Our History
A small Catholic community was forming in the village of Voorheesville long before the establishment of the parish of Saint Matthew’s. Originally worshipping with neighboring church communities, requests for local Catholic services were honored in July of 1916 when Father Michael McCaffrey from Saint Lucy’s in Altamont began to celebrate Eucharist at the Voorheesville Athletic Association on Main Street. Within the year, the Catholic Building Fund Association was established with the hope of building a Catholic house of worship within the village. Local tradition suggests however, that such a vision was not everyone’s dream, and the first attempts to purchase property were resisted by property owners who would not sell their land for the church project. What was thought to be a less desirable location was purchased at the top of the hill on Center Street and the dead end of Pleasant Street. A ground breaking ceremony was scheduled for the beginning of August that year, with the laying of the cornerstone on December 3rd. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Christmas 1916 with Father McCaffrey presiding.
By spring of the following year, the interior of the church building was completed and its dedication to Saint Matthew was celebrated by the worshipping community on Sunday, June 17, 1917 with Bishop Thomas F. Cusack of the Diocese of Albany presiding. Although now housed within a new worship space, Saint Matthew’s remained a mission of Saint Lucy’s in Altamont and consisted of about thirty families.
Among the most supportive church members at that time were Joseph and Odellia Willman. They generously contributed not only to construction costs for the building itself, but also donated the church’s first organ, as well. Additionally, in 1936, the Willman’s donated the new bell tower along with the Meneely bell, which bears the name and memory of Joseph Willman. The bell was dedicated on Sunday, May 17, 1936. Local legend suggests the clock that was placed in the bell tower was limited to three sides in order that its benefits might not be extended to those who originally resisted the establishment of the church in the neighborhood. Although this seems out of character for a Christian community, no one knows for sure, if the rumor is true.
Although still a mission of Saint Lucy’s, Saint Matthew’s continued to grow and church records indicate that in 1960, plans were already forming for a larger community. In September of that year, 13 acres of land were purchased from Clifford Severson, at what was then the dead-end of Mountainview Street. With an agreement between St. Matthew’s and the village to extend the street, a future church and a new location could now be envisioned. In February of 1961, Father Boleslaus Dobrzynski received permission from Bishop William Scully to borrow up to $75,000 in order to build “your new Mission Church in Voorheesville”. Just over a year later Saint Matthew’s was created as “an irremovable parish” according “to the prescriptions of the Code of Canon Law”. On April 7, 1962, an ecclesiastical decree was issued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and signed by then Bishop William A Scully. With that decree the geographical boundaries were established and a parish dedicated to the apostle Matthew was established in the Village of Voorheesville.
Father James McManus was assigned as the first resident pastor of the new parish in 1962. He was succeeded by Father John Sise who served as pastor in 1968. Father Harold Sartoris also served as pastor in 1968 and continued until 1971 when Father John Keefe was appointed until the appointment of Father Arthur Toole in 1976. During Father Toole’s 28 year pastorate, the continued growth of Saint Matthew’s necessitated further expansion of the church facility. In 1980, a first expansion of the 1961 church was concluded with a dedication liturgy celebrated by a still very young Bishop of Albany, Howard J. Hubbard. On June 29, 1996, the church broke ground for a Parish Center, which would provide office space, classrooms, a social hall and a new kitchen facility. The new addition was dedicated on May 31, 1997. Beginning in January 2001, liturgy was celebrated in the social hall while a long desired list of improvements were made to the worship space. The Eucharist was celebrated for the first time following this renovation on Easter of 2001. Bishop Hubbard was invited back again and dedicated the new worship space on June 10th of that year.
