Parish History
A brief history of St. Thomas the Apostle and the faith communities connected with it.
Our History
The Catholic community of St. Thomas the Apostle in Cherry Valley has a long and meaningful history rooted in faith, perseverance, and service. Over the years, the parish has been closely connected with Blessed Sacrament in Springfield Center and St. Mary’s in Sharon Springs, forming a shared story across several worship communities.
Beginnings in Cherry Valley
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Cherry Valley, New York, was organized in 1867. For the next 36 years, the faith community was considered a mission church of St. Mary’s Our Lady of the Lake in Cooperstown and was served by priests from Cooperstown.
During those early years, Sunday Mass was celebrated on the second floor of the former Protestant Methodist Church building on Wall Street in Cherry Valley. That building, constructed in 1858, also served as a mess hall for soldiers housed in Cherry Valley during the Civil War. It remained part of the village landscape until it was torn down in the 1960s.
Building St. Thomas the Apostle
In 1902, land was acquired from the Kilfoil family, and in 1903 construction began on the present St. Thomas the Apostle Church.
The architect, William Kelly, also designed Blessed Sacrament Church in Springfield Center. St. Thomas shares a similar design, though on a smaller scale.
The construction of the church and the laying of its cornerstone marked a major turning point in the life of the parish, establishing a permanent home for the Catholic faithful in Cherry Valley.
Growth of the Parish and Mission Communities
In 1911, Father Michael Mahoney became the first appointed pastor of St. Thomas. From that point forward, St. Thomas was no longer considered only a mission church.
A short time later, the Catholic community of St. Mary’s in Sharon Springs became a mission church of St. Thomas. The earlier St. Mary’s worship site in Sharon Springs had originally been a Presbyterian church built in 1859. That building served the Catholic community for many years before it was eventually removed in the 1960s.
In 1959, a new St. Mary’s church was built on Route 20 in Sharon Springs. After several decades of changing parish alignments, St. Mary’s once again became part of the St. Thomas faith community in December 2003.
Parish Life and Parish Properties
In 1954, the former William Kilfoil property in Cherry Valley was purchased by St. Thomas Parish. The building known as Miss Catherine Rosboom’s Music Academy for Girls was later renamed Kateri Hall, in honor of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, and continues to serve as an important parish life center.
In the summer of 1955, a combined Altar Rosary Society was formed with Blessed Sacrament Church. Around the same time, Blessed Sacrament became a mission church of St. Thomas, further strengthening the shared ties between the communities.
These developments helped shape parish life beyond the church building itself, supporting fellowship, ministry, and the daily life of the faith community.
The Church Bell and Historic Recognition
In 1906, parishioners of St. Thomas purchased a church bell from the Meneely Bell Company of Troy, New York. The bell measures 36 inches in diameter and weighs approximately 1,006 pounds.
It was cast in traditional bell metal and mounted with a wooden hanger and wheel assembly in the church belfry. In 1962, an automatic ringing mechanism was installed so that the bell could be rung from a clock located in the sacristy.
In 1988, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church was added to the New York State Register of Historic Places. The church is also recognized on the federal historic register and is included within a New York State landscape district.
One Faith Community
From 2003 to 2009, the Catholic communities of Blessed Sacrament, St. Thomas, and St. Mary’s were united as one faith community with three worship sites.
This period reflected the long-standing connection among these parishes and the shared faith that has carried them through generations of worship, growth, and service.
