Clinton parish celebrates 175 years with eyes to the future
By Fran Perritano
Contributing writer
In the year 1850:
President Zachary Taylor dies suddenly, and Vice President Millard Fillmore is thrust into the highest office in the land.
California becomes the 31st state.
You could buy a house for $2,000, purchase a loaf of bread for about a nickel, and if you worked on the Erie Canal, you could earn $8.75 a week.
And in Clinton, NY, St. Mary’s Church is established on Nov. 12, 1850, when Rev. William C. Coghlan is appointed its first pastor.
On Saturday, Nov. 8, several hundred parishioners and friends of St. Mary’s celebrated its 175th anniversary with a special Mass and reception.
Evelyn Micciche has been a St. Mary’s parishioner for most of her 79 years. She said her family doesn’t date back to 1850, but it does include several generations. “My grandmother and grandfather came over. They came through Ellis Island,” she said. “They were from Yugoslavia. And I mean, they were here a long time. My grandfather was a coal miner. My grandmother was a janitor at the Clinton schools. She couldn’t write or read English, but if you cheated her out of a penny, she knew it!”
Micciche said St. Mary’s has experienced many transitions through the years and is concerned about the lack of young people. She said, however, she’s confident things are turning around.
“Father (Daniel) Caruso is doing a fantastic job,” Micciche said. “It seems to me like there’s more and more people coming back to church. And he’s doing so many things to try to get the younger people involved again. And I just have a feeling that we’re going to survive. It’s been hard since COVID, but I think we’re going to make it.”
St. Mary’s pastor, Father Daniel Caruso, is a relative newcomer to the parish. In October 2024, he was appointed temporary administrator and was installed as pastor in September. In his 31 years of priesthood and after serving at numerous parishes in the Binghamton and Syracuse areas, he feels at home in Clinton. “I have learned that the people of St. Mary’s are kind, welcoming, hardworking, and faith-filled,” he said. “They have been very supportive during this time of transition.”
In his homily during the anniversary Mass, Father Caruso said the church is not a building, but the people who worship. He said parishes must collaborate more to survive in these trying times. Father is hoping to establish stability for a parish that has been in transition for several years. “Many of the priests who have served in the parish were here for many years,” he said. “When Father (John) Croghan retired in 2020, he had been here for about 20 years. In the five years since he has retired, there have been six priests here, including me. My hope and prayer is that during my pastorate, I can help bring a sense of stability while also helping the parish to face a future of greater cooperation with the neighboring parishes.”
Kim Lane is St. Mary’s parish business administrator. She said the parish has about 800 families and approximately 3,000 members. Lane has been a parishioner most of her life and recognizes the challenges the parish — and the Catholic Church — face, but has faith and hope.
“I do, however, see several families coming back as faith is so important to them,” she said. “Clinton is a college town with several older families that have attended for years. Now, many generations attend. We are growing strong with Father Dan … St. Mary’s is seeing more consistency now, which is very welcome.”\
