SULLIVAN COUNTY — As outlined by Cardinal Timothy Dolan on July 26, Catholic Churches across Sullivan County will begin their “merged mass schedule” starting this weekend.

Citing a declining number of men entering the priesthood as well as lower attendance at Catholic masses, Cardinal Dolan unveiled the restructuring in a letter to all parishioners in late July.

Now the changes are going into effect.

Sullivan County will be divided into four Catholic Parishes, two along Route 97 and two along Route 17.

The Callicoon-Obern-burg-Jeffersonville Region will be ministered by Callicoon’s priest, Father John Kennady with the help of St. George’s pastor, Rev. Roland Antony Raj, MMI.

The churches in this region include: 

• St. Patrick’s in Long Eddy

• Holy Cross in Callicoon,

• St. Mary’s in Obernburg,

• St. George’s in Jeffersonville, and 

• St. Francis in Youngsville.

In a bulletin to parishioners, Father Kennady said beginning the weekend of October 4 and 5 the following masses will be held:

Saturday, October 4

• St. Mary, Obernburg

3:30 p.m. Exposition of the Eucharist and Confession

4 p.m. - Holy Mass

• St. Francis, Youngsville

5:30 p.m. - Holy Mass

Sunday, October 5

• St. Patrick, Long Eddy

8 a.m. - Holy Mass

• Holy Cross, Callicoon

9:30  - Confession

10 a.m. - Holy Mass

• St. George, Jeffersonville

11 a.m. - Confession

11:30 a.m. - Holy Mass

The Liberty-Woodbourne- Livingston Manor Region includes:

• Gate of Heaven in Roscoe, 

• St. Aloysius in Livingston Manor,

• St. Peter’s in Liberty, and

• Immaculate Conception in Woodbourne.

In the September 21 St. Peter’s Church Bulletin it was announced, “We extend a great, big St. Peter’s welcome to Fr. Thomas Mestriparampil, who will be with us for the next 2 weekends while Fr. Bader enjoys some very well-deserved time off. After that, he will remain in Sullivan County where he will assist Fr. Bader and Fr. Porpora (of St. Peter’s in Monticello) in ministering to the Catholic faithful of Sullivan County.

Saturday, October 4

• St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Liberty

7 p.m. Holy Mass (Spanish)

• Immaculate Conception, Woodbourne 

4 p.m. - Holy Mass (English)

Sunday, October 5

• St. Aloysius Church, Livingston Manor

8:30 a.m. English

• St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Liberty

10:30 a.m. English (This Mass is livestreamed on their Parish Facebook page.)

4:30 p.m.  English

The Narrowsburg-Yulan Region includes is shepherded by Father Wency Rodrigues and included:

• Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Narrowsburg;

• Our Lady of the Lake in Lake Huntington

• St. Anthony of Padua - St. Thomas Aquinus in Yuland and 

• Sacred Heart in Pond Eddy.

Father Wency said, “Father Roland will be our floater for one or two masses each week.

The new scheduled includes:

Saturdays

Our Lady of the Lake

Lake Huntington 

4 p.m. - Holy Mass (This mass will continue throughout the month of October, when it will then move to Saint Francis Xavier Parish for the remainder of the fall and winter)

St. Athony of Padua in Yulan

5:30 p.m. - Holy Mass

Sundays

Saint Francis Xavier Parish

Narrowsburg

9:30 a.m. - Holy Mass

St. Anthony of Padua 

in Yulan

11:30 a.m. - Holy Mass

In honor of St. Francis of Assisi two of the churches will be hosting a Blessing of on Saturday Otober 4. St Anthony of Padua in Yulan will be blessing the animals at 10 a.m. while Saint Francis Xavier in Narrowsburg will be blessing the animals at 1 p.m.

The Monticello-Wurtsboro Region includes:

• St. Anne of the Lake in White Lake

• St. Joseph in Mongaup Valley

• Church of St. Peter in Monticello

• St. Joseph in Wurtsboro.

Beginning in late September, the new mass schedule includes:

Saturdays

St. Joseph in Wurtsboro

4 p.m. - Holy Mass (Confessions from 3:15 -3:45 p.m.

St. Peter’s in Monticello

6 p.m. - Holy Mass

Sundays

St. Peter’s Monticello

7:30 a.m. - Holy Mass

11:30 a.m. - Holy Mass

1:15 p.m. - Spanish (Holy Mass)

St. Joseph’s in Wurtsboro

9:30 a.m. - Holy Mass