St Mary - Potsdam, NY
St Patrick - Colton, NY

Proclaiming the Gospel by Living Our Faith through Prayer, the Sacraments, and Acts of Mercy and Charity; and Fulfilling our Call to be Missionary Disciples.

Since the 1980s, the Diocese of Ogdensburg has continually been engaged in the work of purposefully planning for the pastoral care of the Catholic faithful in the North Country under constantly changing circumstances—especially in light of the declining number of priests. There are currently 40 priests serving as pastors for the 78 parishes (which include 101 distinct worship sites) across the diocese, with 7 of those pastors being priests who have generously stayed in fulltime pastoral ministry past retirement age. Projections are that by the end of this decade, there will only be 30 pastors serving within the diocese.

In order to assure that priests are dispersed equitably, and in light of the many changes which have already been made, Bishop LaValley has approved a new plan for 4 further parish combinations over the next few years, including that the parishes of Canton, Colton, and Potsdam be linked and served by a single pastor with the assistance of a parochial vicar. While that remains a total of 2 priests for these 3 parishes, it does free a pastor for service elsewhere since the parochial vicar would be a recently ordained diocesan priest or a priest from abroad who is not yet capable of serving as a pastor.

A working group consisting of the clergy (2 priests and 2 deacons), pastoral associates (2), and lay trustees (2 each) of these 3 parishes has been formed, and will soon begin considering how we might best announce the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, and live Christian charity within this new pastoral framework, and so provide for the ongoing presence and work of the Catholic Church in these 3 neighboring communities. No timetable has been set, although the need is clearly urgent. No decisions have been made—concerning such things as Mass times and locations, place of priests’ residence, parish staffing, finances, or the countless other questions which are raised by this news—other than what has just been shared.

Your prayers will be greatly appreciated in the months to come as our parishes undertake this challenging task. Let us look ahead with hope, welcoming the unexpected opportunities and new possibilities that the Lord, in his great goodness, has in store for us.

March 27, 2022

Saint Mary's Parish Office: 315-265-9680

Saint Patrick's Parish Office: 315-262-2871
 

Saturday Vigil

Weekday Masses

Monday 8:00 AM (Saint Patrick's)
Tuesday 8:00 AM (Saint Mary's)
Wednesday 8:00 AM (Saint Patrick's)
Thursday 5:15 PM (Saint Mary's)
Friday 12:15 PM (Saint Mary's) 
            12:40-6:00 PM Eucharistic Adoration
             3:00 PM Holy Rosary
             5:30 PM Vespers and Benediction

Check bulletin for occasional changes...

Diocese of Ogdensburg http://rcdony.org

Vatican http://vatican.va