St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church

Albany, New York is not only the capital of New York State, but the nation’s  oldest incorporated city which stands at the crossing of the historic routes that link Boston with the “Near West” and Montreal with New York City. St. Mary’s in Albany was New York State’s second, and upstate New York’s first Roman Catholic parish.  Due to its close association with Albany since its incorporation in 1796, St. Mary’s has had a rich and interesting history as one of America’s oldest Catholic churches and the first cathedral parish of the Catholic Diocese of Albany.

The history of Catholicism in Upstate New York revolves around the history of Mary's Church in Albany. Even before its official incorporation on October 6, 1796 as "The Roman Catholic Church in the City of Albany," the site of this present church was blessed by the presence of St. Isaac Jogues, who as a prisoner of the Mohawk Indians, crept away from his captors from the Dutch barn which stood near this present church. In 1805, Dr. O'Brien, pastor of St. Mary's, having been transferred to St. Peter's in New York City, received St. Elizabeth Seton into the Catholic Church. St. John Neumann, on route to his assignment in Western New York, would stop to celebrate Mass at St. Mary's. Continue reading here.