Celebrating 10 Years of Faith, Inclusion, and Community at St. John of God Parish

This October, St. John of God Parish reaches a wonderful milestone: 10 years of ministry in Schenectady! On Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., we will gather for a special Anniversary Mass celebrating a decade of worship, fellowship, service, and, above all, welcome.

Our story began in October 2016 in a place that seems especially appropriate for a parish named for the patron saint of hospitals. St. John of God began as a small mission worshipping in the chapel of the Ellis Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at the former St. Clare’s Hospital. Residents gathered for Sunday Communion services, family members began joining them, and gradually a new faith community took root.

Those humble beginnings remind us that the Church is ultimately not a building. The Church is people gathered together in faith.

As our community grew, St. John of God transitioned from a mission to a parish of the Catholic Apostolic Church in North America (CACINA). When the nursing home later closed, our parish faced an uncertain future. That uncertainty became an unexpected blessing when we found a new home at Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church. Their congregation welcomed us with extraordinary kindness and hospitality, beginning an ecumenical relationship for which we remain deeply grateful.

Through all the changes of the past decade, our identity has become clearer and stronger. We are an independent, inclusive, Catholic and welcoming community. Our mission is beautifully simple: to love everyone just as Jesus loves us. Our vision calls us to proudly identify as progressive and inclusive, while our values challenge us to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”

For us, inclusion is more than something printed on a website or displayed on a banner. It is something we strive to live. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, whatever your background, whatever your family looks like, and wherever you have worshipped—or not worshipped—before, there is a place for you here. At St. John of God, everyone is welcome to receive Holy Communion.

Our anniversary celebration will also give us an opportunity to thank the many clergy, lay leaders, musicians, ministry partners, friends, and parishioners who have contributed to our life together. We are especially delighted that vocalist Rebecca Oliver will share her musical gifts with us. Following Mass, everyone is invited to continue the celebration with dinner in the Fellowship Hall.

Ten years ago, a handful of people gathered in a nursing-home chapel. None of us could have known exactly where the journey would lead.

And the journey is not finished.

As we celebrate our first decade, we give thanks for all that has been, for the community we are today, and for everything God is still calling us to become.

Please join us Sunday, October 11 at 3:00 p.m. as we celebrate 10 Years of Ministry at St. John of God Parish.

Faith • Inclusion • Community • Hope

St. John of God Parish — Home at Last.