Clergy

Pastor: Rev. Augustine Joseph, C.M.I.
Hispanic Ministry: Rev. Silvio J. Fonseca Martinez

Pastoral Staff

(An asterisk by staff’s name indicates that he or she is a volunteer and cannot be routinely reached at the parish office. For questions about this area of ministry, please contact the parish office.)

Youth Minister: Melinda Hybner*
Music Ministers: Janet Honican* and Georgia Kautz*
Bookkeeper and Secretary: Angela Lozano*

Mass Schedule (Central Time)

Sundays — Sat evening: 4 p.m. (5.30 p.m. in the summer – from spring to fall, with the change of clock); Sun: 8 a.m.
Holy Days — See bulletin
Daily — Mon, Tue: 9 a.m.

Reconciliation (Central Time)

Half an Hour before Weekend Masses and by Appointment on other days

Eucharistic Adoration (Central Time)

Mondays, 8:30-9:00 a.m.

History

Beautiful Dale Hollow Lake, a longtime attraction and haven for sportsmen, has attracted numerous visitors to the Albany area. Mass was first celebrated here in 1952, from April through November, in such places as the mayor’s office, an old pool room, Wisdom Garage, and Houchen’s Recreational Center. Local Catholics recognized the need for their own worship space in the predominately Protestant Clinton County environment. They purchased and remodeled a home to use as a chapel for what had grown into a mission by 1962.

Mass was celebrated year-round by 1968, with priests from St. Mildred in Somerset serving the mission. Father Joseph Dawson became the first resident priest in 1975. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, also in Somerset, helped the mission by providing religious instruction throughout the 1970s; the first Sister to live in the area arrived in 1976.

Father Dawson’s dynamism and determination fostered respect and admiration; his devotion and faith made an impact on the community. When he promoted the idea of constructing a permanent church, his dream was fulfilled. Construction began in 1981; the cornerstone was laid in 1982. The next pastor, Father Gerald Bell, oversaw the progress of the construction, which was completed and dedicated in 1982.

Although a small Catholic community in a predominately Protestant area, Emmanuel established itself as a charitable religious community known for its outreach to the needy in the surrounding counties. Parishioners serve the sick, the elderly, and the poor. The area has experienced an influx of Hispanics, whose needs also call forth Emmanuel’s ministry. A large percentage of the 80 parishioners volunteer their services but credit a succession of extraordinary pastors for the parish’s essence.