About St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus · New Berlin, New York
St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus is a small Roman Catholic parish in the Village of New Berlin, Chenango County, New York, belonging to the Diocese of Syracuse. The parish was incorporated on December 2, 1955, and celebrated its first Mass in a converted former Church of the Nazarene building on June 3, 1956; it was formally dedicated on September 14, 1958. Today the parish serves the Towns of New Berlin and Columbus and is currently administered by Father Daniel Caughey (appointed pastor effective July 1, 2023), supported by parish managers Patricia Houghton and Peter Burghardt. Weekly Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11:00 AM in English, with faith formation classes for children meeting at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus (Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel Caughey
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus is a small but warmly rooted rural parish where the Catholic faithful of the Towns of New Berlin and Columbus have worshipped together continuously since 1956 — a community forged when 128 Catholics first gathered in a renovated former Nazarene church and, in the words of the founding pastor, were "so happy they stayed around about forty-five minutes after Mass." Today the parish offers Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM, a children's faith formation program with classes at 9:30 AM on Sundays, an active altar server corps, lector and Liturgy Committee ministries, youth group and Confirmation preparation, and parish-led outreach such as the annual Christmas Cookie Plate delivery to homebound and isolated parishioners and neighbors. Visitors are welcomed into a faith community with deep local roots and a continuing tradition of lay involvement — from the founders who petitioned Bishop Foery to the volunteers who built the parish's religious education center themselves.
Mass times at St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 12:00 PM (after Mass, per published listings)
History of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus
The Catholic community in New Berlin traces its origins to 1954, when local Catholics petitioned Bishop Walter Foery of Syracuse for a Sunday Mass in the village. After Father Theodore F. Shannon of St. Mary's in Hamilton declined the assignment and Father Lawrence H. Daley of St. Malachy's in Sherburne took up the cause, Father Lawrence Bassney organized the founding families — Dr. James R. Hoyt, Dr. Angelo Franco, Verner Shafer, Elizabeth Novak, and Martha Deforest — and formally presented their request to Bishop Foery on November 3, 1955. The parish was incorporated on December 2, 1955; the name was later changed to Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus on March 18, 1958.
- April 26, 1954: founding Catholics write to Bishop Foery
- August 1, 1955: Diocese of Syracuse purchases ~2 acres on NYS Route 8
- December 2, 1955: parish incorporated as "Saint Theresa's, of New Berlin, New York"
- May 19, 1956: Rev. John J. Burke appointed first resident pastor
- June 3, 1956: first Mass in the renovated former Nazarene church; 128 faithful attend
- September 14, 1958: formal dedication; first confirmation class (31 youth, 5 adults)
- 1959–1960s: front of building refaced; Conn organ purchased December 24, 1960
- 1968: Father O'Neill builds the South New Berlin religious education center
- 1982: Rodgers organ purchased under Father Wright
- 1989–90: parish joins regional support for Holy Family School
Getting a Church Building for Saint Theresa's
The Diocese of Syracuse received the former Nazarene church property by deed on May 5, 1956, then transferred it to Saint Theresa's by deed on December 6, 1958. Extensive renovations — a new roof, chimney, heating system, plaster, plumbing, painting, sanctuary enlargement, and a sacristy addition — were carried out largely by volunteer parish workers. The new church served the Towns of New Berlin and Columbus in Chenango County.
- Building purchased indirectly via Roxy Gould (Nazarene member)
- Property transferred from Diocese to parish: December 6, 1958
- New roof, chimney, heating, plaster, plumbing, painting completed by volunteers
- Sanctuary enlarged; sacristy addition built
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs an ongoing faith formation program for children with Sunday morning classes, plus a separate Confirmation class and a Middle and High School Youth Group that meets on Wednesday evenings. A 2016 schedule lists the youth group at 6:30–8:30 PM, with special events including a Parent Youth Ministry Training day, a CROP WALK, a possible pilgrimage to the Holy Doors in Utica, and an annual youth rally with speaker Jason Evert at Sacred Heart Church in Cicero (pizza and transportation provided).
- Sunday Faith Formation — 9:30 AM
- Confirmation class — select Sundays
- Youth Group (Middle & High School) — Wednesdays 6:30–8:30 PM
- Annual youth rally participation at Sacred Heart, Cicero
Liturgical Ministries
The parish's liturgical life is supported by an active Liturgy Committee that prepares the altar each week, a team of altar servers who assist the celebrant before and during Mass, and a lector ministry. The Liturgy Committee was noted for transforming the altar for Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
- Altar Servers: Brayden Potter, Isabella Potter, Josh Nogaret, Daniel Johnson, Sophie Off, Francis Stohlman, Declan Potter, Brodey Cattanach, Mark Donahue
- Lectors
- Liturgy Committee (prepares altar weekly, special Holy Week setup)
Parish and Community Outreach
Parishioners are encouraged to extend faith into service to neighbors. One long-running tradition is the annual Christmas Cookie Plates project, in which students and parents bake and deliver plates of holiday cookies to parish and community members who are homebound, have no local family, or no longer bake for themselves.
- Christmas Cookie Plates (December)
- CROP WALK participation (interfaith hunger walk)
- Holy Family School support (since 1989–90 school year)
Parish Management and Staff
The parish employs a lay Parish Manager model: Patricia Houghton and Peter Burghardt serve as parish managers. The role provides leadership and day-to-day supervision of the temporal affairs of the parish — financial, facilities, and operational — so that the pastor can concentrate on spiritual matters. The position coordinates with staff and volunteers and participates in planning and operational meetings.
- Parish Manager role defined to support the pastor's spiritual work
- Patricia Houghton — parish manager
- Peter Burghardt — parish manager
Visiting St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus
St. Theresa's is located at 24 N. Main Street (NY-8) in the Village of New Berlin, half a block north of Genesee Street / NY-80. The parish can be reached by phone at (607) 847-6851 or by email at [email protected]. The church serves the Towns of New Berlin and Columbus in Chenango County. Visitors are warmly welcomed at Sunday Mass and are encouraged to contact the parish office to get involved in faith formation, altar serving, lectoring, youth group, or outreach ministries.
- Address: 24 N. Main Street, New Berlin, NY 13411-0780
- Phone: (607) 847-6851
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: http://sttheresanewberlinny.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/sttheresanewberlinny
- Serves: Towns of New Berlin and Columbus, Chenango County
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Lawrence Bassney1955 (organizing priest)
Worked with the founding families to petition Bishop Foery and organize the parish; served as treasurer of the first board of trustees.
- Rev. John J. Burke1956–
First resident pastor; appointed by Bishop Foery May 19, 1956, effective June 1, 1956; baptized the parish's first infant, John Frederick Harmuth, on June 3, 1956.
- Rev. Richard O'Neill
Purchased land in South New Berlin (deed dated March 4, 1968) for a religious education center built largely with donated labor.
- Rev. Mirabito
During his pastorate the Conn organ was moved into the sanctuary.
- Rev. Wright
Authorized purchase of a new Rodgers organ on June 6, 1982, which was installed in the sanctuary.
- Rev. Sterner
Had the Rodgers organ moved to the rear of the church, where it remains.
- Father Gerard Lupaappointed 2017
Born and raised in Oswego, NY; educated at Wadham Hall (Ogdensburg), St. Bonaventure, and Christ the King Seminary; ordained May 7, 1977; appointed administrator of St. Theresa's.
- Rev. Daniel Caughey2023–present
Previously administrator of St. Malachy's (Sherburne) and St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus (New Berlin); appointed pastor of the same parishes effective July 1, 2023 by Bishop Lucia.