St Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Troy

316 Congress Street
Troy, New York

 

The fifth Roman Catholic congregation in Troy, organized in 1861, was originally given the name of Holy Trinity Church. The cornerstone of the church, which the congregation began building in 1862, on the west side of 15th street, between Christie and Marshall Streets (a few blocks from the later location), was laid on Sunday afternoon, August 3, by the Very Reverend John J. Conroy, vicar general of the diocese.

The edifice was dedicated in June 1863 under the name of St. Francis Church. The current brick church on the south side of Congress Street opposite Thirteenth Street (at the entrance to Prospect Park) was erected in 1881, and opened for services on Sunday April 9, 1882.

The church, later called St. Francis De Sales, was permanently closed on February 1, 2009.

RPI’s Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity purchased the church building and rectory for $250,000 and took title to the property on February 4, 2011. Fourteen members of the fraternity’s Gamma Tetarton chapter will live in the former rectory. The fraternity will embrace a role in the community by providing space in the former church building for neighborhood activities. The fraternity website can be reached at http://www.pskrpi.com/