About St Patrick · Hammond, New York
St. Patrick's Church is the historic worship site of Our Lady of Grace Parish (formally 'The Roman Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond & Rossie') in the Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York. Although physically located in the hamlet of Rossie, St. Patrick's is one of three churches that together serve the rural Catholic communities of northern St. Lawrence County, alongside St. Peter's in Hammond and St. John the Evangelist in Morristown. The parish was incorporated on January 20, 2009 under Father Kevin McEwan by merging St. Peter's parish (Hammond), St. Patrick's (Rossie), and St. John the Evangelist (Morristown) into one family of faith. Today it is pastored by Rev. Christopher C. Carrara with Deacon David D. Demers.
- Established
- 1836
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher C. Carrara
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ogdensburg
Why belong here
Our Lady of Grace Parish keeps the Mass alive in three small rural worship sites in northern St. Lawrence County, so parishioners can worship close to home in three distinct historical churches. The community shares one pastor and one deacon across all three sites, with Sunday Mass each week at St. Patrick's (Rossie), St. Peter's (Hammond), and St. John the Evangelist (Morristown), and access to online formation through FORMED, Word on Fire clips from Bishop Robert Barron, and a modern Parish Hall Center in Morristown. It is a welcoming, family-sized community where the heritage of nineteenth-century Irish Catholic settlers along the Indian River continues into a new generation of faith.
Mass times at St Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Holy Week: Good Friday 4:00–5:00 pm at St. Peter's, Hammond
- Holy Week: Good Friday 7:30–8:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist, Morristown
- By appointment with the pastor
Adoration times
- Holy Thursday: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 10:00 pm at St. John's, Morristown
St. Patrick's Church, Rossie
St. Patrick's is the historic Catholic church in the hamlet of Rossie, NY, and one of the three worship sites of Our Lady of Grace Parish (the Roman Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond & Rossie) in the Diocese of Ogdensburg. Its sandstone walls, Indian River setting, and survival of the 1948 fire give it a distinctive place in the story of Catholic life in northern St. Lawrence County. Today Mass is celebrated here each Sunday morning at 8:00 am, drawing together parishioners from Rossie and the surrounding countryside as part of a single parish family that also worships at St. Peter's in Hammond and St. John the Evangelist in Morristown.
- Address: 1219 County Route 3, Rossie, NY 13646
- Patron: St. Patrick (feast day March 17)
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 am
- Part of Our Lady of Grace Parish (est. 2009)
History
Rossie was settled about 1820, and the Irish Catholic families who came to work in the local iron furnaces and lead mines soon organized a congregation. Rev. Patrick Foley is said to have offered up the first Mass in the home of James Burns in 1836. The parish served as a mission of Ogdensburg until 1856, was attached to Carthage in 1860, and from 1862–1878 was a mission of Redwood. The first St. Patrick's Church was built in 1861 during the pastorate of Rev. Michael Clark of Carthage.
- 1836 — First Mass offered by Rev. Patrick Foley in the home of James Burns
- 1856 — Rossie had been a mission of Ogdensburg
- 1860 — Attached to the Carthage pastorate
- 1861 — First St. Patrick's Church built under Rev. Michael Clark
- 1862–1878 — Mission of Redwood
The 1883 Church and the 1948 Fire
Rev. William S. Kelly, the first resident pastor of Rossie and Antwerp (1878–1884), built the present church in 1883 of native sandstone on a knoll overlooking the Indian River. Its interior was considered one of the most beautiful in the Diocese of Ogdensburg, with a Carrara marble altar that was the gift of Lucia Spratt of Ogdensburg, made in memory of her father. On September 21, 1900, the parish was formally incorporated under Rev. Cornelius J. Crowley with Patrick Pound and John O'Brien as trustees. A devastating 1948 fire destroyed the church and most of its furnishings, but — as reported in a contemporary regional news article — the Blessed Sacrament, the sacred vessels, and the altar stone containing a small fragment of the true cross survived in the tabernacle. The church was rebuilt and rededicated on Ascension Thursday, 1949.
- 1883 — Present sandstone church built under Rev. William S. Kelly
- Carrara marble altar gifted by Lucia Spratt of Ogdensburg
- September 21, 1900 — Parish incorporated under Rev. C.J. Crowley
- 1948 — Fire destroyed the church; Blessed Sacrament preserved
- Ascension Thursday, 1949 — Church rebuilt and rededicated
Our Lady of Grace Parish (2009)
Due to the changing pastoral reality in the Diocese of Ogdensburg and looking to future planning with fewer priests, the Parish Councils under Rev. Douglas Lucia (2006–2008) began discussions about merging St. Peter's parish (Hammond), St. Patrick's Mission Church (Rossie), and the parish of St. John the Evangelist (Morristown) into one community. The merger was realized under Father Lucia's successor, Rev. Kevin McEwan, on January 20, 2009, forming 'The Roman Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond & Rossie' under the patronage of Our Lady of Grace. A modern Parish Hall Center — the former Parochial School — is located in Morristown.
