A Parish Born from Sandy Hill
St. Mary's Church stands at 62 Warren Street in Glens Falls, a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Albany with roots reaching back nearly two centuries. The parish began in 1847, when an Italian missionary priest named Fr. Olivetti, working out of Whitehall, persuaded two local benefactors to purchase an old stone Methodist church at 3 Church Street for $850 (roughly $33,000 in today's dollars). That purchase seeded St. Mary's from its mother parish in Sandy Hill (now Hudson Falls), the first Catholic congregation in the region, established in 1834 when the only diocese in the state was the Archdiocese of New York City. Today the parish carries the motto "God First. Loving Others. Making Disciples." a mission that shapes everything from weekday noon Mass to the food pantry that opens its doors every Friday morning.
The church building is open Monday through Friday from dawn to dusk for personal prayer, and the parish livestreams its liturgy on YouTube so that members can worship from home.
Mass, Adoration, and Reconciliation
St. Mary's offers Mass five times each week in a traditional Roman Catholic liturgy. The weekly schedule is built around two weekday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, and two Sunday Masses:
- Wednesday at 12:10 p.m.
- Thursday at 12:10 p.m.
- Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Eucharistic Adoration follows the Wednesday noon Mass and continues until 6:00 p.m., giving parishioners a long, quiet window to sit with the Blessed Sacrament. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered each Wednesday after the 12:10 p.m. Mass; confessions can also be arranged by appointment by calling the parish office at 518-792-0989. The Saturday Vigil Mass is livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, and the parish also maintains an active Facebook page and Instagram feed for daily reflections, news, and short videos.
The Seven Sacraments at St. Mary's
Each of the seven sacraments is celebrated at St. Mary's, and Sacramental Coordinator Lisa Patton shepherds families and individuals through the major milestones of Catholic life.
Baptism. Baptisms are a joyful event at St. Mary's, typically scheduled either during Sunday Mass with the parish community present or at a specially chosen time with family and friends gathered around the baptismal font. Baptisms are not celebrated during Lent, from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Parents attend a mandatory preparation class, generally held once a month, and choose one or two Catholic godparents (sponsors) to walk with their child.
First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. These sacraments are usually celebrated in second grade, after children have been prepared to understand that God wants to shower them with loving kindness and forgiveness. Preparation takes place on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., led by Youth Teacher Anne Casola, and second graders are also encouraged to participate in Faith Finders at either the 8:30 or 11:15 a.m. Sunday Mass.
Confirmation. Preparation begins with tenth-grade Next Generation on Sunday evenings, where students discuss "The Chosen" in small groups. Upon completion of tenth grade, youth are invited to Immediate Preparation for Confirmation, with the sacrament typically conferred in late fall or winter of eleventh grade.
Marriage. Marriage preparation follows a careful twelve-month timeline designed to help engaged couples plan both their liturgy and their life together. Couples meet with the pastor, deacon, or parish staff to set a date; choose Old Testament, New Testament, and Prayer of the Faithful readings; register for a Pre-Cana marriage preparation program; finalize the guest list and invitations; meet with the music director about hymns; gather baptismal records; and rehearse with the priest, music director, and wedding party the day or two before the ceremony.
Forming the Next Generation
A constellation of programs under the umbrella title "Next Generation" guides children and teens from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The aim is "preservation of tradition, while introducing new ways to engage and support our youth."
Faith Finders welcomes children in kindergarten through fourth grade during both Sunday morning Masses, 8:30 and 11:15 a.m. After Opening Prayer, the children are invited to the Parish Faith Finders Room for a kid-friendly telling of the Gospel, a short reflection, and a related activity before rejoining their families before the Offertory. The program is free and runs throughout the year, with a goal of twenty-five sessions per child.
FILM, "Falling in Love with Mass," is the fifth-grade Sunday-evening program. Youth gather at St. Mary's Academy at 4:45 p.m. for snacks and fellowship, then cross the street to explore every part of the Mass. Greeters, ushers, lectors, sacristans, Eucharistic ministers, the live stream team, the music director, and Fr. Scott all take turns showing the children how the parish liturgy actually works. By late October, every participant is trained as an altar server.
Our Ancient Roots (O.A.R.) is the sixth-grade journey through the Old Testament. Students receive their own Catholic Youth Bible, Great Adventure Bible Tabs, and a carrying case, and learn the people, places, and events of salvation history through storytelling, skits, video, and a class service project of their choice.
The Chosen, for seventh through twelfth graders, takes place Sunday evenings from 4:45 to 6:00 p.m. Centered on the multi-season drama about the life and ministry of Jesus, the program combines viewing episodes with small-group reflection, comparison with the biblical source material, and regular community service projects.
For children who were not baptized as infants or who have not yet received catechesis, the parish offers the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) during the Family Faith Formation meeting time. OCIA Coordinator Jean Paul leads this track for children age seven and older.
OCIA and Small Groups for Adults
Adults who have never been baptized, those baptized in another Christian tradition, and baptized Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation or First Eucharist find a home in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). OCIA is a process of formation, prayer, and liturgical rites that has served as the pathway into the Church since the earliest centuries. Participants typically meet in small groups to study, pray, and reflect. The journey can take a full year or just a few months, depending on each person's background. Jean and Gordon Paul coordinate the parish's OCIA program.
