A Parish at the Heart of Johnson City
St. James Roman Catholic Church has stood at 147 Main Street in Johnson City, New York, for more than a century, and the parish is currently marking its 125th anniversary. Three Sunday Masses in English, a monthly Spanish liturgy, a Vietnamese Mass twice a month, a daily morning Mass, and a Saturday Vigil fill the church from Monday through Sunday. The same campus includes a Catholic school serving preschool through sixth grade, an active food pantry across the street at 130 Main Street, and a hall where the parish hosts a monthly sit-down dinner called A Faithful Feast. It is, in the words of one lifelong parishioner, less a parish than a family.
The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse and follows Bishop Douglas J. Lucia in union with the Bishop of Rome. Its stated mission reads: St. James is a joyous and welcoming Roman Catholic Community which recognizes the call to live as good stewards of God's gifts. As a people centered in the Eucharist and rooted in the Gospel, we do this by bringing the presence of Jesus Christ into the local and wider community through works of service and evangelization and being a reflection of God's love.
A Heritage Spanning 125 Years
The parish traces its origins to the opening years of the twentieth century. To honor its 125th anniversary, St. James produced a series of recorded interviews with parishioners whose memories stretch back through the decades. Carol Hall, baptized at St. James in 1946, recalls the May Crowning procession winding through the streets and the deep support she and her family received from the parish in difficult seasons. Jack Lindley, baptized as an infant and formed through every sacrament at St. James, shares memories of First Communion in the 1950s and the succession of priests who shaped his faith. A third interviewee, John, has been part of St. James for nearly seventy years and describes the parish as family, not just a place to attend Mass.
Father Charles Opondo-Owora, the current pastor, extends the welcome that has marked the parish since its founding: Welcome to Saint James Church. This holy ground, with ministries rooted in our deep Catholic heritage, will invite you into a deeper communion with God, with yourself, and with your neighbors - your fellow worshipers. We appreciate with gratitude your presence and sharing the faith with us.
Mass Schedule and Multilingual Worship
St. James celebrates the Eucharist every day of the week. The regular weekend schedule begins with the Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM. On Sunday, Mass is offered in English at 7:30 AM, 9:15 AM, and 11:45 AM. Two other communities gather in the same church each month: the Vietnamese community celebrates Mass at 3:00 PM on the first and third Sundays, and the Spanish-speaking community gathers at 4:00 PM on the fourth Sunday of each month. The Apostolado Hispano adds a 6:30 PM liturgy on the second Saturday of the month and a 6:30 PM Spanish Mass on the fourth Saturday.
Weekday life at St. James begins early. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 6:45 AM. From 7:15 AM until noon each day, the church is open for private prayer. On the first Monday of every month, the parish gathers for a Holy Hour at 6:30 PM.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard each Saturday from 9:00 to 10:30 AM, with additional times by appointment. During Advent, the parish extends the sacrament with The Light is on for You evenings of confession, and during Lent it offers bilingual Stations of the Cross in the church followed by a free Simple Soup Supper in Owens Hall.
All Masses are audio induction looped for anyone who has trouble hearing. Switching on the T-Coil of a hearing aid allows the spoken liturgy and music to come through clearly. The parish also livestreams its Masses on its YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
Sacraments for Every Stage of Life
Seven sacraments are celebrated at St. James: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders. The parish teaches, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which Divine life is given.
Parents seeking Baptism for an infant or young child arrange the celebration by calling the parish office Monday through Thursday between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The parish describes Baptism as the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through it, parishioners become members of Christ and are incorporated into the Church.
Children preparing for First Communion typically begin a two-year process in first grade through Faith Formation or attend St. James School, where sacramental preparation also takes place. Confirmation preparation follows a similar two-year path beginning in ninth grade. The parish describes Confirmation as the sacrament that perfects Baptismal grace and strengthens the confirmed for witness to Christ. Adults seeking either sacrament are welcomed through the RCIA/OCIA process coordinated by Terry Barnes.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Penance) is offered weekly on Saturday mornings and by appointment. The parish encourages every Catholic over the age of reason to receive it at least once a year, particularly during Lent or Eastertide, and emphasizes the mercy at its center: In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God.
Couples planning to marry at St. James contact the parish office at (607) 729-6147. Marriages must be scheduled at least six months in advance, and at least one party should be a registered practicing Catholic of the parish. The parish teaches that the matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is a sacrament when contracted between two baptized people.
Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone facing serious illness, frailty of age, or surgery. Families are asked to notify the parish office if a relative has spent more than three days in a hospital or nursing home without a pastoral visit. Funeral planning is coordinated through the parish office as well, and the parish describes a Catholic funeral as a celebration of the saving life of Jesus Christ and a prayer for the deceased rather than a celebration of the life of the person who has died.
Men discerning a call to Holy Orders are invited to speak with Father Charles directly. The parish reminds those discerning that the whole Church is a priestly people and that ordination, in the words of the Catechism, has three distinct degrees or 'orders': deacon, priest, and bishop. In recent years St. James has rejoiced in the ordination of one of its own: Jan DeAngelo, longtime music director, was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in April 2026 by Bishop Lucia and assigned to serve the parish.
Faith Formation from Preschool to Adult
St. James runs a parish-based Faith Formation program that the parish describes as doctrinally based, and follows the belief that parents are the first and primary educators of their children. Classes are held on Sundays from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, scheduled around the regular Mass times so that families can attend Mass together. The program runs from first grade through tenth grade, with First Communion preparation typically beginning in first grade and Confirmation preparation beginning in ninth grade. Children enrolled in St. James School follow a parallel sacramental track.
Louise Mitchell serves as Director of Faith Formation, supported by Victoria McMyne, who also serves as the parish Safe Environment Coordinator. Registration opens each spring for the following year, and fees are kept modest, with a family maximum and financial assistance available. Bilingual Spanish-English textbooks are offered for some classes.
Adult Faith Formation centers on the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the successor rite to the traditional RCIA), through which unbaptized adults, Christians seeking full communion, and already-baptized Catholics preparing for Confirmation and Eucharist are welcomed into the Church. Terry Barnes coordinates this ministry and can be reached at the parish office.
The parish also curates resources for ongoing adult learning, including the Diocese of Syracuse Catechetical Framework, the Pontifical Council's Directory for Catechesis, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' National Directory for Catechesis, and the USCCB's pastoral framework Listen, Teach, Send for youth and young adult ministry.
Reaching Out: A Faithful Feast and the Food Pantry
St. James takes seriously its call to serve neighbors beyond the parish roster. Two flagship outreach ministries meet that call every week and every month.
A Faithful Feast is a sit-down community dinner held on the second Sunday of every month from 3:00 to 4:00 PM in St. James Hall at 147 Main Street. The parish welcomes anyone in need to the table, regardless of circumstances, for a nutritious meal and fellowship. The volunteer team, led by Shannon, accepts food donations, monetary gifts, seasonally appropriate clothing, hygiene supplies, and flea-market items. Drop-off for donated goods is on or before Thursday between 7:00 and 7:30 PM at the back door lot off Lester Avenue. The meal has been covered by the Catholic Sun and the local Press Connects, and on at least one occasion the parish partnered with students from nearby Seton Catholic Central to help serve.
The Food Pantry, run across the street from the church at 130 Main Street, is open four days a week. Volunteers distribute food from noon to 2:00 PM on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday. The pantry is closed Sunday through Tuesday. Hope Matthews at the parish office (607-729-6131) can answer questions about donations or assistance.
Beyond these two ministries, the parish keeps a Community Outreach line open through the parish office for any parishioner or neighbor seeking assistance.
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Music is treated as an essential part of the liturgy. The parish quotes Saint Augustine: He who sings prays twice.
Two musical ensembles lead worship at the Sunday Masses. The Folk Group primarily sings at the 9:15 AM Sunday Mass and is led by Patricia Foley. The Choir sings at the 11:45 AM Sunday Mass and is directed by Jan DeAngelo, who, following his ordination to the Permanent Diaconate in 2026, continues as Music Director of the parish. Both ensembles welcome new singers. All music ministers are required by the Diocese of Syracuse to complete Safe Environment Training within forty-five days of beginning their ministry.
A range of Liturgical Ministries support the celebration of Mass. Ushers greet parishioners, help families find seats, take up the collection, and distribute bulletins at the close of Mass. Lectors proclaim the Scriptures to the assembly. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist during Mass and to the homebound. Altar Servers, children who have made their First Communion, assist the priest at the altar. The parish notes that all liturgical ministers must take Safe Environment Training and pass a background check before serving.
