A Parish in Loudonville, Tied to Albany's Sacred Heart

St. Pius X Catholic Church sits at 23 Crumitie Road in Loudonville, a hamlet within the Town of Colonie just north of Albany. The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and shares a network relationship with Sacred Heart Parish, located at 33 Walter Street in Albany. Sacred Heart is staffed from St. Pius X, with the pastor serving both communities, and its food pantry and outreach programs are part of how the parish expresses its mission beyond its own walls.

From a Mission Chapel to a Post-Vatican II Church

The history of St. Pius X begins with the Catholic families of Loudonville in the late nineteenth century, who traveled by carriage, farm wagon, or on foot into Albany or Watervliet to attend Mass. Wealthy residents of Loudonville employed young Irish immigrants as domestic staff, and the difficulty of reaching church prompted turnover among those workers. State Senator William T. Byrne helped the community approach Bishop Thomas F. Cusack, who approved a mission chapel on Route 9 under the auspices of St. Francis de Sales Church in West Albany.

Father James E. Kelly celebrated the first Mass in the Loudon Town Hall on April 15, 1916. A census conducted with Miss Marion Rahill identified thirty to forty Catholic families in the area, and the church of St. Pius V was incorporated on June 15, 1916. The cornerstone of the mission chapel on Loudon Road was laid on July 16, 1916, with the first services held that October.

On September 23, 1951, Bishop Edmund F. Gibbons established St. Pius V as an independent parish and appointed Reverend Gerald H. Kirwin as its first resident pastor. The parish was renamed for St. Pius X on May 29, 1954, the date of that pope's canonization, the same day the cornerstone of the church and auditorium was laid. The Sisters of St. Joseph staffed the parish school from its 1951 opening through the late 1990s. On September 25, 1969, Bishop Edwin B. Broderick dedicated the current church, the first new church built in the Diocese of Albany after Vatican II. Father Kirwin was succeeded by Monsignor Joseph P. Conway, Father Thomas C. Brown, and Very Rev. Michael A. Farano. Father James J. Walsh became pastor in July 2013.

After more than thirteen years at the helm, Father Walsh retired on September 30, 2026, and Father Brian Kelly became pastor on October 1, 2026. The parish marked the transition with a gathering after the vigil Mass on September 26 and welcomes during the September 26-27 weekend.

The Parish Life Center

In October 2020, the parish broke ground on a 15,000-square-foot Parish Life Center designed to help parishioners deepen their faith, support those in pain, and build relationships. Bishop Edward Scharfenberger blessed the new building at a ribbon cutting on April 3, 2022. The center now houses the Fatima Room, where Sunday babysitting takes place, along with the Upper Room, Veronica Room, and Martin Room used for small groups, faith formation, and recovery meetings.

Mass, Confession, and Adoration

The weekend Mass schedule at St. Pius X is shaped around three Sunday morning Masses and one Saturday vigil: Saturday at 5:00 p.m., Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. Daily Mass is celebrated on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at 9:00 a.m., and on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard each Saturday from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. in the Chapel, and the parish also offers an Advent and a Lenten Penance Service each year. Eucharistic Adoration takes place on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel.

Two programs run alongside the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass: a Kid's Bible program for children ages 3 to 6, and a babysitting program for children 18 months to 3 years in the Fatima Room of the Parish Life Center. All babysitters are background-checked and have completed Safe Environment training. The Sunday Mass is livestreamed, and recordings are available for later viewing.

The Faith Formation Pipeline, Kindergarten through Confirmation

The parish offers a continuous track of faith formation from kindergarten through the senior year of high school. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade attend Religious Education on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 9:50 a.m. during the school year. The Journey program gathers middle school and high school students under the name Foundations, Disciples, Called, and Sent.

Foundations serves students in grades 6 through 8 and meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, using games, group discussions, and engaging lessons to teach the basics of the Catholic faith. Disciples, for high school students, meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month and alternates between fellowship-focused evenings and service projects. The Called program, the first year of Confirmation preparation, begins in 9th grade and includes monthly classes following the 12:00 p.m. Mass, ten service hours, family projects during Advent and Lent, and a retreat. Sent, the second year of Confirmation preparation, gathers candidates in 10th grade for twelve sessions focused on the sacrament and the role of the Holy Spirit.

Gather 10 Small Groups

The parish describes its Gather 10 ministry as the place where the great big church becomes a great small church. Each group is made up of six to ten people who meet in a member's home for about ninety minutes, discuss the previous Sunday's readings using questions provided by the parish, and pray together. New groups form in the fall and again in the spring. There are no fees and no prerequisites: anyone, Catholic or not, may join, and some groups continue meeting long after their first four weeks.

That Man Is You and She Shall Be Called Woman

Two structured programs serve men and women in the parish. That Man Is You meets on Friday mornings at 6:00 a.m. and includes breakfast, fellowship, and prayer; the fall semester typically begins in September. She Shall Be Called Woman is a nine-week program for women of the parish that meets Monday evenings and includes a short video followed by small-group discussion. Both programs are coordinated with the parish staff and run on seasonal cycles.

The Young Adult Community

Young adults in their twenties and thirties, married or single, are invited into Catholic faith, fellowship, and service through the Young Adult Ministry. The group publishes its own newsletter and gathers regularly under the coordination of the youth and young adult minister.

Family Ministry

Family Ministry at St. Pius X is built around giving parents of young children a place to connect, let their children play, and grow together in faith. Monthly playgroups for parents with children under five are held at the parish, and a Mom's Book Club meets on selected Thursday evenings. The Family Ministry Coordinator works with the parish staff to organize the gatherings and is the contact for anyone interested in joining.

