About St. Lucy/St. Bernadette · Altamont, New York
St. Lucy/St. Bernadette is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Altamont, New York (Albany County), part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. The parish traces its origins to 1888, when a chapel was built on Grand Street by Lucie Rochefort Cassidy, a wealthy Albany widow and summer resident, so she and the Catholic workers in her employ could attend Sunday Mass in what was then the resort village of Knowersville. The chapel became a full parish in 1918 and was named St. Lucy's in honor of Mrs. Cassidy's patron saint. In 2010, after decades of declining rural population, St. Lucy's merged with St. Bernadette's of nearby Berne (itself a 1961 mission church that had grown to parish status) to form today's combined parish. Today the parish celebrates a single Sunday Mass and is led by Fr. Matthew Duclos, who became pastor on March 1, 2025.
- Established
- 1888 (chapel); 1918 (parish)
- Patron
- St. Lucy of Syracuse (early Christian martyr; patron of founder Lucie 'Lucy' Rochefort Cassidy); St. Bernadette Soubirous (added 2010 with the Berne merger)
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew (Matt) Duclos
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
St. Lucy/St. Bernadette is a small, historic country parish that still worships in the same Grand Street chapel built in 1888 — now beautifully remodeled in Tudor Gothic with original 1930s stained glass — and rooted in the legacy of founder Lucy Cassidy, the Catholic socialite who even gave Altamont its name. For a visitor or prospective parishioner it offers a tight-knit community with one Sunday Mass, a full sacramental life (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick), weekly Flocknote updates, and online giving through Flocknote. It is the spiritual home for Catholics not only in Altamont but across the Helderberg hilltowns that St. Lucy's and St. Bernadette's historically served.
Mass times at St. Lucy/St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Lucy/St. Bernadette Parish
St. Lucy/St. Bernadette Catholic Church is a small country parish in the village of Altamont (Albany County), New York, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Its parish website describes it as 'a vibrant community of faith, rooted in the love of Jesus Christ and committed to worship, service, and discipleship,' welcoming both longtime parishioners and first-time visitors to 'join us in prayer, celebration, and fellowship.'
- Parish website: stlstb.org
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Office phone: (518) 861-8770
- Office email: [email protected]
History of St. Lucy's Chapel and Parish
The parish was born in 1888 when Lucie 'Lucy' Rochefort Cassidy, a prominent Albany widow and summer resident of the Helderberg hilltowns, built a chapel on Grand Street in the resort village then called Knowersville. Dedicated by Bishop Francis McNeirny in the autumn of 1888, the chapel was first placed under the patronage of St. Anthony of Padua (Cassidy's favorite saint) but came to be called St. Lucy's after her own patron. Mrs. Cassidy was also instrumental in renaming the village Altamont — Latin for 'high mount' — reportedly with the help of her friend President Grover Cleveland. For nearly thirty years the chapel was a summer-only mission; Catholic residents and visitors worshipped in it only from May to early October because it had no heat. In 1916 Bishop Thomas F. Cusack appointed a resident pastor, Father Michael McCaffrey, and the chapel was formally constituted as St. Lucy's Parish. The cornerstone of the present building reads 1918.
- 1888: Chapel built by Lucy Cassidy and blessed by Bishop Francis McNeirny
- Original patrons: St. Anthony of Padua and St. Lucy
- 1888: Village post office renamed Altamont (per family tradition, with help from President Cleveland)
- 1916: Father Michael McCaffrey appointed first resident pastor
- 1917: Father Walter T. Bazaar becomes pastor, procures the rectory
- 1918: Parish formally constituted (per cornerstone); Albany diocese archives give 1917
- 1922: Heat and electricity installed
- 1927: Steel ceiling installed
- 1928: Major Tudor Gothic remodel essentially complete
The 1922–1928 Renovation and Stained Glass
Under Father James R. Gazeley (pastor from March 29, 1925), the modest Queen Anne–style chapel was transformed. The original building was raised on a new excavated basement, its exterior recast in Tudor Gothic, and a steel ceiling installed. Heat and electricity had been added in 1922. Most strikingly, a series of painted and stained glass windows was commissioned; the 2015 parish history in the Altamont Enterprise notes that the windows in today's church 'are biblical in design, depict[ing] … donors to be remembered,' and a separate stained glass window was dedicated in memory of founder Lucy Cassidy. Albany Hilltowns places the final installation of the stained glass set in 1934.
