About St. Paul The Apostle · Schenectady, New York
St. Paul the Apostle Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the city of Schenectady, New York, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Founded on June 25, 1922, the parish grew from 100 founding families to serve roughly 1,700 families today. It is currently clustered with two sister parishes, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Adalbert, sharing a single pastoral team. Worship is offered on Saturdays at 4:00 PM and Sundays at 8:00 AM, with the Sunday 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM Masses celebrated at the sister parish churches.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew H. Frisoni
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
St. Paul the Apostle is a large, multigenerational parish of about 1,700 families rooted in the Bellevue/outer Albany Street neighborhood of Schenectady, with a century of Catholic life behind it. Visitors and parishioners can join weekend Mass at St. Paul's, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or St. Adalbert (cluster sister parishes), take children through Faith Formation Pre-K through Grade 11, participate in over a dozen active ministries (St. Vincent de Paul, Respect Life, Rosary Society, Charismatic Music, Bereavement, Home-Bound, Greeters, Lectors, Ushers and more), and adore the Blessed Sacrament at the monthly Tuesday Holy Hour. The parish combines traditional Catholic devotion — weekly Confession, OCIA, charismatic prayer — with a strong K-8 parochial school and active youth ministry, making it a place where families and individuals of all ages can plug in.
Mass times at St. Paul The Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- Second Tuesday of each month, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
Our History
St. Paul the Apostle was founded June 25, 1922 — the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul — with about 100 families, as Schenectady was expanding. Through the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the post-war boom, the parish grew steadily: 290 families by 1947, 650 by 1952, 810 in 1962, 1,250 in 1966, and roughly 1,700 today. The mission church planted in Colonie in 1931 became St. Clare parish in 1940; the current church was opened in 1959 to replace the original 1920s building; the parochial school opened in 1955; the rectory was built in 1970; and a new Parish Center was added in 2002 under the long pastorate of Fr. George Brucker (1977–early 2000s), which also introduced the Charismatic Liturgy (1978) and Life Teen Youth Ministry (2000).
- Founded June 25, 1922 (Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul)
- Mission planted in Colonie 1931 → became St. Clare parish 1940
- Parochial school opened 1955
- Current church opened 1959
- Rectory built 1970
- Charismatic Liturgy begun 1978
- Life Teen Youth Ministry begun 2000
- New Parish Center opened 2002
- Old convent/center house razed 2015 → handicapped parking added
Pastoral Team & Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Matthew H. Frisoni, who also serves as Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Albany, and Fr. Adam Feisthamel, Parochial Vicar. They are supported by a Director of Faith Formation (Arlene Parisi), a Youth Minister (Katie Grogan), a Pastoral Associate for Kerygma (Diane Bouchard), a Business Manager (Kristin Fullerton), a Secretary (Kim Carr), two organists (Joan Nikolski and David Rossi), and a Charismatic Music Group leader (Cathi Butryn). Lay ministry contacts head the parish's many active groups — from Bereavement and Greeters to Ushers and Buildings & Grounds.
- Rev. Matthew H. Frisoni — Pastor (also Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Albany)
- Rev. Adam Feisthamel — Parochial Vicar
- Arlene Parisi — Director of Faith Formation & Religious Education
- Katie Grogan — Youth Minister
- Diane Bouchard — Pastoral Associate for Kerygma
- Kristin Fullerton — Business Manager
- Kim Carr — Secretary
- Joan Nikolski & David Rossi — Organists
- Cathi Butryn — Charismatic Music Group Ministry
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Faith Formation program serves children from Pre-K through Grade 11, with separate Confirmation preparation for Grades 9–11. Children with special needs are welcomed through the 'Rainbow of Friends' program. Sacramental preparation includes Baptism, First Reconciliation (typically in December of 2nd grade), First Eucharist (typically in May of 2nd grade), and Confirmation (grades 9–11). Adults seeking the sacraments are directed to O.C.I.A. (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults).
- Faith Formation classes for Pre-K through Grade 11
- Sacramental prep: Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation
- Rainbow of Friends — faith formation for children with special needs
- O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Adult Confirmation for post-high-school baptized Catholics
- Director: Arlene Parisi (518-377-0506)
Parish School
St. Paul's built its current parochial school in 1955 on the site of an earlier parish center, in response to the rapidly growing post-war parish. The school remains a central part of parish life and outreach to families in the Schenectady area. In 2024–25 the parish school was administratively reorganized within the Albany diocesan Catholic-school system (the parish and school have since been paired with St. Kateri Tekakwitha parish on Union Street under the unified 'St. Kateri Parish School' brand, with the building at 1801 Union St. serving Pre-K through Grade 5).