St. Pius X School

St. Pius X School has shared its campus with the parish since 1951. Originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph, the school continues as a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade program and serves both parish and non-parish families. The school building is also used on Sunday mornings for the K-5 Religious Education program.

Service, Meals, and the Sacred Heart Food Pantry

Service is at the heart of the parish's mission statement, and St. Pius X organizes its outreach around named programs. The Meal Ministry provides short-term home-delivered meals to parishioners recovering from illness, hospitalization, the loss of a loved one, or the birth of a child. The HATAS Feed and Read program fills backpacks with food and an age-appropriate book for children served by HATAS in the Albany City School District. A team from the parish cooks and serves dinner at the Capital City Rescue Mission. The Men's Service Team completes small projects for parishioners who cannot do them themselves.

St. Pius X also collects food monthly for the Sacred Heart Food Pantry in Albany. The pantry is open Tuesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m., and clients may visit once a month or in emergencies. Sacred Heart's Friendship Table Soup Kitchen serves a hot lunch on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Helping Hands, Hospitality, and the Photography Ministry

Helping Hands assists with setup and breakdown for parish events. The Hospitality Ministry organizes monthly gatherings after the 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Masses and welcomes new parishioners with a wine and cheese event. The Photography Ministry, led by experienced photographers, documents parish events and trains new members. St. Pius X counts more than eighty ministries in active rotation, including the Marian Garden Ministry, the International Committee, the Judy Ranalli Clothing Drive, and a St. Vincent de Paul conference.

Pastoral Care, Bereavement, Divorce, and Caregiver Support

The Pastoral Care office at St. Pius X reaches out to parishioners who are hospitalized, homebound, aging, or facing crisis, and coordinates hospital visits and the delivery of the Eucharist. Seasons of Hope, the parish bereavement program, runs twice a year in six-week sessions, with the fall series beginning in early October. The Divorce Support Group meets every other Sunday morning in the Veronica Room. A Caregiver Support Group meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 11:00 a.m. to noon. The parish also hosts a continuous A.A. meeting on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Martin Room, and supports the Gabriel Project, a confidential outreach for women facing unplanned pregnancies.

The Senior Community

Seniors at St. Pius X have their own calendar of events, including Senior Bingo, the Senior PEP Lunch, monthly luncheons, and occasional bus trips. Past outings have included a trip to the Otesaga Resort in Cooperstown with a stop at the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard.

Scouting and Recreation

The parish hosts active Girl Scout troops from kindergarten through twelfth grade, as well as Cub Scout Pack 1078 and Scouts BSA Troop 1078. SPX Soccer, a recreational program for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, runs on Saturday mornings each fall on the school fields. SPX Basketball and the parish's Festive Friday social event round out the athletics calendar.

Becoming Catholic

Adults interested in the Catholic faith join the parish's OCIA process, which begins each September following the 10:00 a.m. Mass. Unbaptized adults, Christians baptized in another denomination, and baptized Catholics preparing for Confirmation and First Eucharist are all welcomed. The process includes formation meetings, liturgical rites during Advent and Lent, and reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil.

Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Anointing, Marriage

Infant baptisms are scheduled on designated Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year, with a Baptismal Preparation Class offered beforehand. First Eucharist is open to children in second grade and older, prepared through the Religious Education program. The Anointing of the Sick is offered each Tuesday following the 9:00 a.m. Mass or by appointment through the parish office. Marriage preparation at St. Pius X follows the To Have and To Hold program, a series of four sessions run by married mentor couples, and the parish asks engaged couples to contact the office at least six months before the desired wedding date.

Music at St. Pius X

The Music Ministry is led by Music Director Brian Hoffman and supports the parish's weekend and daily Masses, weddings, and funerals. Sample hymn recordings for both funerals and weddings are available on the parish site, ranging from traditional hymns such as Amazing Grace, Be Not Afraid, On Eagle's Wings, and How Great Thou Art to classical processionals such as Pachelbel's Canon in D, Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary, and Mouret's Rondeau.

Giving, Stewardship, and Communications

Online giving is available through the parish's giving portal, with options for one-time and recurring gifts. Planned giving, stock transfers through the Diocese of Albany's brokerage account, and text-to-give are all supported. The parish publishes an annual Finance and Stewardship Report, distributed with the Tuesday Update, which goes out every Tuesday evening and serves as the parish's online bulletin. A podcast called Who's in my Pew features conversations with parishioners, clergy, and guests about faith stories and life at St. Pius X.

Staff and Pastoral Council

The parish is led by Pastor Father Brian Kelly, Parochial Vicar Father Daniel Vallejo, and Deacon Marty Dinan. The Pastoral Associate, Pastoral Care Associate, Director of Religious Education, Music Director, Youth and Young Adult Minister, Family Ministry Coordinator, Service Coordinators, School Principal, Business Manager, Marketing Director, and Audio Visual Director round out the staff team. The Parish Council, led by President Kevin Quaranto, includes Vice President Nate Maloney, Secretary Jessica Morelli, and several at-large members.

Visiting St. Pius X

The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to attend a weekend Mass, register as parishioners, and explore the many small groups, service opportunities, and faith formation programs the parish offers. The Saturday vigil and the three Sunday Masses are the most natural entry points for newcomers, and the Kid's Bible and babysitting programs are open to any family attending the 10:00 a.m. Mass.