About St. Mary · Clayton, New York
St. Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the village of Clayton, New York, in the Thousand Islands region along the St. Lawrence River. It belongs to the Diocese of Ogdensburg and shares pastoral care with St. John's Church in LaFargeville. The parish worships in a striking Gothic Revival limestone church built in the 1880s, whose twin towers have served as a landmark for boaters on the river for more than a century. St. Mary's is a welcoming, year-round community of faith that also hosts an annual Healing Mass in honor of the local Catholic healer Antoine Tetrault.
- Established
- 1844
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Arthur J. LaBaff (Sacramental Minister and Supervising Priest)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a deeply rooted Catholic community in the heart of the Thousand Islands, with reverent liturgy, a centuries-old parish school of faith, and a calendar of devotions that runs through the whole year. Families find religious education K–7, Confirmation prep, and RCIA for adults discerning the faith, plus the parish center built in 1992 as a hub for gatherings. The church is handicap accessible, schedules confessions every Saturday, and offers Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays — and each June, the Healing Mass and Antoine Tetrault Memorial Service draws people seeking the Sacrament of the Sick and a community of prayer.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 p.m. at St. Mary's
- Advent and Lenten penance services (times announced in the bulletin)
- By appointment — call the pastor
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month, following the 9:00 a.m. Mass, for vocations
About St. Mary's, Clayton
St. Mary's has been the center of sacramental and communal life for Catholics in Clayton for more than 175 years. The parish worships in a Gothic Revival limestone church whose towers have been a navigational aid for generations of boaters on the St. Lawrence River. St. Mary's is partnered with St. John's Church in LaFargeville, and together the parishes form a welcoming community of believers serving the Thousand Islands — year-round residents, summer visitors, and travelers alike.
- Parish motto of welcome extended to all, regardless of background, marital or family situation, or past religious affiliation
- Linked parish: St. John the Evangelist, LaFargeville
- Listed by GCatholic as a Jubilee Church in the Holy Year 2025
History of St. Mary's
The first St. Mary's was a wooden church begun in 1842 and dedicated in 1844. The present Gothic-style limestone church was begun in 1884, designed by architect Ignatius D. Flynn of Cape Vincent with stone quarried and donated by Joseph Charlebois. Completed in the fall of 1889 and dedicated by Bishop E. P. Wadhams in December of that year, the church was formally consecrated in August 1902. Over the years it has been restored three times — in 1933, 1955, and 2005 — while preserving original furnishings such as the ornata of the ash pews made at the Clayton Furniture Factory.
- 1842 — Construction begins on the first wooden church
- 1844 — First St. Mary's dedicated
- 1884 — Construction of the present Gothic limestone church begins
- 1885 — Cornerstone laid
- 1889 — Church completed; Bishop E. P. Wadhams dedicates it in December
- 1892 — Church bell (Meneely and Co., Troy, NY) blessed on Thanksgiving Day
- 1899 — Stations of the Cross (France) blessed; wooden crosses still visible atop frames
- 1901 — Pipe organ (E. E. Morey, Utica) blessed at concert and recital
- 1902 — Formal consecration
- 1913 — St. Mary's School opens, staffed by Sisters of the Holy Cross
- 1933, 1955, 2005 — Three major church restorations
- 1970 — Parish school closes
- 1992 — Parish Center built on former school site
- 1992 — First Healing Mass and Antoine Tetrault Memorial Service held
Sacraments
St. Mary's prepares parishioners for all the major sacraments: Baptism (from infancy onward), First Reconciliation and First Communion (usually in second grade), Confirmation (a two-year preparation in the parish), Anointing of the Sick (offered at the annual Healing Mass), and Communion brought to the homebound. Adults interested in becoming Catholic are invited into the RCIA process, beginning with a no-obligation Inquiry Session in the fall.
