About St. Joseph · Stephentown, New York
St. Joseph's Church in Stephentown, New York is a Catholic mission parish within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, sharing a pastor and parish staff with Immaculate Conception Church in neighboring New Lebanon. Located at 458 State Route 43 on the corner of Grange Hall Road and Route 43, the parish traces its origins to 1852 and today celebrates Mass on Saturdays at 4:00 PM and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 AM, with Holy Day Masses at 7:00 AM. The two parishes together form a single faith community committed to Word, Sacrament, and works of charity, with ministries ranging from Eucharistic ministry and music to a parish food pantry called Charlie's Pantry.
- Established
- 1852
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. John L. Close
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a small, historic mission parish where Mass is celebrated in an intimate setting on Saturdays and weekday mornings, supported by a tight-knit community of Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ushers, Greeters, Music Ministry, and Altar Servers. The parish reaches beyond its walls through Charlie's Pantry (a food pantry serving neighbors in need, coordinated through Deacon Peter Quinn), Home and Hospital Visitation, and a Bereavement Committee that hosts a funeral lunch for grieving families. Small Faith Communities (Renew 2000) gather in private homes for prayer, reflection, and discussion — a hallmark of a parish that intentionally involves every age group in faith, hope, and charity.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (at St. Joseph's, Stephentown)
Parish History
The parish's roots go all the way back to 1852, when St. Joseph's Church was first erected on a hill in Lebanon Springs, near the present Catholic Cemetery. It was the first Catholic church in the Taconic-Lebanon Valley and began life as a mission served by priests traveling some 60 miles from St. Mary's in Coxsackie, NY. After moving to Stephentown in 1871, the church was re-erected twice (1874 at West Road and Main Street; 1888 at its present corner of Grange Hall Road and Main Street) and has been continuously served by a succession of pastors linking it to Immaculate Conception in New Lebanon, Sacred Heart in Berlin, and — today — Immaculate Conception in New Lebanon once again. The community's defining moments include the building of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1929, the 1983 fire that gutted Immaculate Conception, the successful 1986 restoration, and the long, stabilizing pastorate of Fr. Joseph Halloran (29 years) followed by the present pastor, Fr. John L. Close, appointed in September 2000.
- 1852: St. Joseph's Church erected in Lebanon Springs as the first Catholic church in the Taconic-Lebanon Valley
- 1868: Placed under the Catholic Church in Chatham, NY (Fr. J. J. Moriarty)
- 1871 (Fall): Original church moved to Stephentown
- 1874: Fr. John J. Brennan becomes first resident pastor; St. Joseph's becomes mission of Immaculate Conception, New Lebanon
- 1888: Church relocated to its present corner of Grange Hall Road and Main Street
- 1928: St. Joseph's transferred as mission to Sacred Heart, Berlin (Fr. Thomas F. McBride)
- July 1929: Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes dedicated in New Lebanon before 9,000+ people
- 1938: Fr. Francis Schatzlein appointed, assisted by Franciscan Fathers of Rensselaer
- 1956: Fr. Leo P. Brady appointed; St. Joseph's again mission of Sacred Heart, Berlin
- October 1983: Fire set by a disturbed teenager guts Immaculate Conception Church
- October 1986: Immaculate Conception rededicated by Bishop Hubbard after restoration
- 1997: St. Joseph's reunited as mission of Immaculate Conception under Fr. Halloran
- September 2000: Fr. Halloran retires after 29 years; Fr. John L. Close appointed pastor
Worship Schedule
St. Joseph's Church celebrates Mass on Saturday afternoons and on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, complementing Immaculate Conception's Sunday and Monday/Wednesday schedule. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before the 4:00 PM Mass. Holy Day Masses are celebrated at 7:00 AM at St. Joseph's (with 4:00 PM at Immaculate Conception).
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: None at St. Joseph's (8:30 AM at Immaculate Conception)
- Tuesday Mass: 11:00 AM
- Thursday Mass: 11:00 AM
- Monday & Wednesday Masses: 9:30 AM (at Immaculate Conception)
- Holy Day Mass: 7:00 AM (4:00 PM at Immaculate Conception)
- Confessions: Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Parish Staff & Leadership
St. Joseph's is served as a mission parish of Immaculate Conception by a single pastoral team. The pastor and one deacon serve both churches, supported by two elected trustees and a parish secretary/bookkeeper who staffs the shared parish office.
