About St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church · Hancock, New York
St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church serves the Catholic community of Hancock, a small village in Delaware County, New York, at the confluence of the East and West branches of the Delaware River. The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany (specifically the Leatherstocking Vicariate) and traces its origins to 1888, when the Catholic faithful of the upper Delaware Valley were formally gathered into their own church. Today the parish ministers weekend Vigil and Sunday Masses, maintains a preschool, runs religious education and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) formation, and hosts a wide array of lay-led ministries from Respect Life to a Men's Group, all coordinated from the rectory at 346 West Main Street.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Bernard Osei Ampong
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany (Leatherstocking Vicariate)
Why belong here
St. Paul the Apostle is a small, multi-generational parish where a single pastor and a substantial lay team keep the Catholic life of the upper Delaware Valley vibrantly alive. Newcomers and visitors are welcomed into weekly Vigil and Sunday Mass, the sacrament of reconciliation offered after the Vigil Mass, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, a Catholic preschool, a Religious Education program and OCIA formation for adults, and a host of practical ministries — a Respect Life Ministry, a Communion for the Homebound Ministry, a Bethany Ministry, a Men's Group, Saintly Sweepers, a parish food bank and shelter, the parish cemetery, and even community-building events like parish bingo and dinners. With more than 135 years of Catholic witness in Hancock, joining this parish means walking into a community that is at once deeply rooted in its history and actively serving its neighbors.
Mass times at St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday after the 6:30 pm Vigil Mass (and by appointment)
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (First Friday)
About St. Paul the Apostle Parish
St. Paul the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Albany serving the village of Hancock, New York, and the surrounding upper Delaware Valley. The community worships at 346 West Main Street, with weekend Vigil and Sunday Masses, sacramental and devotional life centered on the Eucharist, and an active program of faith formation for children and adults. Its published mission is to worship God through the Eucharist, to proclaim the reconciling love of God in Christ by word, deed, and evangelization, to mature spiritually under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and 'to welcome and serve others — even the littlest and the weakest — in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.'
Parish History
The parish traces its origins to the 1888 realignment that placed all of Delaware County under the Diocese of Albany, with Rev. John W. Dolan as the first pastor of the newly erected church. The parish quickly acquired the former Martin Wheeler residence as the rectory (1889) and land at the west end of the village for a Catholic cemetery. Major physical expansions followed in 1922 and 1928, and in the mid-twentieth century Fr. John Rausch spearheaded construction of the parish hall that still bears his name.
- 1850: First Catholic church in Delaware County organized at French Woods (St. Francis deSales), part of the Diocese of New York.
- 1888: Delaware County transferred to Diocese of Albany; St. Paul the Apostle Church founded under Rev. John W. Dolan.
- 1889: Wheeler home purchased as rectory; cemetery land acquired at west end of Hancock.
- 1922: Old sacristy incorporated into the nave; new rear sacristy built.
- 1928: East and west sacristy entrances, two side altars, and arched ceiling added.
- 1935–1955: Pastorate of Fr. John Rausch; Fr. Rausch Memorial Hall built.
- Since 1988: New parking lot and landscaping on lower grounds, DeSerio Center dedication, church interior redecorated and re-carpeted, Fr. Cribbs memorial garden, Rachel statue, and Way of the Cross installed.
Mass, Sacraments, and Devotions
The parish's published Mass schedule lists a Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:30 pm and a Sunday Mass at 8:00 am. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered after the Saturday Vigil Mass and at any other time by appointment, and Eucharistic Adoration is observed on First Fridays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Lay ministries also bring Holy Communion to the homebound.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 6:30 pm
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 am
- Confessions: Saturday after Vigil Mass or by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration: First Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Communion for the Homebound Ministry coordinated by Mary Ann Hunter
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Paul the Apostle runs an ongoing Religious Education program for the parish's children, coordinated by Kristy White, and adult formation through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). According to the Diocese of Albany's 2018 pastoral assignments, the parish was then served by Fr. Christopher Welch; the current pastor is Fr. Bernard Osei Ampong.
