About Transfiguration Parish (Speigletown site) · Troy, New York
Transfiguration Parish is a Catholic community in northern Rensselaer County, New York, serving worshippers at two sites: the Speigletown site (the parish's administrative home at 50 Hillview Drive, Troy) and the Schaghticoke site (17 South Main Street, Schaghticoke). It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and was formed on July 1, 2010, from the merger of the Church of the Holy Trinity and St. Bonaventure's parish. The parish describes itself as a community 'united by love, illuminated by the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ,' worshiping through the Sacred Liturgy, prayer and the sacraments, and proclaiming the Christian message through evangelization, faith formation, and service.
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- The Transfiguration of the Lord
- Rector
- Father Ed Kacerguis (Sacramental Minister)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
Transfiguration Parish is a small but lively two-site Catholic community that takes seriously both the Sacred Liturgy and hands-on outreach. Weekend Mass is livestreamed from Speigletown for the homebound, weekday Communion Services, Adoration, Stations of the Cross, a Rosary, and a Lenten Soup & Study series keep the devotional calendar full, and the parish hosts community Fish Fry dinners during Lent. Members can grow through Faith Formation for grades K–10, the adult Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the Knights of Columbus, and a parish food pantry that stocks area schools' weekend backpack programs.
Mass times at Transfiguration Parish (Speigletown site)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–3:45 PM at the Speigletown site
Adoration times
- Friday evenings during Lent: 6:30–7:30 PM at the Speigletown site
- Tuesday Communion Service days at Schaghticoke include Adoration following the 10:00 AM service
- Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the Speigletown chapel for prayer and quiet reflection
Our History
Although Transfiguration Parish itself was only constituted on July 1, 2010, its roots go back to 1839. St. John's of Schaghticoke was founded September 6, 1839 — eight years before the Diocese of Albany was established — and from it grew St. Monica's (mission in the late 1860s, parish in 1888) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (1889). St. Monica's in turn spawned missions at St. Bridget's in Buskirk and St. George's in Pittstown; St. George's became its own parish in 1917. In Speigletown, St. Bonaventure's was begun on November 13, 1970, with Reverend James O'Neill as founding pastor; the basement and rectory came first, then the church in 1974, and a large hall addition in 1991. On April 22, 2001, St. John's, St. Monica's, and Our Lady of Good Counsel merged to form the Church of the Holy Trinity, and on July 1, 2010, Holy Trinity and St. Bonaventure's became today's Transfiguration Parish, keeping worship sites in both Schaghticoke and Speigletown.
- St. John's, Schaghticoke — founded September 6, 1839
- St. Monica's — mission late 1860s, parish 1888
- Our Lady of Good Counsel — mission/parish 1889
- St. George's, Pittstown — became separate parish 1917
- St. Bonaventure's, Speigletown — founded November 13, 1970
- Church of the Holy Trinity — formed April 22, 2001
- Transfiguration Parish — formed July 1, 2010
Worship Sites & Facilities
Transfiguration Parish operates as one parish with two worship sites. The Speigletown site at 50 Hillview Drive, Troy, is the administrative home and houses the parish offices, a rectory, classroom space, a large parish hall, the main church, and an adjoining chapel used for prayer and quiet reflection in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The Schaghticoke site is located at 17 South Main Street, Schaghticoke, NY 12154.
- Speigletown site — 50 Hillview Drive, Troy, NY 12182 (admin offices, rectory, hall, church, chapel)
- Schaghticoke site — 17 South Main Street, Schaghticoke, NY 12154
- Outdoor patio and BBQ pit added at Speigletown parish hall in recent years
- Treasures preserved from St. Monica's: hand-carved Italian Stations of the Cross and stained-glass windows donated by its first ten pastors
Lenten & Holy Week Schedule
During Lent the parish layers extra devotions onto the regular weekly schedule at both sites: Stations of the Cross, a Rosary, Friday Adoration and Fish Fry Dinners at Speigletown, and Tuesday Adoration and Lenten Luncheons at Schaghticoke. A Wednesday-evening adult Soup & Study series (using Martin Scorsese's 'The Saints' series) runs 6:00–7:30 PM at Speigletown, and a Lenten Reconciliation service is offered on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:00 PM.
