Diocese of Ogdensburg celebrates 150 years
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Feb. 11—OGDENSBURG — What happened in Rome on February 16, 1872, didn't stay in Rome when Pope Pius IX separated what was then a sprawling Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.
The Diocese of Ogdensburg — encompassing Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, as well as northern Herkimer County — was created.
"REMEMBER, RENEW, REJOICE'
On Saturday at 3 p.m., the Diocese is opening its celebration of its 150th anniversary, themed "Remember, Renew, Rejoice," with a Holy Hour — time for prayer with the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Jesus — at St. Mary's Cathedral, Ogdensburg.
Parishes, organizations and faithful around the diocese are encouraged to join the celebration by hosting similar prayer services the week of Feb. 6.
The Most Reverend Terry R. LaValley, Bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg said:
"As we celebrate 150 years as the Church of the North Country, we remember those who came before us, sowing the seeds of faith and building the foundation upon which we stand now; we renew our commitment to Christ, the mission He gave the Church and to serving the lost, rejected and forgotten; and we rejoice in the many gifts and blessings which come from the Lord."
BEHEMOTH
The Diocese of Ogdensburg, covering an area of 12,036 square miles, is comprised of 78 parishes and three mission parishes made up of 101 worship sites, 16 parochial oratories, two high schools, eight elementary schools and one nursing home.
Catholics are served by 49 active diocesan priests, nine priests belonging to religious institutions, and five priests belonging to other dioceses.
At Fort Drum, two priests of the Archdiocese for Military Services serve as chaplains.
"I had heard talk of that everyone initially assumed that Plattsburgh was going to be the hub of the diocese, but I had never seen anything in print about it, and then, I found something in print about it," Darcy L. Fargo, communications director, said.
In the Plattsburgh Sentinel, Feb. 23, 1872 edition it states:
"We hear that Rev. Father McNeirny has received the appointment of the new R.C. Diocese of Plattsburgh."
"I have heard people here say that when one of the churches in Plattsburgh was constructed, it was constructed with the intention that it was going to be the Cathedral of the Diocese," Fargo said.
"It goes to show you some of the differences in the news cycle from then to now. Of course, the actual Diocese was formed on Feb. 16. So when this rumor was being published, the Diocese of Ogdensburg had already been formed and Bishop Wadhams had been named its bishop.
"I did look at subsequent issues of the Plattsburgh Sentinel, and they never made a correction or anything like that. It was just all of a sudden they were talking about the Diocese of Ogdensburg."
Ogdensburg was selected for its location.
"I assume, probably, because it's more central given the size of our diocese and the fact that it does extend down as far Jefferson County and Lewis County as well," Fargo said.
"It gives us a little bit more central than Plattsburgh whereas it would probably be over three hours to get from some place like Croghan or Lowville to Plattsburgh. Almost everybody is within two hours of Ogdensburg.
"It started out with very small mission parishes then gradually grew. We were originally part of the Diocese of Albany, which at that point was absolutely massive. And as the numbers of Catholics grew it and as the numbers of churches grew, it just became almost unwieldy."
"HOLY HOUR'
Wednesday's anniversary date will be marked with a simple Holy Hour at St. Mary's Cathedral.
"The Bishop will have the Blessed Sacrament, so the Eucharist, Jesus in the form of the Eucharist, and they place it in a monstrance, kind of a golden receptacle, and people pray," Fargo said.
"They are usually quite ornate and gold and almost looks like frames or something like that. The Eucharist sets at the center of it. It's an opportunity for people to pray looking at Jesus.
"We have a Prayer Service that specifically prays for the intersession of every Saint for whom a parish in our Diocese is named.
"It's a litany of the saints, so the Prayer Service includes that and some scripture readings and then just an opportunity for people to pray with Jesus there."
The Diocese has made those resources available to parishes.
"So if they want to hold similar events in their locations that week of Feb. 16, they can do so," Fargo said.
CELEBRATION CAPSTONE
The capstone of the celebration will begin with Vespers, evening prayer, on Aug. 9 and continue with an Anniversary Mass on Aug. 10, the Feast of St. Lawrence, both at St. Mary's Cathedral in Ogdensburg.
Events are also planned throughout the year, including:
An Octave of Service — eight days set aside for parishes, organizations and individuals to serve each other, their communities and the Church — from May 19 to 26.
Celebrations highlighting the 70th anniversary of St. Mary's Cathedral in Ogdensburg and the 50th anniversary of Camp Guggenheim, the diocesan youth camp in Saranac Lake.
A website and "story map" devoted to collecting and sharing stories of historical significance of the diocese.
In conjunction with the 150th anniversary, the Diocese is participating in the "Synod on Synodality" called by Pope Francis to create opportunities for what Vatican documents describe as "listening and dialogue on the local level" with the goal of "humbly learning together how God is calling us to be as the Church in the third millennium."
Dialogue is being fostered at the diocesan and local parish and organization levels.
Additionally, as the diocese celebrates its anniversary, it is refocusing on the Eucharist, Jesus Christ's present body and blood, soul and divinity in the form of bread and wine by offering faith formation opportunities.
Email Robin Caudell:
Twitter:@RobinCaudell