- Original school building opened 1955
- Pre-K through Grade 5
- Reorganized in 2024–25 into the unified St. Kateri Parish School brand (1801 Union St., Schenectady)
Ministries & Organizations
The parish sustains more than a dozen active lay ministries covering liturgy, hospitality, charity, and spiritual life. These include Bereavement Ministry, Home-Bound Ministry, the Respect Life Group, St. Vincent de Paul, the Rosary Society, the Spirit of Love Prayer Group, the Charismatic Music Group, the Decorating Committee, Buildings & Grounds, Sunday Collection Teams, Ushers, Greeters, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Altar Servers. Christian Service and Evangelization is coordinated by Bev Means, with named ministry contacts published on the parish website's Staff page.
- Altar Servers — Fr. Frisoni
- Bereavement Support — Cheryl Aini
- Christian Service & Evangelization — Bev Means
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — Cheryl Aini
- Lectors — Sylvia D'Aprile
- Ushers — Joe Sorrentino
- Greeters — Sue Bourdon
- Building & Grounds — Buddy Mangroo
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Respect Life Group
- Home-Bound Ministry
- Rosary Society
- Spirit of Love Prayer Group
- Charismatic Music Group — Cathi Butryn
- Sunday Collection Teams
- Decorating Committee
Sacraments
St. Paul the Apostle prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments. Infant Baptism (under age 7) requires a parent baptism-preparation class. First Reconciliation is celebrated in December of 2nd grade; First Eucharist in May of 2nd grade. Confirmation is prepared in Grades 9–11, with a separate Adult Confirmation process for post-high-school Catholics already baptized. The Anointing of the Sick is arranged by calling the parish office whenever serious illness or hospitalization occurs. The parish also prepares couples for Matrimony and directs adults seeking Baptism or full initiation into the O.C.I.A.
- Baptism of Infants (under 7) — parent prep class
- Reconciliation (First Reconciliation in December, 2nd grade)
- First Eucharist (May, 2nd grade)
- Confirmation (Grades 9–11, plus Adult Confirmation)
- Matrimony (preparation through the parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick (call the parish office)
- O.C.I.A. — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Parish Life & Calendar
Beyond the regular liturgical schedule, the parish maintains an active online calendar of events, special homilies and messages from Fr. Frisoni, and a published annual fiscal report. Recent parish-wide events have included group trips to the NYS Eucharistic Congress at Auriesville, talks on the Real Presence of the Eucharist in the Blessed Sacrament, a 24-hour prayer vigil, and seasonal penance services. The parish also publishes weekly homilies and bulletin updates through its website.
- Online parish events calendar
- Father Frisoni's messages & homilies
- Annual fiscal comparison chart
- Past events: NYS Eucharistic Congress trip, Real Presence talk, 24-hour prayer vigil
Contact, Directions & Parish Trustees
The Parish Office is at 2777 Albany Street, Schenectady, NY 12304, telephone 518-377-8886, email [email protected]. A Google Map is embedded on the Directions page of the website. The parish corporation is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of the Bishop of Albany (Most Rev. Mark O'Connell) as President, the Vicar General (Rev. Robert Longobucco) as Vice President, the Pastor (Rev. Matthew H. Frisoni) as Secretary-Treasurer, and two lay trustees (Matthew Adams and Joseph Salvino). Trustees are appointed by the Bishop for a one-year term, with a maximum of six years of service.
- Parish Office: 2777 Albany St, Schenectady, NY 12304
- Phone: 518-377-8886
- Email: [email protected]
- Bishop/President: Most Rev. Mark O'Connell
- Vicar General/Vice President: Rev. Robert Longobucco
- Pastor/Secretary-Treasurer: Rev. Matthew H. Frisoni
- Lay Trustees: Matthew Adams and Joseph Salvino
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. George Brucker1977 – c.2002+
Pastor for over 25 years; oversaw the addition of the Charismatic Liturgy (1978), Life Teen Youth Ministry (2000), and the new Parish Center (2002).