Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany - Pastoral Center history

In 1817, Irish immigrants began coming to Albany to build the Erie Canal.

12, 1820, in order to alleviate the overcrowded original church, the second church -- designed by Philip Hooker in the Federal style was built.

Arriving by steamboat on the 17th of September 1824, it was recorded that the Marquis DeLafayette arrived in Albany on his tour throughout the United States.

On June 11, 1825 he again visits the city and on the following day, Sunday, he attended church.

John McCloskey, later Archbishop of New York, was installed as the first bishop of Albany in 1847, with St Mary's as his procathedral.

Edgar Wadhams (who was ordained as a priest in 1850 in St Mary's Church) was ordained as the first Bishop of Ogdensburg in our present Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was dedicated in 1852, and it opened for services thereafter.

On May 5, 1872, St Mary's close friend and former assistant Fr.

1, 1895). It also was during his pastorate that the installation of electricity gave St Mary's the distinction of being the first church in Albany to enjoy electric lighting.

In 1926 a compact little church, seating about 400, and built of tapestry brick, Indiana limestone foundation and trimming, tile roof and tower with bell was erected.

A large pipe organ was installed in the choir loft.In September of 1931, St Philip's School opened its doors.

In 1960, there were more than 400 priests in the diocese.

On December 8, 1969, the Consultation Center opened for individual counseling services at its new offices on the third floor of the former Brady Hospital building, 40 North Main Avenue.

In 1972, Sister Susanne Breckel, PhD, a Sister of Mercy from Rhode Island and a graduate of Boston College who had served the Center as a part-time staff member, agreed to become full-time co-director with Father Malecki.

Thus, the Center recognized early the valuable contribution that Doctor Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was making in the area of death and dying, and brought her to Albany for a public lecture in 1974.

When Transactional Analysis training was offered for the first time at the APA meeting in 1975, Susanne Breckel and John Malecki recognized its importance and began the first series of workshops in TA in this area.

Likewise, the value of Assertiveness Training workshops for the Center's clientele was recognized early on by Susanne and John, who brought this personal development opportunity to the Albany area in 1976.

Howard Hubbard became Bishop of Albany in 1977.

In 1978 Sister Catherine Casey, OP, PhD, was added to the staff in preparation for establishment of a counseling center in Texas.

His interest in ecumenism led to the first-ever Palm Sunday service of reconciliation between Christians and Jews, held at the cathedral in 1986.

In 1987 Sister Lynn Levo, CSJ, PhD, joined the staff as a therapist.

The diocese of Albany has given priests the permission to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass since 1999.

In June 2004, White released a 200-page report stating that she had found no credible evidence to support the accusations against Hubbard.

The speakers included Sister Susanne Breckel,RSM, Father John Malecki, Doctor N. Michael Murphy and Sister Kieran Flynn, RSM. The Center again hosted the conference in 2008 at the Carondelet Hospitality Center, with Bishop Howard Hubbard and several Consultation Center staff members as presenters.

He was replaced as director by Father Thomas Konopka, LCSW, in 2011.

In 2016, for the first time in history, there were more retired (90) than active (85) priests in the diocese.

In August 2019, numerous sex abuse lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Albany.

By March 2020, roughly 80 priests who served in the Diocese of Albany had been accused of committing acts of sex abuse.