CHURCH OF THE NORTH COUNTRY CELEBRATES
150 YEARS
On February
16, 1872, Pope Pius IX separated what was then a sprawling Roman Catholic
Diocese of Albany, and the Diocese of Ogdensburg – encompassing Clinton, Essex,
Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, as well as
northern Herkimer County – was created.
The Diocese
of Ogdensburg is opening its celebration of its 150th
anniversary, themed “Remember, Renew, Rejoice,” with a Holy Hour – time for
prayer with the Eucharist, the real presence of Jesus – on February 12 at 3
p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ogdensburg. Parishes, organizations and faithful
around the diocese are encouraged to join the celebration by hosting similar
prayer services the week of February 16.
The
capstone of the celebration will be an Anniversary Mass on August 10, the Feast
of St. Lawrence at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. Events are also planned
throughout the year, including:
In
conjunction with the 150th anniversary, the Diocese is
participating in the “Synod on Synodality” called by Pope Francis to create
opportunities for what Vatican documents describe as “listening and dialogue on
the local level” with the goal of “humbly learning together how God is calling
us to be as the Church in the third millennium.” Dialogue is being fostered at
the diocesan and local parish and organization levels.
Additionally,
as the diocese celebrates its anniversary, it is refocusing on the Eucharist,
Jesus Christ present body and blood, soul and divinity in the form of bread and
wine by offering faith formation opportunities.
MOST
REVEREND TERRY R. LAVALLEY, BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF OGDENSBURG, SAID:
“As we celebrate 150 years as the Church of the North
Country, we remember those who came before us, sowing the seeds of faith and
building the foundation upon which we stand now; we renew our commitment to
Christ, the mission He gave the Church and to serving the lost, rejected and
forgotten; and we rejoice in the many gifts and blessings which come from the
Lord."
ABOUT:
The Diocese
of Ogdensburg, covering an area of 12,036 square miles, was established by Pope
Pius IX on February 16, 1872.
The diocese
is comprised of 78 parishes and 3 mission parishes made up of 101 worship
sites, 16 parochial oratories, 2 high schools, 8 elementary schools and 1
nursing home. Catholics are served by 49 active diocesan priests, 9 priests
belonging to religious institutions, and 5 priests belonging to other dioceses.
At Fort Drum, 2 priests of the Archdiocese for Military Services serve as
chaplains. We have 37 retired and disabled diocesan priests, many continue to
minister in various roles. We are blessed with 1 transitional deacon, 96
permanent deacons, 66 religious sisters and 753 commissioned lay
ministers. The Catholic
population in the Diocese is 71,905, 18.2% of the total population within the
Diocese.
Events are planned throughout the year to celebrate the Anniversary Year. Details will be made available as the year progresses:
Ongoing throughout the year and beyond: building a interactive StoryMap of historical events, objects and anecdotes of our faith life in the North Country.
We are building an interactive Story Map to share the history of our Diocese. Our goal is to share the stories of parishes, bishops, and canonized saints connected to our Diocese. For a preview, take a look at this item from the Cathedral.
The Synodal process is part of our 150th Anniversary Celebration. The Synod allows us to look at where we stand today and where are called to be in the future. What is the Holy Spirit saying to the Church of Ogdensburg? In what do we Rejoice and how are we called to Renew?