About St. Regis · Hogansburg, New York
St. Regis Mission is a Roman Catholic mission church in Hogansburg, New York, serving the Mohawk community of Akwesasne (the Mohawk name meaning 'Land Where the Partridge Drums') on the U.S. side of the St. Regis Reservation. The mission, which sits on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River at the confluence with the St. Regis River, is one of the oldest continuously-used Catholic parishes in northern New York and is a rare place where Mohawk (Kanien'kehá:ka) language and Catholic liturgical tradition meet. It is administered by the Diocese of Ogdensburg and led by Reverend Jerome Pastores, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 429, Hogansburg, NY 13655.
- Established
- 1755
- Patron
- St. Regis (St. Francis Regis, Jesuit missionary, 1597–1640)
- Rector
- Reverend Jerome Pastores
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ogdensburg (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Regis Mission is one of the most historically distinctive Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Ogdensburg — a 270-year-old stone church on the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation where Catholic liturgy is occasionally celebrated in the Mohawk language. It is a small, tight-knit parish deeply tied to its Native community, with regular weekday and weekend Masses, confession before Mass or by appointment, and outreach through the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Center and St. Regis Mohawk Health Services. For Catholics in the North Country or visitors passing through, it offers an unusually direct encounter with both the French Jesuit missionary heritage of the St. Lawrence Valley and the living Mohawk (Kanien'kehá:ka) tradition of the Akwesasne community.
Mass times at St. Regis
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before all weekday Masses
- By appointment
History of St. Regis Mission
St. Regis Mission was founded in 1755 by French Jesuits from Kahnawake (Sault St. Louis) who led about thirty Mohawk families to the south shore of the St. Lawrence at a place the Mohawks called 'Where the Partridge Drums.' Governor Duquesne of New France actively promoted the settlement to draw Mohawks and other Haudenosaunee away from British influence in the Mohawk Valley and to create a French-allied buffer on the colony's frontier. The first bark chapel (1755) gave way to a wooden chapel that burned, then to a third wooden chapel in 1762; the present stone church was built in 1795 and remains one of the oldest buildings in the region. The mission was administered by Jesuits of the French-Canadian Province until the 1770s, by Quebec diocesan clergy through 1892, then by the Diocese of Valleyfield; from the 1930s through the late 20th century it was again led by Jesuits, including the Mohawk priest Father Michael Karhaienton Jacobs, S.J. Since the 2000s, diocesan priests of the Diocese of Ogdensburg have administered the U.S. portion.
- 1754–1755: Jesuit Fathers Antoine Gordon and Biard lead Mohawk families from Sault St. Louis (Kahnawake) to found the mission
- 1755: First bark chapel built; later replaced by wooden chapel that burned
- 1762: Third wooden chapel built
- 1795: Stone church still in use today is constructed
- War of 1812: Site of engagements at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and St. Regis rivers
- 1939–1970s: Rev. Michael Karhaienton Jacobs, S.J. (Mohawk, 1902–1988) serves the parish
- 2000s–present: Diocese of Ogdensburg administers the parish on the U.S. side
The Parish Community — Akwesasne
The parish serves the Mohawk community of Akwesasne, the Kanien'kehá:ka name meaning 'Land Where the Partridge Drums.' St. Regis Mission is one of the rare places where Catholic liturgical life and Mohawk language and tradition meet: services and hymns are occasionally celebrated in Mohawk, and the church interior displays Mohawk artwork alongside traditional Catholic religious fixtures. While most worshippers at St. Regis Mission are Mohawk, visitors are welcome to come pray and worship at the historic church. The parish's outreach extends through the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Center for parish activities and through St. Regis Mohawk Health Services.
- Predominantly Mohawk (Kanien'kehá:ka) congregation
- Mohawk language and hymns used occasionally in the liturgy
- Mohawk artwork and visuals inside the church
- Visitors welcome to worship at the historic church
Leadership and Staff
The mission is led by diocesan priests of the Diocese of Ogdensburg. The current pastor is Reverend Jerome Pastores. Parish offices and the pastor's residence operate across the international boundary that divides the St. Regis Reservation between New York and Quebec.
- Pastor: Reverend Jerome Pastores
- Diocese: Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Phone: 613-575-2753
Parish Outreach and Ministries
St. Regis Mission is closely connected to a network of social and pastoral ministries at Akwesasne. The St. Kateri Tekakwitha Center serves as a hub for parish activities; Partridge House, founded in the 1970s under Sister Mary Christine, S.S.J., and the Sisters of St. Joseph from Mater Dei College, is an alcohol and chemical dependency recovery program with roots in the parish community. The mission also supports St. Regis Mohawk Health Services. Liturgical ministries at Sunday Mass — Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Altar Servers, Sacristans, and Ministers of Hospitality/Greeters/Ushers — are drawn from the parish family.
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha Center (parish activities)
- Partridge House (chemical dependency recovery program)
- St. Regis Mohawk Health Services
- Liturgical ministries: Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Altar Servers, Sacristans, Ministers of Hospitality
The Building and Architecture
The stone church was constructed in 1795, making it one of the oldest buildings in northern New York. Mohawk oral history holds that the site had been used as traditional Mohawk ceremonial grounds before the church was built; its position at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and St. Regis rivers also made the location strategically important in the War of 1812. Inside, Mohawk artwork and visuals are integrated with traditional Catholic design elements and religious fixtures.
- Stone church built in 1795
- Sited on traditional Mohawk ceremonial grounds (per oral history)
- Confluence of the St. Lawrence and St. Regis rivers
- Interior blends Mohawk artwork with traditional Catholic fixtures
Visiting and Contact
St. Regis Mission is located at 597 NY-37 (Route 37) in Hogansburg, NY 13655, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 429, Hogansburg, NY 13655. The parish office can be reached at 613-575-2753 or [email protected]. The official website is stregismission.org and an active Facebook page is maintained at facebook.com/stregismission.
- Address: 597 NY-37, Hogansburg, NY 13655
- Mailing: P.O. Box 429, Hogansburg, NY 13655
- Phone: 613-575-2753
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stregismission.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/stregismission
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Jesuit Fathers Antoine Gordon and Biard1754–1755
French Jesuits from Sault St. Louis (Kahnawake) who led about thirty Mohawk families to found the mission; built the first bark chapel in spring 1755.
- Jesuits, French-Canadian Province1752–1770s
First wave of Jesuit administration of St. Regis Mission.
- Diocesan priests, Quebec Archdiocese (Canada)1770s–1892
Mission transferred from the Jesuits to Quebec diocesan clergy.
- Diocesan priests, Diocese of Valleyfield (Quebec)1892–1970s
Administration moved to the Diocese of Valleyfield.
- Rev. Michael Karhaienton Jacobs, S.J. (Mohawk, 1902–1988)1939–1970s
Mohawk Jesuit of the French-Canadian Province who administered St. Regis.
- Jesuits, Northeast Province (United States)1970s–2000s
American Jesuits administered the parish through the late 20th century.
- Diocesan priests, Diocese of Ogdensburg2000s–present
U.S. side now administered by diocesan clergy; current pastor is Rev. Jerome Pastores.