
Home → Sites → Easter → E404 → Bulletin → Contact → Location → Electronic Giving → SP → SJm → SMM → Masssched → SJn → Chronology
Chronology
| 1835–1838 | SJm | Missionary priests from Northern Pennsylvania & Southern New York ministered to the people |
| 1839 | SP | 1st records of a Catholic congregation in Owego |
| 1842 | SP | Charles Pumpelly donates land for church to Rt. Rev John Hughes, Bp of New York |
| 1844 | SP | St Patrick received its 1st resident pastor, Rev John Sheridan |
| 1848 | SP | Rev Sheridan purchased the land on which the present church is built for $545.50 |
| 1853 | SJm | Church on Erie Street dedicated on July 23 with Mass by Rev James McManus |
| 1859 | SP | Rev Byrne built 1st parochial school house at rear of church building |
| 1860 | SJm | St James Cemetery established |
| 1863 | SP | Church enlarged & new steeple & bell added |
| 1870 | SF | Rev Francis Clark began celebrating Mass at the Kehoe home at 23 Church Street in Candor |
| 1870s | SJn | Catholic families move into the Township of Newark Valley |
| 1871 | SJm | Church on Clark Street dedicated on September 1 under the direction of Rev James Rogers |
| 1881 | SJm | Separated from the Owego Mission in January |
| 1881 | SJn | Newly built church dedicated to St John the Evangelist on January 8 |
| 1881 | SJn | The parish started as a mission church of St Patrick in Owego |
| 1890 | SP | Current church built and dedicated on December 7 |
| 1891 | SJm | August 5 Certificate of Incorporation for St James Parish |
| 1891 | SP | December 21 Certificate of Incorporation for St Patrick Parish |
| 1892 | SPX | Rev James Dunn, St Mary’s, Horseheads, celebrated Mass monthly in various homes in the Van Etten, Spencer, Erin area |
| 1892–1904 | SPX | Attendance swelled for a while in temporary quarters in a store |
| 1896 | SJm | By papal brief (December 12) Tioga County became part of the Rochester Diocese |
| 1897 | SJm | 1st canonical visit by Bp McQuaid (1st Bishop of Rochester) |
| 1904 | SPX | Attendance was so poor that the priest stopped making the trip |
| 1904–1948 | SPX | Catholics in the area had to find other places to attend Mass, such as Ithaca, Waverly, Elmira |
| 1907 | SF | Permanent altar built in the house then owned by the Kehoe’s daughter (Mrs Bert Mooney) |
| 1909 | SJn | August 18 Certificate of Incorporation for St John Parish |
| 1909 | SP | Pastor George Burns formed many spiritual organizations, including Holy Name and Sodality for Girls |
| 1912 | SJm | Church destroyed by fire on March 17 |
| 1913 | SJm | New church replaced burned one and was dedicated on November 23 by Msgr James Griffin |
| 1914 | SJn | Bp Thomas Hickey gave St John more independent status |
| 1914 | SJn | Fr John Hogan placed in charge of congregation |
| 1917–1925 | SF | Many Polish Catholics purchased farms in and around Candor |
| 1929 | SF | The Kehoe home remained the “Mass house” for nearly 60 years |
| 1929 | SF | Rev Stephen Musielak began celebrating Mass at the home of Mr & Mrs Marcyan Nagel |
| 1929 | SJn | Fr Callistus Szpara, Polish Franciscan, appointed assistant at St Patrick to minister to St John |
| 1930 | SF | A dispute arose as to whether the church should be built in Owego or Candor |
| 1930 | SF | Rev Callistus Szpara (Franciscan priest) started construction of new church in Catatonk |
| 1930 | SP | New rectory built during Rev Arthur Smith’s pastorate |
| 1931 | SF | Bp John Francis O’Hern blessed the new chapel on All Saints’ Day |
| 1931 | SF | Bp gave the church the official name and patronage of St Francis of Assisi |
| 1931 | SF | Bp O’Hern appointed a Polish-born diocesan priest, Fr Ignatius Klejna as pastor |
| 1931 | SF | Fr Klejna lived in Newark Valley and served at St John the Evangelist & St Francis of Assisi |
| 1931 | SJn | Fr Ignatius Klejna, Polish diocesan priest appointed |
| 1931 | SP | Old rectory torn down and shrine to Our Blessed Lady erected in its place |
| 1934 | SF | Fr Klejna died and there was no diocesan Polish priest old enough to be named pastor |
| 1934 | SJm | Rev Edward Lyons built rectory addition with kitchen, 2-car garage, study, bedroom & bath |
| 1934 | SJn | Fr Klejna died, no Polish-speaking priests, so St John’s reverts back to mission of St Patrick |
| 1934–1938 | SF | Both St John’s and St Francis came under the pastor of St Patrick Church in Owego |
| 1934–1938 | SF | ArchBp Edward Mooney did send Polish priests as assistants to the pastor |
| 1934–45 | SJn | Bp appoints Polish-speaking assistants to St Patrick |
| 1938 | SF | Bp James E Kearney appointed young priest finishing studies at the University of Cracow |
| 1938 | SF | Bp Kearney appointed Rev Alexander Stec to oversee St Francis & St John |
| 1941 | SJn | Church extended 25 feet to form present sanctuary, parish hall constructed |
| 1945 | SF | April 24 Certificate of Incorporation for St Francis of Assisi |
| 1945 | SF | Rev Alexander Stec was officially named pastor |
| 1945–54 | SJn | Fr Alexander Stec appointed pastor, new rectory built |
