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The westward expansion of the city of Albany in the first few decades of the 20th century prompted the visionary pastor of the Church of St, Vincent de Paul the Rev. William R. Charles, to press for the establishment of a mission church in the region which now encompasses the western border of the city of Albany and the eastern border of the Town of Guilderland. Then farmland, more and more families were moving to this area along the Western Turnpike (now Route 20). To meet the spiritual needs of this portion of his flock; Father Charles was instrumental in the founding in 1920 of a mission, which used as its first place of worship a house on Edinburgh Avenue, just slightly southwest of the Western Turnpike.
With the 37 families who make up the mission parish, the history of what was to become the parish of St. Margaret Mary was begun. The name for the new mission was selected for two reasons: to honor the newly canonized saint, Margaret Mary Alacoque, the visionary who spread the message of the great love of God through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to honor a benefactor of St. Vincent’s James C. Farrell, whose youngest daughter was named Margaret Mary.
Very shortly after its founding as a mission, it was realized that more space was needed, not only for worship but for the education of the children. Consequently, land was purchased on the corners of Homestead Street and Taft Avenue. Here a combination chapel and school was erected with the cornerstone being laid by Bishop Edmund Gibbons in June of 1922.
The mission parish continued to grow to the point that Father Charles felt in the early 1930’s that a separate parish could become a reality and in October 1938 Bishop Gibbons canonically established the parish of St. Margaret Mary, appointing the Rev. Leo R. Clark as its first resident pastor.
In 1951 an addition to the chapel/school building was constructed allowing a worship space (in what is now the second floor of The Rev. Robert Taylor Hall) for 500 people. With additional people moving into the city and town areas of the parish and new construction underway after World War II, the time was ripe for construction of a new church structure. An original plan was to construct the church next to the parish rectory on Tudor Road, which had been built in1939. This plan was conceived thinking that Tudor Road was going to extend to Washington Avenue. Construction of the State Office Campus, however, put an end to that idea since the space would not be sufficient to construct an appropriate worship space.
As a result, additional property was purchased on Homestead Street and construction began on the new church building, which was dedicated by Bishop William A. Scully in December of 1964. Father Leo Clark, named a domestic prelate by the Holy Father, shepherded the development of the parish from its beginnings in 1938 until his death in 1966. Monsignor Clark was succeeded by the Rev. John G. Tracy who served as pastor from 1966 to 1979. During this period the beginning of the liturgical renewal was taking place as a result of the Second Vatican Council. The full implementation of this liturgical renewal came to fruition during the pastorates of the Rev. John Malecki who was appointed pastor in 1980 and the Rev. Robert W. Taylor who was appointed pastor in 1981.
From its inception as a mission in 1920, the education of children was of paramount importance. A school was founded in 1920 with a beginning enrollment of 35. The school was initially located in the house on Edinburgh Avenue and relocated to the new building on Homestead and Taft in 1922. The school, staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, operated until 1984, when it closed due to declining enrollment and the inability of the Sisters of Mercy to continue to staff it. The religious education program of the parish continued, however, with programs provided for all public school students. During his pastorate, Father Taylor presided over an effort to enhance our music program, and his spirit lives on in the pipe organ for which Father Taylor left a substantial legacy.
In 1993, the Rev. Thomas H. Chevalier was named the fifth pastor of St. Margaret Mary by Bishop Howard Hubbard. During his tenure, Father Chevalier oversaw the final construction of the pipe organ, the renovation of the parish heating and cooling system and the renovation of the sanctuary.
In 2005, Bishop Hubbard named the Rev. Erwin H. Schweigardt as the sixth pastor of St. Margaret Mary Church.
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