About St. Margaret Mary. Blessed Trinity Parish. · Apalachin, New York
St. Margaret Mary is one of three worship sites that make up Blessed Trinity Parish in the Diocese of Rochester, New York. The parish is clustered with neighboring St. Patrick Parish in Owego, and together the four churches — St. James (Waverly), St. John the Evangelist (Newark Valley), St. Margaret Mary (Apalachin), and St. Patrick (Owego) — share clergy, faith formation, and a common mission described as 'Reaching Up to Worship — Reaching Out to Serve.' St. Margaret Mary itself sits at 1110 Pennsylvania Avenue in Apalachin, NY, in Tioga County's Southern Tier, where Catholics gather for Sunday Mass at 10:45 AM and for weekday Mass on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7:00 AM. Today the parish is served by Rev. Jeffrey Galens (Pastor), Rev. James P. Muscatella (Parochial Vicar), and Deacons Mike Donovan and Rick DeMars.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Margaret Mary offers the warmth of a smaller Southern Tier parish with the resources of a four-church cluster. Worshippers can join a faith community that worships at three Sunday Masses (one at each Tioga County site), gathers for Tuesday and Thursday morning Mass right in Apalachin, and shares RCIA / OCIA, Young Adult Ministry, Bible study, youth programs, Knights of Columbus and Emmaus Men across the cluster — all under the shared vision of 'Reaching Up to Worship — Reaching Out to Serve.' The parish's history, dating back to a handful of families in the 1950s, is rooted in perseverance, humor, and a sense of family that still defines the community today.
Mass times at St. Margaret Mary. Blessed Trinity Parish.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:30 AM – 7:00 AM (30 minutes before weekday Mass at St. Margaret Mary)
- Thursday 6:30 AM – 7:00 AM (30 minutes before weekday Mass at St. Margaret Mary)
- St. Patrick, Owego: Tuesday 5:00–6:00 PM, Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM, Sunday 8:30–8:50 AM
- St. James, Waverly: Thursday 5:00–6:00 PM, Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM, Sunday 8:30–8:50 AM
- Also available 1/2 hour before weekday Masses at any worship site, or by appointment (contact a priest).
About Blessed Trinity Parish
Blessed Trinity Parish is one of two parishes that together make up a four-church cluster community in Tioga County, in New York's Southern Tier. Blessed Trinity Parish itself comprises St. James in Waverly, St. John the Evangelist in Newark Valley, and St. Margaret Mary in Apalachin. It is clustered with St. Patrick Parish in Owego. All four churches share clergy and staff and operate under the parish vision: 'Reaching Up to Worship — Reaching Out to Serve.' The central parish office is at 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827 (phone 607-687-1068, fax 607-687-8122). The parish email is [email protected].
- St. James — 503 Clark Street, Waverly, NY 14892
- St. John the Evangelist — 28 Rock Street, Newark Valley, NY 13811
- St. Margaret Mary — 1110 Pennsylvania Ave., Apalachin, NY 13732
- St. Patrick — 300 Main Street, Owego, NY 13827
- Central Office: 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827 — 607-687-1068
History of St. Margaret Mary
St. Margaret Mary traces its beginnings to the early 1950s, when a small Catholic community in Apalachin asked the Rochester Diocese for a place to worship. The first Masses were celebrated in the local Grange Hall, then in a former synagogue moved from Binghamton to New Street and dedicated by Bishop James E. Kearney on May 27, 1956. In late June 1959 Fr. Valentine Jankowiak arrived as the church's first resident pastor. After Bishop Sheen dedicated the present church on September 24, 1967, the parish grew from 30 founding families to roughly 750 families by the early 1970s. The parish went on to become part of the 'Strength of Six' Tioga Region pastoral planning effort in 1997 and a founding member of Blessed Trinity Parish on July 1, 2003.
- 1950s — Mission church begins in the Apalachin Grange Hall
- 1956 — New Street church dedicated by Bishop James E. Kearney (May 27)
- 1959 — Fr. Valentine Jankowiak ('Fr. Jan') arrives as first resident pastor
- 1965 — Groundbreaking for the current church complex (October 17)
- 1967 — Dedication of the new St. Margaret Mary by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (September 24)
- 1968 — First Parish Council formed; Fr. Doug Hoffman named first assistant pastor
- 1997 — Joins the 'Strength of Six' Tioga Region pastoral planning effort
- 2003 — Becomes a worship site of newly formed Blessed Trinity Parish (July 1)
Building the Current Church (1965–1967)
With the original 3.44-acre site deemed too small, 16.5 additional acres were purchased from the Van Ripers in December 1961. A Building Fund Drive launched in January 1962, and the land was paid in full by January 1963. On October 17, 1965, Monsignor Donald Cleary spoke at the groundbreaking, where Fr. Jan himself scooped the first shovelful of earth. Architect James Mawry's plans called for a maintenance-free, single-floor complex interconnecting church, offices and rectory, modeled after the Spanish missions of California, at an estimated $400,000. Crews worked through the winter, continuing weekend and holy-day Masses, and the project was completed at roughly $500,000 (excluding a future hall).
