About St. Patrick.Blessed Trinity Parish. · Owego, New York
St. Patrick / Blessed Trinity Parish is a Roman Catholic parish community in Owego, New York, part of the Diocese of Rochester. It is one of two parishes that form the Tioga County Cluster: St. Patrick Parish (centered at St. Patrick Church in Owego) and Blessed Trinity Parish, which unites four worship sites — St. James (Waverly), St. John the Evangelist (Newark Valley), St. Margaret Mary (Apalachin), and formerly St. Francis of Assisi (Catatonk) — under a single pastor and staff. The parish office is at 309 Front Street, Owego, and the cluster is led by Rev. Jeffrey Galens as Pastor, with Rev. James P. Muscatella as Parochial Vicar, Deacons Mike Donovan and Rick DeMars, a Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry, and a Business Manager.
- Established
- 1842
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Parishioners of Blessed Trinity / St. Patrick belong to a historic Tioga County Catholic community whose roots go back to 1839 Irish immigrant settlers, with a current St. Patrick Church that has stood on Front Street since 1890. The cluster brings together five worship sites — St. Patrick (Owego), St. James (Waverly), St. John the Evangelist (Newark Valley), St. Margaret Mary (Apalachin), and formerly St. Francis of Assisi (Catatonk) — served by a shared pastor, parochial vicar, two deacons, a Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry, and a Business Manager. With daily and weekend Masses across multiple churches, regular Reconciliation hours, faith formation for all ages, youth ministry, Bible study, prayer groups, and active Catholic school and cemetery communities, there are many ways to worship, serve, and connect.
Mass times at St. Patrick.Blessed Trinity Parish.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Patrick, Owego: Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- St. Patrick, Owego: Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- St. Patrick, Owego: Sunday 8:30 AM – 8:50 AM
- Reconciliation is also available 30 minutes before each scheduled weekday Mass, or by appointment with a priest.
Adoration times
- Exposition / Adoration and Benediction are held at St. Patrick Church and St. James Church on First Friday / First Saturday schedules (see bulletin for current times).
About the Parishes
Blessed Trinity Parish and St. Patrick Parish together form the Tioga County Cluster of the Diocese of Rochester. St. Patrick Parish centers on St. Patrick Church in Owego; Blessed Trinity Parish unites four worship sites — St. James (Waverly), St. John the Evangelist (Newark Valley), St. Margaret Mary (Apalachin), and formerly St. Francis of Assisi (Catatonk). The Central Office is at 309 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827, open Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM (closed Friday). Phone: 607-687-1068; Fax: 607-687-8122; Email: [email protected].
- St. Patrick Parish — St. Patrick Church, Owego, NY
- Blessed Trinity Parish — St. James (Waverly), St. John (Newark Valley), St. Margaret Mary (Apalachin)
- Diocese of Rochester
- Central Office: 309 Front St., Owego, NY 13827
Parish History
Catholic life in Owego began in 1839 with Irish railroad and Erie Canal laborers, served by visiting missionary priests and a chapel in David Connelly's home on Paige Street. The parish was formally founded in 1842 when Charles Pumpelly donated land for a church and burying ground; the first resident pastor arrived in 1844 and a wooden church was built in 1848. The current St. Patrick Church was dedicated December 7, 1890 by Bishop Stephen V. Ryan of Buffalo. In 1997–98 six Tioga Region parishes joined as the 'Strength of Six' (SOS); on July 1, 2003 five of them merged into Blessed Trinity Parish, which clustered with St. Patrick Parish. Bishop Matthew H. Clark celebrated the new beginning with a Mass at Hickories Park on September 14, 2003.
- 1839 — first Catholic congregation in Owego
- 1842 — land for church donated by Charles Pumpelly to Bishop John Hughes
- 1844 — first resident pastor, Rev. John Sheridan
- 1848 — small wooden church built (land purchased from Thomas Farrington for $545.50)
- 1881 — St. John the Evangelist mission church built
- 1890 — current St. Patrick Church dedicated
- 1997–98 — six parishes come together as 'Strength of Six'
- 2003 — Blessed Trinity Parish formed and clustered with St. Patrick Parish
Tioga Catholic Community — Cluster Formation
As part of the Diocese of Rochester's Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium, six Tioga Region parishes came together in 1997–98 to plan for a declining number of priests and changing demographics. Their strategic plan led in 2003 to the merger of St. Francis of Assisi (Catatonk), St. James the Apostle (Waverly), St. John the Evangelist (Newark Valley), St. Margaret Mary (Apalachin), and St. Pius X (Van Etten) into a single canonical corporation chosen by parishioners and named Blessed Trinity Parish, which then clustered with St. Patrick Parish (Owego).
- 1997–98: SOS (Strength of Six) strategic plan adopted
- 2003: Transition Team (chaired by Dick Orth) shepherds merger
- 2003: Five parishes merge into Blessed Trinity Parish
- 2003: Bishop Matthew H. Clark celebrates new beginning at Hickories Park
Mass & Worship Schedule
Weekend Masses for the cluster are celebrated Saturday at 5:00 PM at St. James and St. Patrick, Sunday at 9:00 AM at St. James and St. Patrick, Sunday at 10:45 AM at St. Margaret Mary, and Sunday at 11:15 AM at St. John. Weekday Masses follow a rotating schedule across the four churches.
