Archbishop comes to town

By FRITZ MAYER

YOUNGSVILLE, NY — The church was full to overflowing and traffic in the tiny hamlet was much heavier than normal as people arrived for Sunday morning service, knowing that it would be led by one of the most powerful Catholics in the country, Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

The occasion was the 100th anniversary of the Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Youngsville and parishioners started planning for it well in advance. According to Mary Nosek, a member of the parish council, the church wrote to Cardinal Edward Egan two years ago, and Egan said he would attend the anniversary. When he retired, Dolan said he would fulfill all of Egan’s commitments. True to his word, he turned out to celebrate Mass on September 27 at the church on Route 52.

Before the church was formed in 1909, Route 52 did not run all the way through from Youngsville to Jeffersonville, and Catholic worshipers were obliged to traverse a steep mountain road to get to the St. George’s Church in Jeffersonville, which was sometimes difficult in the winter.

The Catholics in Youngsville wanted a church closer to home and thus St. Francis was founded. Today, the church serves about 150 families.

Dolan was appointed the 10th Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on February 23. The Archdiocese of New York, the second-largest in the country after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, serves over 2.5 million Catholics.