| 1948–1953 | SPX | Rev James Marvin, St James Church, Waverly, came to catechize Catholic children |
| 1948–1953 | SPX | Children went to public school, religious instructions given at the residence of Willard & Katherine Anderson |
| 1949 | SJm | Social Hall added in the basement by Rev Robert J Fox |
| 1950 | SP | Rev Michael Hynes presided over formal dedication of new St Patrick’s Parochial School |
| 1953 | SPX | Temporary chapel furnished at Sandusky’s Restaurant in Van Etten, Mission of St James |
| 1953 | SPX | 1st Van Etten Village Mass offered February 22 by Rev G. S. Hogan, Pastor St James, Waverly |
| 1954 | SJm | St James School opened with eight grades and staffed by the Sisters of St Joseph |
| 1954 | SMM | 1st Mass on November 21, at Grange Hall as mission church of St Patrick, Owego |
| 1954 | SPX | Auxiliary Bp Casey on May 22, dedicated church, consisting of a cellar, enclosed entrance |
| 1954 | SPX | Rev Michael Reder, OFM Cap. Of St Fidelis Friary Interlaken, appointed as administrator |
| 1955 | SMM | October 3 Certificate of Incorporation for St Margaret Mary Parish |
| 1956 | SMM | New Street church was dedicated. |
| 1957 | SJm | Fr Thomas Watts, a parishioner of St James, is ordained |
| 1959 | SJm | Two rooms were added to the existing school |
| 1959 | SMM | Fr Valentine Jankowiak appointed as first pastor of SMM Church |
| 1959–73 | SJn | Fr Matthew Siudara appointed pastor; 2nd Vatican Council calls for changes to sanctuary |
| 1965 | SP | 1st Parish Council organized |
| 1965 | SPX | October 7 Certificate of Incorporation for St Pius X Parish |
| 1966 | SPX | Rt Rev Msgr Donald Cleary, Pastor of St Catherine of Siena Church in Ithaca delegated by Bp Kearney, to represent him in a solemn blessing of the new church on October 9 |
| 1967 | SMM | Current church on Pennsylvania Avenue dedicated |
| 1967 | SP | New six-classroom addition to school dedicated by Bp of Rochester, Fulton J. Sheen |
| 1968 | SMM | Parish Council formed |
| 1968 | SP | 1st broadcasting of Mass over the radio started & continued for 30 years by Jim Raftis |
| 1969 | SPX | Rev Anscar Sullivan appointed |
| 1969 | SPX | Rev Bernard Kuchman appointed as pastor |
| 1973–77 | SJn | Fr Robert Donovan appointed pastor; rectory remodeled, office space & classrooms added |
| 1974 | SMM | Fr Elmer Schmidt appointed as second pastor |
| 1975 | SMM | Church hall completed |
| 1975 | SPX | Rev Robert Downs appointed as pastor |
| 1977–82 | SJn | Fr Eugene Weis appointed pastor |
| 1981 | SJn | November 7 Bp Matthew H. Clark celebrated Centennial liturgy with dinner afterward |
| 1981 | SMM | Statute of the Risen Christ in front lawn dedicated |
| 1982-86 | SJn | Fr Ralph Fraats appointed pastor |
| 1983 | SJm | Fr Thomas Watts appointed pastor |
| 1983 | SMM | Fr David Simon appointed as third pastor |
| 1984 | SMM | 1st annual Mission for evangelization and renewal |
| 1984 | SMM | 1st Pastoral Associate and 1st Pastoral Musician hired |
| 1984 | SPX | Rev Gerry Hafner appointed as pastor |
| 1985 | SMM | Stephen Ministry formed to reach out to others in time of need |
| 1986-93 | SJn | Fr Joseph McCaffrey appointed pastor; rectory sided, new roof installed |
| 1987 | SP | Pastor hired 1st Pastoral Associate to minister in parish – Sr Ann Louise Henteges |
| 1987 | SPX | Rev Thomas Watts appointed as pastor |
| 1988 | SJm | St James School closed due to lower enrollments and lack of funds |
| 1990 | SP | Church renovated for the seventh time to reflect current theology of the time |
| 1991 | SMM | Sanctuary renovated |
| 1993 | SF | Rev William Moorby appointed pastor |
| 1993 | SP | Rededication of church on August 7 |
| 1993–1995 | SF | New front entrance to church completed, interior painted, new carpeting and altar refinished |
| 1993–2003 | SJn | Fr William A Moorby appointed pastor; new statue installed in remodeled sanctuary |
| 1996 | SF | Bp Matthew H Clark rededicated church |
| 1996 | SJn | Church rededicated by Bp Matthew H. Clark |
| 1998 | SMM | Tioga Regional Pastoral Council formed to unite six parishes in Tioga County |
| 1998 | SP | Rev William A Moorby appointed 1st Pastor of St Francis, St John, & St Patrick cluster |
| 1999 | SMM | Fr Robert Ring appointed as fourth Pastor |
| 2001 | SJm | Dcn Ray Defendorf appointed Pastoral Administrator |
| 2001 | SMM | Fr David Bonin appointed as fifth Pastor |
| 2001 | SPX | Dcn Ray Defendorf served as administrator |
| 2002 | SMM | Sr Marie Suzanne Hoffman, SSJ appointed Pastoral Administrator |
| 2003 | SF | Blessed Trinity Parish formed |
| 2003 | SJm | Blessed Trinity Parish formed and Rev William A Moorby appointed Pastor |
| 2003 | SJn | Blessed Trinity Parish formed |
| 2003 | SMM | Blessed Trinity Parish formed and Rev William A Moorby appointed Pastor |
| 2003 | SP | Rev William A Moorby appointed Pastor of new Blessed Trinity Parish and St Patrick Parish |
| 2003 | SPX | Blessed Trinity Parish formed and Rev William A Moorby appointed Pastor |
| 2010 | SF | Site closed |
| 2010 | SPX | Site closed |