"St. Clement’s Church -- a sort of Spiritual Spa, a religious oasis, where the waters of regeneration have flowed freely for fifty years in the soul-refreshing baths of baptism and the other salutary sacraments."
- Rev. Ronald Connors, 1967
Deboarah Austin, “St. Clement’s Church, Saratoga,” 2012.
St. Clement’s Church, in Saratoga Springs, New York, has been a growing and changing community for over a century, with origins on the sacred land of Native American tribes. The congregation
did not officially begin until 1917, but the Catholic community’s history in
the region dates to a more distant past. In the nineteenth century the Catholic Redemptorist
Order established a seminary and retreat for their traveling missionaries. In the same century, Catholics began
retreating and vacationing in the popular resort town known for its health
springs and cool summer climate. As they
began to lay permanent roots, the first Catholic congregation, St. Peter’s
Church, quickly hit capacity. Answering
the call for a new Catholic institution, the Redemptorists moved to East
Saratoga to establish St. Clement’s Church in its current location on Lake
Avenue. Since then, the parish has experienced several transformations to
accommodate the growing and socially conscious congregation, including changes
to both physical foundations and spiritual practice.
Catholic Immigration to New York
Immigrants on the steerage deck of an ocean steamer. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, July 2, 1887. Click on image to see National Park Service page.
Since the seventeenth century, these missionaries had travelled from the province of Québec, Canada, through Saratoga, en route to New York City, where they departed for international missions. The combination of springs, forests, and cool air motivated Redemptorists to continuously stop in Saratoga, believing that “no more healthful a place could be selected where missionaries could recuperate and rest from long and tiring missionary work.”
Beyond the Redemptorists, two separate waves of immigrants transformed Saratoga’s Catholic community. Irish immigrants retreating from the Irish potato famine found refuge in Canada and began to stream into Saratoga Springs to work on the growing local railroad industry. The end of the nineteenth century saw a rise of Italian immigrants to Ellis Island, in New York City, who also came to Saratoga to work on the railroad. This flood of Italian migrants replaced the Irish community in West Saratoga, which moved to East Saratoga. Both groups attended St. Peter’s Church in East Saratoga until it was beyond capacity.
Congregation's Early History:
Glen Mitchell Estate
“Toboggan Slide at Ben Riley’s Saratoga Springs NY,” 1909.
When Redemptorist missionaries arrived in Saratoga, Glen Mitchell, a former hotel and resort destination, caught their eye. Glen Mitchell's grounds were once a “sacred Native American oasis,” and with missionary arrival it became sacred once again. Missionaries christened the building St. Theresa’s College, but later renamed it St. Clement’s College after the 1888 beatification of the Redemptorist saint. The Order built a Shrine and Grotto to commemorate Our Lady of Lourdes around 1898. Our Lady of Lourdes is an apparition of the Virgin Mary that is said to have occurred in Lourdes, France, in 1858. This apparition brought miraculous healing properties to nearby mineral springs. Our Lady of Lourdes was a popular Catholic subject in the nineteenth century, but this shrine holds a deeper connection with Saratoga. Saratoga, like Lourdes, has been renowned for its own healing springs since before European arrival. The Shrine and Grotto at St. Clement’s thus creates a parallel between local religious history and a famous international Catholic apparition.
Move to Lake Avenue
Photo courtesy of St. Clement's School.
Date unknown.
The first mass on October 14, 1917 attracted 350 local Catholics. After receiving such exciting initial attention, the St. Clement’s congregation grew from its relatively meager beginnings to over 430 families by the end of 1922. What began as a simple parish and school developed into a large complex of buildings, though church services took place in the basement of St. Clement's School for many years (see image, left).
An early addition to St. Clement’s was a convent in 1931 built for the Sisters of Notre Dame who taught at St. Clement’s School. After nuns left St. Clement’s and the school began charging students tuition to pay teachers’ salaries, the institution faced financial problems. Church authorities eventually established this school as the regional Catholic elementary school while the school at St. Peter’s became the regional Catholic high school.
