A Place of
Courageous Hospitality
Hospitality
On Sunday, November 15, 1885, prayers were answered for Albany Catholics residing around upper Madison Avenue. For the first time, they were able to attend Mass in their own church, a former Baptist Sunday school. Soon they would have their own parish and would no longer be attached to the Cathedral. St. Vincent’s was canonically established on February 15, 1895, when it was incorporated according to state laws. Bishop McNeirny had acquired the land where the present church is located in 1890 for $2,500. His successor, Bishop Burke, transferred the lot to St. Vincent’s in 1896, a year after its incorporation.
On August 15, 1904, construction of a new church for St. Vincent de Paul began, the cornerstone was laid on June 17, 1906 and the church was formally dedicated on November 1, 1908. The ensuing years brought necessary renovations and improvements to the church building. However a fire in 1980 prompted significant reassessment of all the parish properties in light of the needs of the parish.
After years of prayer, planning and extensive consultation the leadership reached the decision to remodel the church to meet the needs of the community. The rededication took place on a bright, mild Sunday afternoon, September 29, 1985, almost 100 years to the day of the beginning of St. Vincent’s. In 2014, the church building showed the wear and tear of 30 years of continuous use. The parish discerned it was time to arrange our worship space in a way that reflected our prayer.
They imagined a church building "designed to reflect the inclusive spirit of that community, where the ambo and altar table are the center focus, where the worshipers encircle both Word and Sacrament and look into the eyes of their sisters and brothers."
The renovation of the church was the recipient of a 2015 Faith & Form/IFRAA Religious Art and Architecture Award for outstanding religious architecture and design.
Leadership of St. Vincent de Paul Church:
Rev. John J. Hanlon, 1st Pastor (1889-1902)
Rev. Michael L. Walsh (1902-1913)
Rev. William R. Charles (1913-1944)
The Most Reverend Edward J. Maginn (1944-1972)
Rev. Leo P. O’Brien (1972-2006)