Bishop To Help St. Philip Neri Church Celebrate 100 Years

The pretty red church known as St. Philip Neri has welcomed parishioners for 100-years. The century milestone will be marked by Bishop Edward B. Sharfenberger, Bishop of Albany, who will be the celebrant at an 11 a.m. mass this Sunday in Grand Gorge.

By Liz Page

GRAND GORGE – The bishop does not come calling often, but the congregation at the St. Philip Neri Church in Grand Gorge will welcome him this Sunday,October 12 for an 11 a.m. mass, in celebration of the church's 100-year anniversary.

Parishioners are excited to welcome Bishop Edward B. Sharfenberger, Bishop of Albany, as the celebrant this Sunday.

The small red church, located on state Rt. 30 in Grand Gorge, is a parish of the Sacred Heart Church in Stamford. The two churches form one parish in the Catskills region under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

The parish church was formed in the 1860's as families began arriving in the Stamford area and in 1869 the site of the Sacred Heart Parish was purchased by the Rev. Thomas Riley. A new church was constructed and it was dedicated in October of 1870.

The Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1915 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1989. Now, the St. Philip Neri Parish will celebrate its century anniversary.

While its primary campus is in Stamford, the parish extended its ministry to Grand Gorge with the establishment of the St. Philip Neri mission church. The church is located on State Highway 30 and hosts Sunday morning Mass at 8 a.m.. It operates under the guidance and mission statement of Sacred Heart Parish.

St. Philip Neri has many longtime parishioners, such as Steve Williamson. "I have been attending that church since I was five," he said recently. He has been attending for 72 years. He will be watching over the procession on Sunday to make sure everyone gets safely to the fire station. He regularly directs traffic at the church.

It will be celebrated as a place where people have been baptized, married, taken their first communion and many other occasions.

Mass time is usually at 8 a.m., but due to the bishop's visit, mass this Sunday will be held at 11 a.m., after which, the congregation will be invited to march down the street in a procession to the Grand Gorge Fire Dept. where a luncheon will be served to those who made their reservations. There will also be photos of the many events that have taken place at the church over its long history.

The famous Society of Saint Philip, called The Oratory, began when a group of good priests joined him in giving instructions and conferences and presiding prayers; for them he drew up some rules which were soon approved. He became renowned all over Italy for the instances of bilocation which were duly verified during his lifetime, according to the website. Many holy servants of God were formed in the Oratory, a society of studious priests, made ready by 10 years of preparation in the common life for a service founded on sacerdotal perfection. Saint Philip died peacefully in 1595 on the Feast of Corpus Christi at the age of 80, having been ill for only one day. He bears the noble titles of Patron of Works of Youth, and Apostle of Rome.