- Architect: James Mawry
- Style: Spanish-mission California model, single-floor interconnected complex
- Estimated cost: $400,000; actual ~$500,000 (excluding hall)
- Groundbreaking: October 17, 1965; Dedication: September 24, 1967
Formation of Blessed Trinity Parish (1997–2003)
As part of the Diocese of Rochester's 'Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium,' six Tioga County parishes — St. Francis of Assisi, St. James the Apostle, St. John the Evangelist, St. Margaret Mary, St. Patrick, and St. Pius X — came together in 1997–98 as the 'Strength of Six' (SOS). The Tioga Catholic Community (TCC) cluster of St. Patrick, St. John and St. Francis was formed first, sharing clergy and staff. A second five-year plan submitted to Bishop Matthew Clark in February 2001 paved the way for the six parishes to merge. In May 2003 the councils approved a Certificate and Plan of Merger, parishioners chose the name 'Blessed Trinity,' and on July 1, 2003 the new parish was canonically formed. Bishop Matthew H. Clark celebrated Mass at Hickories Park in Owego on September 14, 2003 to mark the new beginning, attended by over 1,000 parishioners. In 2009, with priest assignments reduced from three to two, St. Pius X (Van Etten) and St. Francis of Assisi (Catatonk) were closed.
- 1997–98 — 'Strength of Six' pastoral planning process launched
- 1998 — TCC cluster forms; Fr. William Moorby named Pastor
- 2003 (May) — Pastoral and Finance Councils approve Plan of Merger
- 2003 (July 1) — Blessed Trinity Parish canonically formed
- 2003 (Sept. 14) — Bishop Matthew H. Clark celebrates Mass at Hickories Park, Owego
- 2009 — St. Pius X (Van Etten) and St. Francis of Assisi (Catatonk) close
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
Blessed Trinity and St. Patrick Parishes are currently served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, and two permanent deacons. Pastoral care for St. Margaret Mary specifically is shared across this team, since the parishes operate as a single cluster community.
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens — Pastor
- Rev. James P. Muscatella — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Mike Donovan
- Deacon Rick DeMars
- Parish Office — 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827 — 607-687-1068
Programs & Ministries
Across the cluster, the parishes share formation programs and groups that bring together members from all four worship sites. Young adults, those preparing to become Catholic through OCIA (formerly RCIA), and parishioners of all ages gathering for Bible study are named directly on the parish's published ministry listings.
- OCIA / RCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Young Adult Ministry
- Bible Study
- Faith Formation (K–7 and Grade 8 / Confirmation preparation)
- Knights of Columbus
- Emmaus Men
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Parish Finance Council
Sacraments
As a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Rochester, St. Margaret Mary / Blessed Trinity Parish celebrates the seven sacraments. The parish publishes Reconciliation times and a Mass schedule; preparation for First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage is offered through the parish and cluster faith-formation program.
- Baptism
- First Penance / First Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage (with preparation)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation (by schedule and by appointment)
- Holy Orders — discernment supported at the diocesan level
Visiting & Contact
St. Margaret Mary is located at 1110 Pennsylvania Avenue, Apalachin, NY 13732. Because the parish is operated as a cluster with St. Patrick and the other Tioga County churches, the central parish office is in Owego — phone 607-687-1068, fax 607-687-8122. The parish can be reached by email at [email protected]. The parish also maintains an Instagram presence (@blessed_trinity_parish), and shares photos and announcements through [email protected].
- Worship Site — 1110 Pennsylvania Ave., Apalachin, NY 13732
- Central Parish Office — 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827
- Phone — 607-687-1068
- Fax — 607-687-8122
- Email — [email protected]
- Photos/Announcements — [email protected]
Patron Saint — St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
The parish is named for St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), a French Visitation nun and mystic whose apparitions of Jesus between 1673 and 1675 led to the modern devotion to the Sacred Heart. She was beatified in 1864 by Pope Pius IX and canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. Her feast is celebrated on October 16 (October 17 in the Visitation Order and prior to 1969).
- Born: July 22, 1647, L'Hautecour, Duchy of Burgundy
- Died: October 17, 1690, Paray-le-Monial, France
- Feast day: October 16
- Major shrine: Monastery of the Visitation, Paray-le-Monial
Giving & Online Giving
The parish operates an online giving system (restored April 4, 2024) for one-time and recurring gifts, and also accepts mailed contributions sent to the central office.
- Online giving available via the parish website
- Mail: 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William O'Brienearly 1950s–1956
Pastor of St. Patrick's, Owego; established St. Margaret Mary as a mission, celebrated first Masses in the Grange Hall and at the New Street church.
- Fr. Mike Reagan and the Carmelite Fathers (Waverly)mid-1950s–1959
Celebrated Mass and heard confessions at the New Street church.
- Fr. Valentine Jankowiak ('Fr. Jan')June 1959–
First resident pastor of St. Margaret Mary (no longer a mission); oversaw the building-fund drive and groundbreaking in 1965; attended the 1967 dedication by Bishop Sheen.
- Rev. William A. Moorby1998–
Appointed Pastor of the Tioga Catholic Community cluster (St. Patrick, St. John, St. Francis) in 1998; became first Pastor of the newly formed Blessed Trinity Parish and St. Patrick Parish on July 1, 2003.
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens
Current Pastor of Blessed Trinity and St. Patrick Parishes per the Diocese of Rochester directory.