- Fish Fry Dinners — select Fridays in Lent, 4:00–6:00 PM, Speigletown (with Bake Sale)
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays in Lent, 6:30 PM, Speigletown
- Rosary — select Fridays in Lent, 6:30 PM, Speigletown
- Adoration — Friday evenings during Lent, 6:30–7:30 PM, Speigletown
- Lenten Luncheon — Tuesdays in Lent, 12 Noon, Schaghticoke
- Soup & Study — Wednesdays in Lent, 6:00–7:30 PM, Speigletown
- Bishop's Visit — Saturday, March 14, 4:00 PM Mass with Bishop Mark O'Connell, followed by a reception, Speigletown
- Holy Thursday — April 2, 6:00 PM, Speigletown
- Good Friday — April 3, 6:00 PM, Schaghticoke
- Easter Vigil — April 4, 7:30 PM, Schaghticoke
- Easter Sunday — April 5, 10:00 AM, Speigletown
Faith Formation & RCIA
The parish runs Faith Formation classes for children in grades K through 10, typically meeting on Sundays at 10:00 AM at the Schaghticoke site. Two volunteer coordinators handle the program, split between the elementary and middle/high school grades. Adults who wish to explore the Catholic faith are invited to contact the parish office to learn about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
- Faith Formation, Grades K-5 — Toni Fogarty, 518-569-3383, [email protected]
- Faith Formation, Grades 6-10 — Jim Johnson, 518-788-8902, [email protected]
- RCIA for adults — contact the parish office at 518-235-0337
Parish Staff & Leadership
Transfiguration Parish is led by Sacramental Minister Father Ed Kacerguis, supported by Parish Life Coordinator Elizabeth Thayer and a small office team. Two parish trustees, a Knights of Columbus council, and a cleaning and maintenance couple round out the published leadership roster. Father Ed is also the long-time pastor of Christ Sun of Justice Parish at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Chapel + Cultural Center in Troy.
- Sacramental Minister — Father Ed Kacerguis
- Parish Life Coordinator — Elizabeth Thayer, [email protected]
- Administrative Assistants — Brad Fogarty and Mary Ellen Crucetti, [email protected]
- Trustees — Teresa Beamish and Margaret Rice
- Knights of Columbus — Louis N. Chmielewski, [email protected]
- Cleaning and Maintenance — Marge and Ken Stronach
Outreach & Community Life
The parish runs an active food pantry to support neighbors and partners with area schools, collecting non-perishable single-serve items (mac & cheese, chili, pastas, cereals, fruits, snacks) that are delivered regularly to local schools for their weekend backpack programs for children in need. Donation boxes are placed at both church entrances. The Knights of Columbus are a visible presence, and Lenten Fish Fry Dinners with a Bake Sale draw the wider community to the Speigletown hall.
- Parish Food Pantry — donation boxes at both church entrances; please check expiration dates on food donations
- Weekend backpack supplies for area schools in need
- Knights of Columbus council — contact Louis N. Chmielewski
- Lenten Fish Fry Dinners and Bake Sale at the Speigletown hall
Sacraments
Information about celebrating the Sacraments at Transfiguration is published on the parish website. Reconciliation is heard each Saturday afternoon before the Vigil Mass at Speigletown. Families preparing for Baptism and couples preparing for Marriage are asked to contact the parish office directly so the appropriate preparation can be arranged.
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:30–3:45 PM, Speigletown
- Baptism — call the church office; Baptismal Preparation available
- Marriage — call the church office at least 6 months in advance; marriage-preparation program required
- RCIA — contact the parish office
Livestream & Homebound Ministry
The parish livestreams its 4:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass at the Speigletown site on Facebook and YouTube, and recordings are then posted to the parish website so that parishioners who cannot attend in person — especially the homebound, for whom this televised Mass is often the only Mass they attend all week — can still take part. The parish notes that many letters and donations come from viewers, and that more volunteers are needed to help run the streaming computer at that Mass.
- Livestream of 4:00 PM Saturday Mass — Facebook page and YouTube channel UC65S8ALJ_rRdZ4en_MXDE7Q
- Recordings archived on the parish website
- Volunteers needed to assist with streaming at the Saturday Vigil Mass
Contact & Practical Information
Parish business is handled at the Speigletown administrative offices, which are open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The phone number (518-235-0337) and fax (518-235-8726) connect to the general office. Inquiries about the parish cemetery can also be directed through the main office number.
- Speigletown Administrative Offices — 50 Hillview Drive, Troy, NY 12182
- Phone — 518-235-0337
- Fax — 518-235-8726
- Email — [email protected]
- Office Hours — Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Cemetery inquiries — call the main office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend James O'Neill1970 (founding pastor)
Founded St. Bonaventure's parish in Speigletown; oversaw the original basement, rectory, and 1974 church completion.
- Reverend Richard Nahman
Pastor during which a major addition to St. Bonaventure's was dedicated in 1991.