The Church of the Holy Trinity is a Roman Catholic community formed on July 1, 2003, following the merger of St. Ann’s, St. Joseph’s and St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Churches in Binghamton, NY. Our parishioners brought with them their rich Slovak, Lithuanian and Polish heritages, which we proudly continue to honor today.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s immigrants from Eastern Europe settled in the Triple Cities searching for a better life. Immigrants from Poland founded St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in June of 1914. Parishioners constructed a combined church & school building during the late summer of 1914. The completed building was dedicated on July 4, 1916. Construction of the rectory began in 1915 and was completed in 1916. Construction of the convent began in 1920 and was completed in 1921. From 1940 to 1952 extensive improvements were made throughout the church’s property. On March 16, 1953, ground was broken for a new church building and on October 31, 1954, this completed building was dedicated. On July 8, 1960, work began on renovating the combination church and school building into a complete school building. The newly renovated school building was dedicated on September 17, 1961. Due to economic factors in the area, St. Stan’s school consolidated with St. Ann’s School. in 1970. In June of 1993, the convent and the school were closed. On May 30, 2004, the closing mass of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church was celebrated.
Immigrants from Lithuania formed the St. Joseph’s Parish Society on October 31, 1909. On November 12, 1914, St, Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church of Binghamton, NY was incorporated and in September of 1916 construction on St. Joseph’s Church building began. The first mass in the newly constructed church was held on December 10, 1916. Land for a future school on the northeast corner of Glenwood and Judson Avenues was purchased on July 26, 1924. In 1948, plans were drawn up for a new church building to be constructed on the land purchased for the school. On February 5, 1950, Bishop Walter Foery blessed and dedicated the new church. In 1952, the old church building was converted to the Parish Hall. In August of 1958, land was purchased at 1 Judson Avenue for the construction of a new rectory, which was completed and occupied on May 1, 1961. In the mid 1980’s the church’s organ was replaced with a model from Europe. New doors were installed on the church building and the old wooden doors were made into the main altar of sacrifice. The parish hall underwent renovations with additional bathrooms, new lighting, kitchen washers, and stoves. On November 16, 2003, the closing mass of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Binghamton, NY was celebrated.
Immigrants from Czechoslovakia organized a local branch of the Jednota, the First Slovak Roman Catholic Union, in 1921. Four families mortgaged their homes to purchase the McNamara farm, which included an old house and large barn, on Prospect Street. Over the next four years, volunteers renovated the barn into a church and the farmhouse into a rectory. Bishop Curley established this new parish, the Church of St. John the Baptist as a mission to Sts. Cyril & Methodius Parish. The church’s name was soon changed to St. Ann’s Shrine Church. The church was incorporated under the title of St. Ann’s Catholic Church at the end of October 1934. Plans for a permanent church building were prepared, but due to the stressful economic times in the country only the basement of the building was built and used for church purposes. In May of 1940 construction of the upper church began. The completed building was dedicated on May 4, 1941. In 1948 ground was broken for the convent and in April of 1951 ground was broken for the new rectory building. On June 24, 1958, Bishop Forey presided over the dedication of the new parish school. After merging with St. Stan’s school, St. Ann’s school was closed in 1975. During the mid 1960’s the addition to the front entrance of the church was constructed. In 1998 the interior of the church welcomed cosmetic improvements and was rededicated on July 26, 1998. On November 9, 2003, the closing mass of St. Ann’s Catholic Church was celebrated.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the Diocese of Syracuse was forced to face the problem of a shortage of priests to serve the area’s faithful. As the population of Broome County began a steady decline, it became apparent that changes would be coming to our churches.
The parishes of St. Stan’s, St. Ann’s and St. Joseph’s first came together as the St. Clare Parish Project. Parishioners submitted suggestions and voted on a name for the new parish and on July 1, 2003, The Church of the Holy Trinity was incorporated. The building that housed the former St. Ann’s Church underwent extensive renovations from late 2003 through the spring of 2004. On June 12, 2004 the new sanctuary of the Church of the Holy Trinity was dedicated. Under the care of the Conventual Franciscan Friars, led by our Administrator, Brother Edward Falsey, Holy Trinity has become a growing, vibrant, faith-filled community.
In September 2014, the Conventual Franciscan Friars left our parish, and the Church of the Holy Trinity came under the care of the clergy our Pastoral Care Area, the parishes of Holy Trinity, SS. Cyril & Methodius, St. James, St. Patrick’s and St. Thomas.