St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Saugerties is under contract to be sold for slightly less than its $1.6 million asking price, according to the Rev. Chris Berean, pastor of St. Mary of the Snow-St. Joseph’s-St. John the Evangelist.
The 24-acre property in Centerville, which includes the former church, classroom space, and rectory, was listed for sale in August, seven years after the Archdiocese of New York merged St. John with St. Mary of the Snow. The church closed in 2024.
The identity of the buyer and plans for the Route 212 property weren’t available. Berean described the buyer only as a private corporation. He said the deal was reached two weeks ago and is being finalized by the Archdiocese of New York.
As for possible future uses of the property, “I have just heard rumors, which I do not want to spread,” he said. “Once we find out exactly, definitely, I’ll be telling the whole parish, everybody.”
Berean said the sale agreement restricts future uses of the property.
The buyer is required to not use the property for anything “sordid,” said Berean, who will mark two decades as a Saugerties pastor on Sept. 1. “We’re very happy about that,” he said.
The original St. John the Evangelist church was built around 1880, not far from the buildings being sold, Berean said. The existing church was developed in the 1970s to serve a local Catholic population whose growth was spurred by IBM’s presence in Kingston.
“It was a bedroom community out there,” Berean said. “And it was a very, very active parish for a long time.”
That began to change when IBM announced in 1994 that it would close its Kingston operations. The resulting population shift, along with a shortage of priests, led to the merger with St. Mary in 2019. St. Joseph’s in Glasco had merged with St. Mary in 2016, also because of a lack of priests, and remains open.
While St. John remained open for Mass, it “was hemorrhaging money” to the tune of $60,000 annually, Berean said. It closed for good in 2024.
“It was untenable,” Berean said. “We had to sell it.”
Funds from the sale will be used to refurbish St. Mary of the Snow Church in Saugerties, which was built in 1833. Sidewalks and doors are to be repaired, new windows will be installed in the rectory, and the proceeds will also help maintain a parish hall and school building that is home to religious education classes and a monthly food pantry that serves more than 100 families.
“There’s always a lot to do,” Berean said.
Former St. John parishioner Rayann Fatizzi, 60, who attended the church as a child, grew nostalgic when told of the pending sale.
“It was fun going to catechism classes because you’d see your friends,” said Fatizzi, who operates Retro Ray vintage shop on Route 212. “It was something to do, really.”
John W. Barry is a reporter for The Overlook. Reach him at john@theoverlooknews.com.