St. Mary's Small Groups are the heart of adult faith formation outside the liturgy. Known as "where our large church gets small," the groups meet for about an hour to discuss faith, go deeper into a weekly message, and support one another in their relationship with Christ. A typical meeting includes fifteen minutes of fellowship, an opening prayer, a video on the week's theme, group discussion guided by prepared questions, announcements, and a closing prayer. The parish currently partners with Father Mike Schmitz on the "Bible in 2 Years" series, with the fall session running for eleven weeks beginning in late September. Discussion guides and weekly reflections from Fr. Scott VanDerveer appear on the parish's YouTube channel.
Music Ministry and the Choir
"The one who sings prays twice," St. Augustine said, and the Music Ministry at St. Mary's is built around a single choir that shares its time among the 4:00 p.m., 8:30 a.m., and 11:15 a.m. weekend Masses. The choir rehearses once a week from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the church, preparing music for the upcoming Sunday and for special liturgies such as Christmas, Holy Week, and Confirmation. On any given Sunday morning the choir gathers before Mass for a final run-through of the music. Music Director Ben Rowley leads the program and welcomes new members.
The Food Pantry and Twenty Service Teams
The St. Mary's Food Pantry is one of the most visible expressions of the parish's call to "love others." Open every Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the pantry has recently moved to a new location next to the Rectory garage and serves both parishioners and the wider Glens Falls and Queensbury community. Guests may receive food twice a month, and the parish welcomes donations of nonperishable goods (dropped off just inside the church entrance Monday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) as well as monetary contributions.
The pantry is one of more than twenty service teams that organize parish life. The teams are gathered under six headings:
- Care Ministries: Works of Mercy and Social Justice, Homebound/Pastoral Care, Bereavement, and the Food Pantry.
- Weekend Experience Ministries: Livestream, Music, Lector, Coffee Hour Host, Ushers and Greeters, and Welcome Desk.
- Church Operations Ministries: Office Volunteer, Cemetery Office, Buildings and Grounds, Sanctuary Care, Grant Writing, Parking Lot (a fundraiser during Civic Center events), Heavy Lifters, and Decorators.
- Evangelization Ministries: Small Group Host, Communications, and Respect Life.
- Connecting with Faith Ministries: Spiritual Life, Small Groups leadership, and OCIA.
- Youth Engagement: Scholarship review, Next Generation teaching, and Scouts.
The Respect Life ministry "promotes the teachings of the Catholic Church on the Life Issues, and invite[s] all to embrace God's gift of Life." The Knights of Columbus council also meets at St. Mary's, inviting Catholic men to support the parish, serve the community, and grow in faith through the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization. Anyone joining a Ministry Team must complete the Diocese of Albany's Safe Environment training through CMG Connect, renewed every five years.
St. Mary's Academy Across the Street
Just across the street from the church stands St. Mary's Academy (SMA), a Pre-K through eighth-grade Catholic school that the parish describes as "the school that has a parish." Fr. Scott names the SMSA formula: (1) elongate kids' childhoods by giving them a values-rich environment; (2) form them as leaders from kindergarten forward; and (3) inoculate them against despair by pairing social-emotional learning with spiritual growth. The school has its own admissions process and "Kerry Blue" newsletter, and supports the parish through annual fundraising, including a dedicated giving page. The school is also referenced as "St. Mary's | St. Alphonsus School," and scholarships are available to its graduates through the parish's scholarship program.
Cemeteries, Scholarships, and the Great Hall
St. Mary's oversees two cemeteries that serve the wider Catholic community. St. Mary's Cemetery sits at 225 Main Street in South Glens Falls, and St. Alphonsus Cemetery is located at 52 Luzerne Road in Queensbury. Both are gradually being documented through Find a Grave, an ongoing project expected to take a few more years to complete. The Cemetery Committee, formed under the administration of Fr. Joseph Manorowski, supports the operations of both properties and recommends improvements.
The parish also administers a Scholarship Program for registered members of St. Mary's Church and graduates of St. Mary's Academy who are enrolled in an undergraduate college or vocational school. Awards are based on financial need, academic achievement, and service, and a student may receive a scholarship up to four times. The funds come from several named endowments, including the Foley-Burns Memorial Fund, the Patrick Moynehan Memorial Fund, the Raymond A. Balcom Scholarship Fund, the Elizabeth Sullivan Elementary Teacher's Fund, and the Sylvester T. Marzola Fund. A separate fund in honor of Monsignor Daniel F. Curtin is available for students attending Holy Cross College.
The Great Hall at Saint Mary's is the parish's event venue, available for gatherings that range from wedding receptions to parish fundraisers.
Leadership and Stewardship
Fr. Scott VanDerveer serves as pastor. He records weekly homilies and reflections on the parish YouTube channel and on his own "Sharing Spot" channel, and posts short prayer recordings (the Serenity Prayer, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and the Lord's Prayer) for parishioners who want to pray along at home. Assisting him are Deacon David Powers, Fr. Liam Condon (retired), and Fr. Joseph Manorowski (retired), all listed for clergy assistance.
The parish staff includes Ben Rowley (Music Director), Amanda Jansen (Communications Director and Next Generation Coordinator), Lisa Patton (Sacramental Coordinator), Alison Hancock (Volunteer Coordinator), and Jean and Gordon Paul (OCIA Coordinators). Gary Patton serves as Business and Operations Manager, handling weddings, funerals, buildings and grounds, and the cemeteries.
Stewardship at St. Mary's is built on four kinds of giving: Planned Giving (budgeting a set amount), Priority Giving (giving to God first), Percentage Giving (committing a share of income), and Progressive Giving (raising that percentage over time). Online eGiving is available through the parish's giving platform, and a Stewardship Commitment form is posted each year so that families can pray over and plan their annual gift. The parish links giving directly to its three-part mission: God first, loving others, making disciples.