- Religious Education Director: Kristy White (607-637-2571)
- OCIA coordinators: The Caramores (607-637-4407)
- Held in Fr. Rausch Memorial Hall
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical music at weekend Masses is directed by Charlene Caramore, and the parish also field a Sacristan team (Maureen Hunt) and a group of 'Saintly Sweepers' who care for the church environment. The Pastoral Council provides governance input, and a separate Finance Council oversees temporalities.
- Director of Music Ministry: Charlene Caramore (607-637-4407)
- Sacristan: Maureen Hunt
- St. Paul's Saintly Sweepers (church cleaning/laundry)
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
Outreach, Charity, and Community Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish is deeply engaged in parish and community service. The Fr. Rausch Memorial Hall has long housed a Community Children's Center, a parish food bank, and an emergency shelter; a Respect Life Ministry advocates for the unborn; a Bethany Ministry reaches out to the bereaved; and a Men's Group supports men's spiritual life. Parish bingo, dinners, and social events in the parish hall remain an important part of community life.
- Respect Life Ministry — Cathy Haugen (607-727-4755)
- Communion for the Homebound Ministry — Mary Ann Hunter (607-637-2571)
- Bethany Ministry (bereavement) — Ginny Gotthardt (607-637-2414); Karen White (607-637-2467)
- Men's Group — Kevin Caramore (607-637-4407)
- Parish food bank, shelter, and Community Children's Center — housed in Fr. Rausch Memorial Hall
- Parish bingo, dinners, and social events
Hancock Community Preschool
Sponsored jointly by St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church and the Hancock Community Education Foundation, the Hancock Community Preschool serves children Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. The school intentionally blends academic readiness, motor-skill development, dramatic play, and group activities through play-based learning, and offers a sliding-fee tuition scale so that 'everyone can afford it.'
- Director: Lorena Soccodato (Teacher)
- Melissa Rutledge — Teacher (607-637-3146)
- Michaela Mirch — Assistant (607-637-3146)
- Tuition: 2 days/wk $80; 3 days/wk $120; 4 days/wk $160; 5 days/wk $200
- Tuition Sponsorship and Sliding Fee Scale available
- Phone: (607) 637-3146; Email: [email protected]
Parish Cemetery and Grounds
Since 1889, the parish has maintained its own Catholic cemetery at the west end of Hancock, sparing Catholic families the need to bury their dead in Deposit. The grounds also include the DeSerio Center (the former 'Little House' renamed in honor of long-time trustee and caretaker Joe DeSerio, who served for over 35 years), the Fr. Rausch Memorial Hall, a memorial garden honoring Fr. Jim Cribbs, a statue of Rachel in the upper garden, and a Way of the Cross on the lower grounds.
- Parish Cemetery contact: Jerrie VanMater (607-637-2571)
- DeSerio Center dedicated to Joe DeSerio
- Fr. Cribbs memorial garden
- Rachel statue (upper garden) and Way of the Cross (lower grounds)
- New parking lot with landscaping on lower grounds (since 1988)
Parish Staff and Contacts
Pastoral and administrative staff are listed on the parish's Contact Us page. All are reachable through the parish office at (607) 637-2571 unless otherwise noted.
- Pastor — Fr. Bernard Osei Ampong
- Parish Secretary — Kelly Cutler
- Bookkeeper — Mike Argiros
- Religious Education — Kristy White
- Parish Trustees — Rebecca Sander (607-621-7994); Kevin Caramore (607-637-4407)
- Custodian — Larry Ligas
- Building & Grounds — Ken Salvestrini
- Bulletin Concerns — Paul Bartholomew (607-637-5409)
- Music Ministry — Charlene Caramore (607-637-4407)
- Preschool — (607) 637-3146; [email protected]
- Office — 346 West Main Street, Hancock, NY 13783; [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John W. Dolan1888 (at incorporation)
Pastor at the time of the parish's incorporation in 1888, in the year Delaware County was transferred to the Diocese of Albany.
- Fr. John Rausch1935–1955
Built the Fr. Rausch Memorial Hall during his tenure; the hall is still named in his memory and remains heavily used.
- Fr. Jim Cribbs
Former pastor honored with a memorial garden on the parish grounds.
- Rev. Christopher Welch
Pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church (Hancock) listed in the Diocese of Albany's 2018 pastoral assignments.