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The first Roman Catholic Church in Delaware County was organized at French Woods in 1850. The church, St. Francis deSales, was part of the Diocese of NY. Priests from Sullivan County traveled to Long Eddy and French Woods to minister to the people.
In 1888, all of Delaware County became part of the Albany Diocese; Sullivan County remained part of the Diocese of New York. St. Paul the Apostle Church had been formed and a building had been erected. Rev. John W. Dolan was pastor of St. Paul at the time of its incorporation.
The former home of Martin Wheeler on West Main Street was purchased in 1889 and became the present rectory. During the same year, St. Paul acquired the land at west end for the cemetery. This allowed burials to take place in Hancock rather than in Deposit.
Over the years, many renovations and additions have been made at St. Paul’s. In 1922, to enlarge the body of the church, the room then used as a sacristy was incorporated into the main church. An addition was built at the rear to serve as the new sacristy. The east and west entrances to the sacristy, the two side altars and the arched ceiling were added in 1928.
The Fr. Rausch Memorial Hall was built in the 1950's through the efforts of Fr. John Rausch and the parishioners during his tenure from 1935-1955. The hall is utilized for religious education, bingo, dinners, social events, pre-school, Community Children’s Center, food bank, shelter, and other community activities.
Since 1988, a new parking lot with landscaping was built on the lower grounds. The “Little House” was renamed the “DeSerio Center” in dedication to Joe DeSerio who served as a Trustee and caretaker of St. Paul's for over 35 years. The Fr. Rausch Hall had an extensive refurbishing; the Church’s interior was redecorated and re-carpeted; a memorial garden was erected in memory of Fr. Jim Cribbs, a former pastor; a statue of Rachel was dedicated in the upper garden and a Way of the Cross was installed in the lower part of the property.
We are most grateful to
God for His innumerable blessings during these many years, and we
pray that we may continue to be faithful witnesses to His Son in the
future.
There have been many priests assigned to St. Paul's over the years. The link below is a list. How far back can you remember?
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