In 2012, fifty years had passed since the Mission Church dedicated to Saint Matthew in Voorheesville, New York had been recognized as a parish in its own right and it was a community that had been richly blest. By Saint Matthew’s Golden Anniversary, Father Tom Chevalier was pastor, having been appointed in 2005 and 845 households made up our parish family. Grateful for half a century of Christian faith lived out in our midst, Saint Matthew’s marked the occasion with various activities to celebrate it’s anniversary. In 2014, Father Christopher DeGiovine was assigned as pastor of Saint Matthew’s. Fr. Chris retired on October 31, 2020 but continued to celebrate weekend Masses thru the end of December 2020. On January 1, 2021 Fr. Rick Lesser became pastor of St. Matthew's and St. Thomas, Delmar.
By spring of the following year, the interior of the church building was completed and its dedication to Saint Matthew was celebrated by the worshipping community on Sunday, June 17, 1917 with Bishop Thomas F. Cusack of the Diocese of Albany presiding. Although now housed within a new worship space, Saint Matthew’s remained a mission of Saint Lucy’s in Altamont and consisted of about thirty families.
Among the most supportive church members at that time were Joseph and Odellia Willman. They generously contributed not only to construction costs for the building itself, but also donated the church’s first organ, as well. Additionally, in 1936, the Willman’s donated the new bell tower along with the Meneely bell, which bears the name and memory of Joseph Willman. The bell was dedicated on Sunday, May 17, 1936. Local legend suggests the clock that was placed in the bell tower was limited to three sides in order that its benefits might not be extended to those who originally resisted the establishment of the church in the neighborhood. Although this seems out of character for a Christian community, no one knows for sure, if the rumor is true.
Although still a mission of Saint Lucy’s, Saint Matthew’s continued to grow and church records indicate that in 1960, plans were already forming for a larger community. In September of that year, 13 acres of land were purchased from Clifford Severson, at what was then the dead-end of Mountainview Street. With an agreement between St. Matthew’s and the village to extend the street, a future church and a new location could now be envisioned. In February of 1961, Father Boleslaus Dobrzynski received permission from Bishop William Scully to borrow up to $75,000 in order to build “your new Mission Church in Voorheesville”. Just over a year later Saint Matthew’s was created as “an irremovable parish” according “to the prescriptions of the Code of Canon Law”. On April 7, 1962, an ecclesiastical decree was issued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and signed by then Bishop William A Scully. With that decree the geographical boundaries were established and a parish dedicated to the apostle Matthew was established in the Village of Voorheesville.
Father James McManus was assigned as the first resident pastor of the new parish in 1962. He was succeeded by Father John Sise who served as pastor in 1968. Father Harold Sartoris also served as pastor in 1968 and continued until 1971 when Father John Keefe was appointed until the appointment of Father Arthur Toole in 1976. During Father Toole’s 28 year pastorate, the continued growth of Saint Matthew’s necessitated further expansion of the church facility. In 1980, a first expansion of the 1961 church was concluded with a dedication liturgy celebrated by a still very young Bishop of Albany, Howard J. Hubbard. On June 29, 1996, the church broke ground for a Parish Center, which would provide office space, classrooms, a social hall and a new kitchen facility. The new addition was dedicated on May 31, 1997. Beginning in January 2001, liturgy was celebrated in the social hall while a long desired list of improvements were made to the worship space. The Eucharist was celebrated for the first time following this renovation on Easter of 2001. Bishop Hubbard was invited back again and dedicated the new worship space on June 10th of that year.
In 2012, fifty years had passed since the Mission Church dedicated to Saint Matthew in Voorheesville, New York had been recognized as a parish in its own right and it was a community that had been richly blest. By Saint Matthew’s Golden Anniversary, Father Tom Chevalier was pastor, having been appointed in 2005 and 845 households made up our parish family. Grateful for half a century of Christian faith lived out in our midst, Saint Matthew’s marked the occasion with various activities to celebrate it’s anniversary. In 2014, Father Christopher DeGiovine was assigned as pastor of Saint Matthew’s. Fr. Chris retired on October 31, 2020 but continued to celebrate weekend Masses thru the end of December 2020. On January 1, 2021 Fr. Rick Lesser became pastor of St. Matthew's and St. Thomas, Delmar.