- St. Patrick — Saturday 5:00 PM; Sunday 9:00 AM; Tuesday & Thursday 12:00 PM (noon)
- St. James — Monday & Friday 8:30 AM; Saturday 5:00 PM; Sunday 9:00 AM
- St. John — Wednesday & Friday 8:30 AM; Sunday 11:15 AM
- St. Margaret Mary — Tuesday & Thursday 7:00 AM; Sunday 10:45 AM
Clergy & Staff
The cluster is served by a Pastor, Parochial Vicar, two permanent Deacons, a Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry, a Business Manager, and an Administrative Assistant. Pastoral care, faith formation, business operations, and sacramental records are coordinated through the Central Office.
- Rev. Jeffrey Galens — Pastor
- Rev. James P. Muscatella — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Mike Donovan
- Deacon Rick DeMars
- Annette Larrabee — Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
- Diane Snyder-Bell — Business Manager
- Lisa Salamida — Administrative Assistant
- Christopher Smith — Cemetery Coordinator (St. Patrick Cemetery, St. James Cemetery)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Annette Larrabee serves as Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry for the cluster, succeeding Cathy Wunder in 2015. The unified faith formation plan covers religious education for children and youth across the four worship sites, with regular youth-group nights, Bible study, and a regional Youth Ministry program. A Pastoral Life Survey was first administered in 2012 to guide long- and short-range planning.
- Jr. & Sr. High Youth Group — St. Patrick Hall and St. John's Hall
- Jr. & Sr. High Youth Night
- Bible Study — St. John's Hall
- Unified Faith Formation plan for the cluster
Sacraments
The parish offers the full range of Catholic sacraments: Baptism (with required preparation for parents), Marriage (couples are asked to contact a priest or deacon at least six months before any anticipated wedding), Anointing of the Sick (available upon request for the sick or elderly), and Reconciliation (by appointment or at scheduled times). Holy Communion can be brought to those at home by arranging a visit with a Communion Minister through the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation required; contact parish office
- Marriage — six months' notice to a priest or deacon
- Anointing of the Sick — upon request; call parish office
- Reconciliation — scheduled times or by appointment
- Holy Communion at Home — arranged via parish office
Cemeteries
The cluster maintains historic parish cemeteries that reflect the long Catholic presence in Tioga County. Both St. Patrick Cemetery and St. James Cemetery are coordinated through the parish office.
- St. Patrick Cemetery — contact Christopher Smith, 607-687-1068
- St. James Cemetery — contact Christopher Smith, 607-687-1068
- Email: [email protected]
- St. Joseph's Cemetery — historic first cemetery of St. Patrick's, where Rev. John O'Mara and Rev. Thomas D. Johnson are buried
Memorials & Giving
Memorial donations are accepted for the Sanctuary Lamp that burns before the Blessed Sacrament, and for the Bread and Wine used in Eucharistic celebrations. A 'Together' regional bulletin is published cluster-wide.
- Sanctuary Lamp memorials
- Bread and Wine memorials
- 'Together' regional bulletin
- Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Regional Pastoral Council support parish planning and stewardship
Pastoral Care & Outreach
Parishioners are asked to notify the church office if they or a family member are hospitalized and would like the Sacrament of the Sick or a staff visit. Communion Ministers bring Holy Communion to those unable to attend Mass.
- Hospital and Nursing Home Visits
- Holy Communion at Home visits
- Prayer Group — St. Patrick Daily Mass Chapel
- Communion Ministers to the Homebound
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James F. Hourigan1839
First missionary priest to visit Owego Catholics, came on horseback.
- Rev. Andrew Doyle1843
Pastor of St. Patrick Binghamton, occasionally served Owego mission.
- Rev. John Sheridan1844-1850
First resident pastor of St. Patrick's, Owego; purchased land for the present church site.
- Rev. Michael Creedon1850-1851
- Rev. P. Mallon1851-1852
- Rev. James McManus1852-1858
Purchased a house and lot next to the church for a parochial residence.
- Rev. Nicholas Byrne1858-1860
Built the first parochial school house at the rear of the church in 1859.
- Rev. Joseph Butler1860-1862
- Rev. S. Bonaventure Corney1862-1863
- Rev. Francis Clark1863-1871
Enlarged the church; added a new steeple and bell; gave the rectory to the Sisters of Mercy for a convent.
- Rev. James Rodgers1871-1877
- Rev. John O'Mara1877-1883
Built and dedicated mission church St. John the Evangelist in 1881.
- Rev. Thomas D. Johnson1883-1893
Built the current St. Patrick Church, dedicated December 7, 1890; died in office September 1893.
- Rev. Martin Ryan1893-1909
Returned to Ireland on leave due to poor health; died there January 9, 1909.
- Rev. Jeremiah Moriarty1895-1899
Administrator during Fr. Ryan's absence.
- Rev. John J. Sheridan1899-1909
Newly ordained from Binghamton; paid off the indebtedness for the new church.
- Rev. William A. Moorby1998-2014
First pastor of the Tioga Catholic Community cluster; appointed pastor of the BT/SP cluster June 30, 1998.
- Rev. Timothy Niven1998
First Parochial Vicar of the cluster, ordained June 6, 1998.
- Rev. Symon Peter Ntalyia2003
Parochial Vicar for BT and SP Parishes, from Kenya.
- Rev. Brian Carpenter2012
Parochial Vicar of BT and SP Parishes.
- Rev. Thomas Valenti2014
Parochial Administrator of BT and SP Parishes.
- Rev. Peter Van Lieshout2015
Parochial Vicar of BT and ST Parishes.