- Baptism — contact Fr. LaBaff; preparation with a parish team member
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — 2nd-grade prep, Saturday-morning classes in the fall
- Confirmation — two-year preparation, day-long retreat, usually celebrated in the spring
- RCIA — Inquiry Session offered in the fall at St. Mary's
- Eucharist to the homebound/hospitalized/nursing-home residents
- Anointing of the Sick at the annual Healing Mass in June
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Religious Education for children in kindergarten through seventh grade is held on Sundays during the school year at St. Mary's Parish Center. Confirmation preparation follows a similar schedule, and the parish also partners with local churches for an ecumenical Vacation Bible School each summer. Adults can continue their own faith formation through the parish's faith-enrichment materials and the diocesan Commissioned Lay Ministry program.
- K–7 Religious Education: Sundays at 9:30 a.m., mid-September through May
- Confirmation Prep: 2-year program with service projects and a day-long retreat
- RCIA for adults, with a fall Inquiry Session
- Ecumenical Vacation Bible School, in cooperation with other local churches
- Faith-enrichment pamphlets, books, CDs, and prayer cards available at the Mary Street ramp entrance and at St. John's
- Catholic secondary education referred to Immaculate Heart Central Schools, Watertown (www.ihcschool.org)
- Director of Religious Education: Jennifer ('Jenny') Barton — 315-686-2638
Parish Ministries
Lay men and women of the parish share their gifts through a wide range of liturgical and pastoral ministries. The parish also points its members to the diocesan Commissioned Lay Ministry program, a two-year formation path that equips lay people to serve at the parish level. New volunteers are welcomed and trained for nearly every role.
- Music Ministry — Choir, Cantors, Instrumentalists (Director: Corrine Willis)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC), with outreach to the homebound
- Lectors
- Altar Servers (training provided; annual summer trip to Enchanted Forest Water Safari)
- Bereavement ministry
- Children's Liturgy of the Word catechists
- Women of Grace — local contact Mary Dillenback, 315-686-4107
- Commissioned Lay Ministry (Diocesan 2-year formation program)
- Parish Council, Finance Council, Buildings & Grounds Committee — contact the parish office
Cemeteries
The parish oversees two cemeteries for its members and the wider Catholic community. St. Mary's Cemetery lies on Route 12 at the edge of the village of Clayton, while St. John's Cemetery is on NYS Route 180, about two miles north of LaFargeville. Antoine Tetrault, the Catholic healer honored at the annual Healing Mass, is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery.
- St. Mary's Cemetery — Route 12, edge of Clayton ('old side' west, 'new side' east)
- St. John's Cemetery — NYS Route 180, ~2 miles north of LaFargeville
- Antoine Tetrault (1881–1963) buried in St. Mary's Cemetery
Staff & Parish Office
Pastoral care at St. Mary's is shared by the Sacramental Minister and Supervising Priest, a Deacon who serves as Pastoral Life Coordinator, three additional Deacons, and a Director of Religious Education. A Secretary/Bookkeeper and a Music Director round out the parish staff.
- Sacramental Minister & Supervising Priest: Rev. Arthur J. LaBaff — 315-686-3398
- Pastoral Life Coordinator: Deacon Neil J. Fuller — 315-405-6910
- Deacons: Gary A. Frank, JB Kavanaugh, Bernie Slate, Joel Walentuk
- Director of Religious Education: Jennifer Barton — 315-686-2638
- Secretary/Bookkeeper: Kerry Wahl — 315-686-3398
- Music Ministry: Corrine Willis
- Parish Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–Noon and 12:30–4:00 p.m.
Visiting & Accessibility
St. Mary's is handicap accessible through the Mary Street parking lot entrance. Visitors to the Thousand Islands — whether for a few days, a summer, or year-round — are explicitly welcomed at Mass, and the parish extends a wide invitation across all backgrounds and circumstances.
- Handicap-accessible entrance via the Mary Street parking lot
- Faith-enrichment materials available at the Mary Street entrance
- Year-round and seasonal visitors welcomed at all Masses