Despite the change of location in 1917, the Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine remained at Glen Mitchell until 1923. The shrine moved the Shrine to St. Clement’s from Glen Mitchell, where the parish community could admire its beauty. Until the 1960s, the Shrine included a fountain from which holy water flowed. In the winter, a nativity scene accompanies Our Lady. In preparation for the construction of the present church building in 1967, church authorities moved the shrine to a different location on the property.
An early addition to St. Clement’s was a convent in 1931 built for the Sisters of Notre Dame who taught at St. Clement’s School. After nuns left St. Clement’s and the school began charging students tuition to pay teachers’ salaries, the institution faced financial problems. Church authorities eventually established this school as the regional Catholic elementary school while the school at St. Peter’s became the regional Catholic high school.
Despite the change of location in 1917, the Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine remained at Glen Mitchell until 1923. The shrine moved the Shrine to St. Clement’s from Glen Mitchell, where the parish community could admire its beauty. Until the 1960s, the Shrine included a fountain from which holy water flowed. In the winter, a nativity scene accompanies Our Lady. In preparation for the construction of the present church building in 1967, church authorities moved the shrine to a different location on the property.
St. Clement's Golden Jubilee to the Present
Image from "St. Clement: Saratoga Springs, NY," 1967.
1967 brought about the Golden Jubilee on the church’s fiftieth anniversary, and a new parish structure. With a congregation of 800 families, the church rejoiced at the development. The church, which seats 816 parishioners, was dedicated during the jubilee to symbolize the congregation’s great transformation in its first fifty years.
Construction continued after 1967. In 1993, St. Clement’s opened up a parish center to meet the growing demands of its now over 2,100 families. 40 years after the new church was constructed, congregants voted to remove an unsightly bell-tower from the parish entrance. Over the next year, the congregation championed a renewal campaign to repair the grounds, and has since gained tremendous support from 3,300 families that call St. Clement’s their chosen “sacred site.”
Construction continued after 1967. In 1993, St. Clement’s opened up a parish center to meet the growing demands of its now over 2,100 families. 40 years after the new church was constructed, congregants voted to remove an unsightly bell-tower from the parish entrance. Over the next year, the congregation championed a renewal campaign to repair the grounds, and has since gained tremendous support from 3,300 families that call St. Clement’s their chosen “sacred site.”
A Tradition of Service
"Pietà and Meditation Garden," Roz Rothwell, 2012.
St. Clement's Church’s missionary origins have played a significant role in community activism since its founding. From November through December 1917, St. Clement’s held a bazaar to alleviate the “serious handicaps resulting from WWI.” The parish diligently worked to "accrue to Saratoga ‘socially, politically and economically in a new era in the city’” on both a local and international level. Priests have since led frequent missions to Latin America and held mass at the Mt. McGregor tuberculosis sanatorium, WWII veterans’ home, and school for mentally disabled citizens. From 1989-1995, the church housed a home for battered women, and in 1992 it housed a regional homeless shelter. This Catholic missionary tradition of giving continues today with an active and socially aware religious community focused on alleviating the pains of the less fortunate.
The social change that the St. Clement’s community hopes to hasten in Saratoga Springs reflects the great transformations that have occurred in its own history. In 2007, the congregation recognized the changing demographics of Saratoga Springs with the inclusion of Spanish mass during the summer racing season. [6] “St. Clement’s is putting into action, in a gentle way, all the new changes in the church,” congregant Sheila Dolezal revealed to The Saratogian in 2007. “There’s more opportunity to express our faith, to reach out to the community, which is what we should be doing.” Beginning in 2013, Spanish mass will be held every Sunday.
The social change that the St. Clement’s community hopes to hasten in Saratoga Springs reflects the great transformations that have occurred in its own history. In 2007, the congregation recognized the changing demographics of Saratoga Springs with the inclusion of Spanish mass during the summer racing season. [6] “St. Clement’s is putting into action, in a gentle way, all the new changes in the church,” congregant Sheila Dolezal revealed to The Saratogian in 2007. “There’s more opportunity to express our faith, to reach out to the community, which is what we should be doing.” Beginning in 2013, Spanish mass will be held every Sunday.