco (607-843-9643)
- Parish Secretary & Faith Formation Director: Gwen Hornbeck (607-226-0431)
- Director of RCIA/OCIA & Music Ministry: Kathy Anderson (607-316-1717)
- Cemetery Coordinator: Parish Office (607-843-7021)
- Funeral Coordinator: Marian Godfrey (607-843-9300)
- Welcoming Committee: Julie Winner (607-226-3083; [email protected])
- Trustees: Marian Godfrey (607-843-9300) and Richard Marks (607-244-1617)
Sacraments at St. Joseph's
The Faith Formation pages of the parish website describe each sacrament and its preparation process. The parish welcomes inquiries at any time and asks those preparing for marriage to begin at least six months in advance.
- Baptism — preparation for parents, godparents, and adults; contact the parish office
- First Penance and First Communion — through Faith Formation classes
- Confirmation — two-year program including community service and retreats
- Eucharist — Sunday and Vigil Mass; Communion to the Homebound
- Marriage — arrangements at least six months in advance
- Pastoral Care of the Sick — call the Parish Office; visits and Communion brought to those unable to attend
Outreach & Community Service
Beyond its own walls, St. Joseph's maintains a long tradition of reaching out to neighbors in need. The parish's weekly Mass at the NY State Veterans Home at Oxford is the most visible continuation of an outreach that began with the Women's Relief Corp Home in 1897.
- Weekly Mass at the NY State Veterans Home at Oxford (Wednesday 11:00 AM)
- Pastoral Care of the Sick — home and hospital visits
- Communion to the Homebound brought by Eucharistic Ministers
- Confirmation candidates serve community service hours as part of preparation
- Parish welcomes inquiries about joining or supporting any outreach ministry
Cemetery
St. Joseph Cemetery was established in the 1850s by Fr. Callan on land purchased from C. Locke, and it remains in active use. Over the years it has been expanded by additional donations from the Quinn family — most recently a 3.5-acre parcel still to be developed — and includes a Cemetery Chapel constructed by Fr. Valentine Krul.
- Cemetery Coordinator — Parish Office (607-843-7021)
- Founded c. 1852–56 by Fr. Callan
- Expanded via Quinn-family land donations (3.5 acres still to be developed)
- Memorial to Veterans and Cemetery Chapel built under Fr. Krul (1988–94)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James Hourigan1848–c. 1852
From St. John's, Binghamton; celebrated the first Parish Mass at the Flanagan home and directed construction of the first church.
- Rev. Callan1852–1856
Resided at the Burr house (now Oxford Memorial Library); purchased land from C. Locke to start St. Joseph Cemetery.
- Rev. Daniel O'Connell1869–1875
Moved the church backward and added the vaulted room with stained glass and twin front doors.
- Rev. James P. Harrigan1875–
Enlarged the cemetery with land donated by Leonard Quinn, Sr.
- Rev. George C. Mahon1889–1903
First resident pastor after the parish joined the new Syracuse Diocese in 1886.
- Rev. D. Francis Curtin1922–1925
Stuccoed the church exterior and excavated the basement.
- Rev. William Brennan1925–1929
Completed and fitted out the basement.
- Rev. Edward X. Kiely1934–1936
Removed wood stoves and installed the new furnace.
- Rev. Richard McNerney1980–1985
Built the 40 x 40 Parish Center addition; restored the church's clapboard look with white vinyl siding; added insulation and rewired the building.
- Rev. Valentine Krul1988–1994
Last resident pastor; installed the accessibility ramp, relocated the St. Joseph Shrine, and constructed the Memorial to Veterans and Cemetery Chapel.
- Fr. Joseph Zareskypost-1994
Along with Fr. Douglas Cunningham oversaw the conversion of the rectory into parish offices, classrooms and meeting rooms.
- Fr. Douglas Cunningham1997– (added Oxford duties)
Also pastor of St. Paul's, Norwich; previously pastor of St. Patrick's, Whitney Point.
- Fr. Gerald Lupapost-1994
Stays at the parish with a private priest suite in the converted rectory.
- Rev. Paul Machirapresent
Current Pastor; celebrated the parish's 175th anniversary Mass with Bishop Lucia and Msgr. Putano on April 30, 2023.