- Style: Tudor Gothic remodel of original Queen Anne chapel
- Architectural feature: stained glass and painted windows, including a memorial window for Lucy Cassidy
- Heat and electricity added 1922; steel ceiling 1927; basement excavated under the building
- Parish center dedicated 1968; rectory purchased 1958
St. Bernadette's, Berne, and the 2010 Merger
As Altamont's summer Catholic population migrated year-round into the surrounding Helderberg hilltowns, St. Lucy's built a mission church in the hamlet of Berne. Father B. J. Dobzynski laid its cornerstone in June 1960, and Bishop William A. Scully blessed and dedicated the new church of St. Bernadette in November 1961. For half a century St. Bernadette's served the hilltowns as its own worshipping community, even marking a 50th anniversary on June 15, 2010. Later that same year, with declining rural population, St. Bernadette's was closed and its members welcomed back to the mother church in Altamont. The combined parish took the name St. Lucy/St. Bernadette and continues today as a single worshipping community on Grand Street.
- Land for St. Bernadette's purchased by Father Fitzgerald across from Berne-Knox-Westerlo School
- Cornerstone laid June 1960 under Father B. J. Dobzynski
- Dedicated November 1961 by Bishop William A. Scully
- 50th anniversary celebrated June 15, 2010
- Closed later in 2010; merged back into St. Lucy's to form St. Lucy/St. Bernadette
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is led by Fr. Matthew (Matt) Duclos, who became pastor on March 1, 2025. A native of Clifton Park, NY, Fr. Matt was ordained in 2021 and has served in several other parishes of the Diocese of Albany before being assigned to St. Lucy/St. Bernadette. Supporting him are two pastoral associates, a bookkeeper, and two elected trustees.
- Pastor: Rev. Matthew (Matt) Duclos (since March 1, 2025)
- Pastoral Associate for Parish Life: Donna Lyons
- Pastoral Associate for Administration: Erin Rappaport
- Bookkeeper: Brian Borden
- Trustees: Shelly Johnston and Terry Seery
Mass, Sacraments and Worship
The parish celebrates one Sunday Mass each week at 9:00 AM. The parish's 'Sacraments' page explains that 'the sacraments are visible signs of God's grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church,' and that at St. Lucy/St. Bernadette the community 'joyfully celebrate[s] the seven sacraments, which nourish, heal, and guide us in our relationship with God and one another.' Specific pages are devoted to Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (First Communion), Reconciliation, and the others. Inquiries are handled through the parish office at (518) 861-8770, with Reconciliation directed specifically to Fr. Matt Duclos at [email protected].
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Confirmation — contact parish office
- First Communion (Eucharist) — contact parish office
- Reconciliation — contact Fr. Matt Duclos
- Marriage and Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
Staying Connected: Bulletin, Flocknote, and Giving
Each Friday at 9 AM the parish sends a 'Weekly Update' email via Flocknote with spiritual resources, event information, and a link to the weekly bulletin. Online giving is also handled through Flocknote, allowing one-time or recurring donations by credit card or bank transfer. The parish's Giving page thanks parishioners for gifts that 'sustain our ministries, care for those in need, and maintain our church as a place of prayer and welcome.'
- Weekly Update email: Fridays at 9 AM
- Online giving via Flocknote — one-time or recurring
- Separate online giving links for the Weekly Offertory and Christmas Collection
- Bulletin linked in the Friday update and posted at stlstb.org/bulletin
Visiting the Parish
St. Lucy/St. Bernadette is located on Grand Street in the heart of the village of Altamont, in the Helderberg hilltowns west of Albany. The present-day rectory is the former Lucy Cassidy house on the parish grounds (purchased 1958), and a parish center was dedicated in 1968. Parking is available on parish grounds, and visitors are welcomed to the historic 1888 chapel and its Tudor Gothic interior with original 1930s stained glass.
- Address: 109 Grand St., Altamont, NY 12009 (Diocese of Albany directory lists 113 Grand St.)
- Phone: (518) 861-8770
- Email: [email protected]
- Building: original 1888 chapel, Tudor Gothic remodel 1922–1928
- Rectory: former Lucy Cassidy house, on parish grounds
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael McCaffrey1916–1917
First resident pastor, appointed by Bishop Thomas F. Cusack; also charged with building a mission church in Voorheesville.
- Rev. Walter T. Bazaar1917–1925
Procured the rectory and oversaw early repairs to the aging chapel.
- Rev. James R. Gazeleyfrom March 29, 1925
Oversaw the major 1922–1928 Tudor Gothic renovation, raising the building, adding heat/electricity, and installing the steel ceiling and stained glass windows.
- Rev. B. J. Dobzynskifrom 1960
As pastor, laid the cornerstone of St. Bernadette's mission in Berne in June 1960; the new church was dedicated by Bishop William A. Scully in November 1961.
- Rev. Matthew (Matt) Duclosfrom March 1, 2025
Current pastor; native of Clifton Park, NY; ordained 2021; previously served in other parishes of the Diocese of Albany.