Cemetery, History and Former Pastors

St. Joseph's Cemetery is located on the east side of Route 12B, in Madison County, about half a mile between the village line and Route 20, a distance of about one mile. The Cemetery was organized in 1916 when the Rev. Henry Hyland was Pastor. Originally farm land, this parcel was given to the Parish by William Jordan on August 31, 1917. Two stone pillars and iron gateway were installed at the entrance of the Cemetery but due to deterioration they were removed about 1995. A short-looped blacktop driveway was installed about 1965, and an extended blacktop road was done in 1976. In 1972, spruce trees from Ed Quackenbush, and in 1973, sugar maples from Ralph Sawyer were installed to border the cemetery and roadways.

The first person to be buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery was Albert Talarczyk, who died in the Flood of 1917.

Grave sites are available. The cost is $300.00 per grave.
For information, please contact Father Kelly: (315) 821-6122 email: frkelly@dreamscape.com.

1863	First Mass celebrated in Oriskany Falls by the Rev. Edward Bayard, Pastor of St. Mary's, Clinton	1874	St. Joseph's became a mission church of St. Bernard's, Waterville
1870	Local Catholics formed a religious corporation and resolved to build a church. A new parish has begun	1883	Rev. Simone Cannane was appointed the first resident pastor by Bishop Francis McNierney of Albany. Father Cannane purchased a house on Main St. to be used as the Rectory
1873	Father O'Reilly of St. Mary's, Clinton, offered first Mass in the new church on Broad St.	1886	Diocese of Syracuse established. Most Rev. Patrick Ludden was appointed as its first Bishop

1913	Upon the death of Father Cannane, Rev. Henry P. Hyland was appointed pastor	1964	Rev. Matthew Luczycki replaced Father Kantor
1917	St. Joseph's Cemetery was established	1966	St. Agnes Church, Vernon Center became a mission of Holy Family Church, Vernon. St. Joseph's parish no longer had a Mission Church
1922	Rev. James Burns was appointed pastor, following the death of Father Hyland	1967	New School of Religion building dedicated. It was built at a cost of nearly $100,000. Repainting of the interior of the church was made possible by a generous donation from Mr. Daniel F. Burdick of Clinton
1923	New St. Joseph's Church built on Main St. as the result of generous gift of $40,000.00 from James Mullen of Denver, Colorado	1970	Rev. Moritz Fuchs succeeded Father Luczycki
1925	Rev. Callaghan A. Cordon replaced Father Burns as pastor. St. Agnes, Vernon Center, became a mission of St. Joseph's about this time, until 1965-1966	1978	Rev. Robert Dwyer succeeded Father Fuchs as pastor. Confessional was remodeled and the altar rail removed. Entrance doors were replaced
1937	Rev. Lawrence Daley appointed pastor, succeeding Father Cordon	1984	Rev. Stephen Litz replaced Father Dwyer. Due to illness, he was forced to leave after a few weeks
1946	Altar-Rosary established	1984	Rev. Walter Florczyk replaced Father Litz. New roof applied to School of Religion and the slate roof on church repaired. Rectory was insulated
1949	Rev. Lawrence Bassney succeeded Father Daley as pastor	1992	Rev. Vincent J. Kelly succeeded Father Florczyk.
1955	Rev. Willard Doherty named new pastor, replacing Father Bassney. New side altars and statues purchased.	1993	A major Capital Improvements Program was begun at a cost of $210,000. Two classrooms in the School of Religion were remodeled into a Rectory. The building was renamed "Rectory and Parish Center." A two-stall garage was added to the center, a ramp into the Church was constructed, and the driveways and parking lot behind the church were paved.
1959	Rev. Frederick Cummings succeeded Father Doherty as pastor	1994	The new rectory was occupied for the first time on May 24, 1994. The original rectory was sold for $73,500.
1962	Rev. Adolph Kantor replaced Father Cummings as pastor. He initiated the first Summer School of Religion for children

Rev. Edward Bayard St. Mary's, Clinton	1862-1863	Rev. Willard F. Doherty	1955-1959
Rev. Peter O'Reilly St. Mary's, Clinton	1863-1874	Rev. Frederick F. Cummings	1959-1962
Rev. T.W. Riley St. Bernard's, Waterville	1874-1879	Rev. Adolph A. Kantor	1962-1964
Rev. J. McDonald St. Bernard's, Waterville	1879-1883	Rev. Matthew C. Luczycki	1964-1970
Rev. Simon J. Cannane	1883-1913	Rev. Moritz Fuchs	1970-1978
Rev. Henry Hyland	1913-1922	Rev. Stephen J. Litz	1978-1978
Rev. James H. Burns	1922-1925	Rev. Robert D. Dwyer	1978-1984
Rev. Callaghan A. Cordon	1925-1937	Rev. Walter S. Florczyk	1984-1992
Rev. Lawrence H. Daley	1937-1949	Rev. Vincent J. Kelly	1992-Present
Rev. Lawrence A. Bassney	1949-1955

For information, please contact Father Kelly: (315) 821-6122 email: frkelly@dreamscape.com.