- Three worship sites: St. Peter's (Hammond), St. Patrick's (Rossie), St. John the Evangelist (Morristown)
- Incorporated January 20, 2009 by Rev. Kevin McEwan
- Parish Hall Center in Morristown
- Diocese of Ogdensburg
Mass & Service Schedule
Weekly and Sunday Masses are offered across the three worship sites of the parish so that parishioners can worship close to home. The published Sunday schedule is St. Patrick's (Rossie) at 8:00 am, St. Peter's (Hammond) at 9:30 am, and St. John the Evangelist (Morristown) at 11:00 am, with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm at St. John's, Morristown. Holy Week brings additional services across all three sites, including Chrism Mass at the Cathedral in Ogdensburg, Holy Thursday Mass with Adoration, Good Friday Passion Service, Stations of the Cross, and the Easter Vigil.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:30 pm, St. John's, Morristown
- Sunday — 8:00 am, St. Patrick's, Rossie
- Sunday — 9:30 am, St. Peter's, Hammond
- Sunday — 11:00 am, St. John's, Morristown
- Chrism Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, Ogdensburg
- Holy Thursday Mass with Adoration until 10:00 pm, St. John's, Morristown
- Good Friday Passion Service 3:00 pm, St. Peter's, Hammond
- Easter Vigil 8:00 pm, St. John's, Morristown
Faith Formation & Online Resources
The parish promotes ongoing Catholic formation through the parish website and Facebook page, the weekly bulletin, the 'Word on Fire' video series with Bishop Robert Barron, and a subscription to FORMED — the online Catholic platform offering programs like Catholicism, Symbolon, and Bible Study, plus movies for children. Access to FORMED is provided free of charge by the parish; parishioners can request the password through the parish office.
- FORMED online platform (Catholicism, Symbolon, Bible Study, children's movies)
- 'Word on Fire' clips with Bishop Robert Barron
- Weekly parish bulletin
- Parish website: stjohnpeterpatrick.com
- Parish Facebook page
Sacraments
St. Patrick's, as part of Our Lady of Grace Parish, celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Reconciliation, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Couples are asked to begin marriage preparation well in advance of the wedding, and parents expecting a baptism are invited to contact the parish office to receive a preparation packet and schedule the celebration. RCIA inquiries are directed to the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation required; arranged through parish office
- Marriage — preparation well in advance
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
- RCIA for adults
Parish Staff & Contact
Our Lady of Grace Parish is served by one pastor and one deacon across its three worship sites. The current pastor is Rev. Christopher C. Carrara, with Deacon David D. Demers assisting. The parish office is reached through the main Morristown address, and the Diocese of Ogdensburg lists the parish's mailing address as P.O. Box 216, Morristown, New York 13664.
- Pastor: Rev. Christopher C. Carrara
- Deacon: David D. Demers
- Telephone: 315-375-6571
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 216, Morristown, NY 13664
- Diocesan parish page: rcdony.org/parish/morristown
Visiting & Getting Involved
The parish welcomes year-round and seasonal residents, friends, and families. Visitors are invited to attend Mass at any of the three worship sites — St. Patrick's (Rossie), St. Peter's (Hammond), or St. John the Evangelist (Morristown) — and to access the parish's online formation through FORMED and the website. Pastoral reports and bulletins keep parishioners informed about news, events, and the liturgical seasons.
- Attend Mass at any of the three worship sites
- Subscribe to the weekly bulletin
- Request FORMED password through the parish
- Contact the parish office for ministries and sacramental preparation
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Foley1836
Said to have offered up the first Mass in the home of James Burns
- Rev. Michael Clark of Carthage1861
Built the first St. Patrick's Church during his pastorate
- Rev. William S. Kelly1878–1884
First resident pastor of Rossie and Antwerp; built the present sandstone church in 1883
- Rev. John Fitzgerald1884–1886
- Rev. Michael O'Neill / Rev. Francis Crogan1886–1898
- Rev. C.J. Crowley1899–1914
Incorporated the parish on September 21, 1900
- Rev. J.J. Bent1914–1917
- Rev. M.J. Sweeney1917–1920
- Rev. Thomas E. Owen1921–1926
- Rev. J.L. Desjardins1926–1928
- Rev. Walter Charbonneau1928–1932
In 1927 united Hammond and Rossie under one pastor
- Rev. Thomas B. Hurley1932–1933
- Rev. Arthur J. Trudel1934
- Rev. Francis E. Gilbert1934–1938
Administrator
- Rev. Cornelius A. Collins1938–1943
- Rev. Joseph Stickelmyer1944–1948
- Rev. Paul Brunet1948–1950
- Rev. Armand Brunet1950–1954
- Rev. Gilbert J. Faucher1954–1958
- Rev. Vernon Doe1958–1960
- Rev. George Lemieux1960–1964
Administrator; in 1963 St. Patrick's became a mission of St. Peter's, Hammond
- Rev. Daniel T. Keefe1964–1969
- Rev. Paul Oehler1970–1971
- Rev. Gilbert B. Menard1972–1978
- Rev. Lawrence E. Cotter1979–1988
- Rev. Stephen H. Gratto1989–1990
- Rev. Stephen Rocker1991–1992
- Rev. Dennis J. Duprey1992–1994
Temporary Administrator
- Rev. Terry R. LaValley1994–1996
Administrator
- Rev. Msgr. Lawrence M. Deno1996–2000
- Rev. Steven M. Murray2000–2002
- Rev. Albert J. Hauser2002–2006
- Rev. Douglas J. Lucia2006–2008
Began merger discussions with Parish Councils
- Rev. Kevin D. McEwan2008–2010
Incorporated 'The Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond & Rossie' on January 20, 2009
- Rev. Albert J. Hauser2010–2012
Parish pastor in the merged parish
- Rev. James W. (Jay) Seymour2012–
Later parish pastor
- Rev. Christopher Carrara
Current Pastor