- Rev. John L. Close — Pastor (since September 2000)
- Deacon Peter Quinn — Deacon
- Mr. Robert Murray — Trustee
- Mrs. Judy Whitman — Trustee
- Elizabeth Keefner — Parish Secretary & Parish Bookkeeper
Parish Pastoral Council & Committees
The Parish Pastoral Council is the major consultative advisory body that liaises between parishioners and the pastoral staff. It has several standing committees, some made up of council members and some of other parishioners. The Finance Council works closely with the Pastoral Council even though it is not officially one of its committees.
- Parish Pastoral Council — liaison between parishioners and pastoral staff
- Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Education Committee
- Liturgy Committee
- Parish Life Committee
- Social Action Committee
- Finance Council (works closely with the Pastoral Council)
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Mass in a wide variety of liturgical roles. The parish actively invites all ages to participate, and even shut-ins are encouraged to take part through the Ministry of Prayer and Praise.
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Lectors
- Usher and Greeter Ministry
- Altar Servers
- Music Ministry
- Liturgical Ministries
- Ministry of Prayer and Praise (for shut-ins)
Faith Formation & Small Faith Communities
Beyond the Sunday Mass, the parish nurtures faith through small group life and catechesis. Renew 2000 / Small Faith Communities gather in private homes in groups of 8 to 12 for prayer, reflection, and discussion rooted in life and the scriptures — a hallmark of the parish's communal approach to discipleship.
- Catechesis (faith formation)
- Renew 2000 / Small Faith Communities — 8–12 people meeting in private homes
Outreach, Charity & Pastoral Care
The parish takes its mission to 'relieve the physical, spiritual and emotional needs' of neighbors literally, through a food pantry, a bereavement ministry, and visitation of the homebound and hospitalized. The Bereavement Committee provides a free lunch for those attending a funeral at the church (donations welcome).
- Charlie's Pantry — parish food pantry assisting the poor and needy; contact Deacon Peter Quinn
- Bereavement Committee — funeral lunch ministry for parishioners
- Home and Hospital Visitation
- Social Action Committee
- Health Ministry (Nurse's Notes newsletter)
Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes
On the grounds of Immaculate Conception / St. Joseph Parish in New Lebanon stands the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, built in 1928–29 by Fr. John B. LeFebvre, who was struck by the resemblance of the countryside to Lourdes, France. The grotto was designed by Fr. LeFebvre himself — five chambers built of selected stones of their natural color producing a rainbow effect, with a foreground altar for Mass. It was dedicated in July 1929 before more than 9,000 people. Today the Shrine is maintained by parish volunteers and donations from those who appreciate the devotional site.
- Built 1928–29 by Fr. John B. LeFebvre
- Dedicated July 1929 with 9,000+ in attendance
- Five-chamber grotto with stone arches in natural colors
- Mass is celebrated at the grotto altar
- Maintained by parish volunteers and donations
- Located on parish grounds at 732 U.S. Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125
St. Joseph's Cemetery
The parish maintains St. Joseph's Cemetery, which has been in continuous use since 1896. The cemetery's stones are marble and granite, and the property remains owned by St. Joseph's Church. A 1985 survey of the cemetery, originally done by Elizabeth McClave, recorded approximately 245 gravestones at that time.
- First used in 1896; still in active use
- Owned by St. Joseph's Church, Route 43, Stephentown, NY 12168
- Stones are marble and granite
- Approximately 245 gravestones recorded in 1985
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis Hurleyfrom 1852
Pastor of St. Mary's, Coxsackie; first to oversee the parish when St. Joseph's began as a mission
- Fr. J. J. Moriartyfrom 1868
Pastor at Chatham, NY; oversaw St. Joseph's from Chatham
- Fr. John J. Brennanfrom 1874
First resident pastor of Immaculate Conception in New Lebanon; St. Joseph's became his mission
- Fr. John B. LeFebvrefrom 1928
Built and dedicated the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1929
- Fr. Thomas F. McBride1928–1938
Pastor of Sacred Heart, Berlin; St. Joseph's as mission; later transferred to New Lebanon in 1935 overseeing three churches
- Fr. Francis Schatzleinfrom 1938
Pastor of New Lebanon, assisted by the Franciscan Fathers of Rensselaer to serve Stephentown and Berlin
- Fr. Leo P. Bradyfrom 1956
Appointed pastor of Sacred Heart in Berlin; St. Joseph's again became its mission
- Fr. Joseph Halloranc. 1971 – September 2000
Long-serving pastor (29 years); led the 1986 restoration of Immaculate Conception after the 1983 fire; reunited St. Joseph's with Immaculate Conception in 1997
- Fr. John L. CloseSeptember 2000 – present
Current pastor of the two-church parish