The Apostolado Hispano and the Vietnamese Community
Two distinct cultural communities worship at St. James alongside the main English-speaking parish.
The Apostolado Hispano, the parish's Spanish-language ministry, gathers in the McDevitt Room every Monday at 4:00 PM for a charismatic prayer group. On the second Saturday of each month, the community celebrates a 6:30 PM liturgy in the church, followed by fellowship. On the fourth Saturday, the community celebrates a 6:30 PM Spanish Mass. The Apostolado can be reached at (607) 798-0214.
The Vietnamese Community is served by Father John Nguyen Tuoi, who celebrates Mass in Vietnamese at 3:00 PM on the first and third Sundays of each month. Father Tuoi can be reached through the parish at (315) 734-5209.
Together these communities reflect the diversity of Johnson City and the surrounding region, and St. James makes a point of welcoming worshippers in the language of their heart.
St. James School
Sharing the parish campus is St. James School, a Catholic elementary school serving preschool through sixth grade, with preschool classes beginning at age two. The school is part of Broome County Catholic Schools and can be reached at (607) 797-5444. Father Charles's welcome notes that the school building highlights our dedication to the formation of the young people in the Catholic Tradition. Faith Formation classes for children enrolled in public school meet at the parish on Sundays, and sacramental preparation for all children - whether they attend St. James School or another local school - takes place within the parish program.
Parish Staff and Office
Pastoral care at St. James is shared by a team that includes the pastor and parochial vicar, a deacon, a religious sister, lay pastoral ministers, and administrative staff. Rev. Charles Opondo-Owora serves as Pastor (ext. 316), and Rev. John Brusa as Parochial Vicar (ext. 327). Deacon Jan DeAngelo, ordained in 2026, is assigned to the parish in addition to his ongoing role as Music Director (ext. 329). Sister Marianna Ezebuke ministers to the sick and homebound (ext. 324), and Carol A. Hall serves as Pastoral Minister (ext. 314). The Vietnamese Community is served by Rev. John Nguyen Tuoi. The Faith Formation office is staffed by Director Louise Mitchell (ext. 320), Assistant Victoria McMyne (ext. 319), and OCIA coordinator Terry Barnes (ext. 322). The music ministry is rounded out by Patricia Foley, director of the Folk Group. On the administrative side, Ryan Jenson is the Facilities and Business Manager (ext. 323), and Cynthia Cruty and Buza serve as secretaries.
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and closed on Friday. The mailing address is 147 Main Street, Johnson City, NY 13790. The main phone number is (607) 729-6147, with extensions for individual staff members and separate lines for Owens Hall, the Food Pantry, the Apostolado Hispano, and St. James School. The parish fax is (607) 797-5966. General inquiries can be emailed to stjamesjc@syrdio.org.
Safe Environment and Diocesan Standards
St. James follows the Safe Environment policies and guidelines established by the Diocese of Syracuse and Bishop Lucia. All clergy, parish employees, and volunteers age eighteen and older who serve in liturgical ministries are required to complete Safe Environment Training and undergo a background check before serving, with credentials renewed every five years. Ministries covered by the requirement include Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, music ministers, sacristans, adult altar servers, liturgical ministry leaders, lectors, commentators, greeters, ushers, and the homebound ministry. Victoria McMyne serves as the parish's Safe Environment Coordinator and can answer questions about training status.
Getting Involved
St. James offers many ways to participate beyond the pews. Newcomers can register as parishioners online or pick up a registration packet in the back of the church or at the parish office. Parishioners in need of the sacraments of Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, or Funeral Planning can call the parish office; those discerning Holy Orders can speak with Father Charles directly. Anyone interested in becoming Catholic can contact Terry Barnes to begin the OCIA process. Children and youth not attending St. James School are welcomed into Faith Formation classes on Sunday mornings.
Volunteers are needed across the parish, from liturgical ministries (ushers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and altar servers) to outreach (A Faithful Feast, the Food Pantry) and music (choir, folk group). Online giving is available through the parish's secure portal, and gifts can also be made to support the broader diocesan Catholic school system. The parish maintains a Facebook page, an email newsletter, and a YouTube livestream, all of which keep members and visitors connected to parish life.
From its 125th-anniversary history to its multilingual calendar and the meals shared around its tables, St. James Roman Catholic Church remains a place where Johnson's City Catholics come to pray, to be formed, to be fed, and to feed others.