The first Italian families in Cohoes missed much of the reassuring presence of a parish priest. In the church, they could neither understand nor could they be understood. Up to 1892, the nearest Italian churches were St. Anthony of Padua in Troy and Our Lady of Carmel in Watervliet. Seldom did they undertake the then long journey, for their work did not give them that leisure at the hour of masses. This deplorable situation, however, was soon remedied by the zealous bishops of Albany, who exerted themselves in procuring the services of Italian priests. Among them was the Rev. Metellus Galanti, whose entire priestly life is intimately connected with the development of St. Rita’s Parish. In 1913 Father Galanti first began to work for the founding of a congregation among Italian residents in the city of Cohoes. He believed that there should be a permanent place of worship for the 150 families in the city. His petition to go forward with the work was approved by Bishop Thomas M. A. Burke, but his transfer to the pastorate of St. Anthony’s Church in Troy ended his direct connection with this project for the time. Even though the Parish Corporation had been established, there was still no church building. Therefore, from 1914 to January 1916, Father Ottaviano and other priests celebrated Masses in the basement of St. Joseph’s Church on Congress Street. Finally, a two-story building was bought at 153 Main Street at the corner of Newark Street. Father Metellus A. Galanti was named Administrator in May of 1930 and, shortly after, was named as Pastor. In November 1930, he bought some land from the Martin McEniry of Penrose & McEniry, a domestic brewery corporation. As soon as the parish took possession of this huge industrial plant, Father Galanti recognized that a more important economic advantage was to be found in making use of the solid foundation and substantial walls of this building for their church. The immense work of reconstruction proceeded without delay. Within two years, what seemed to be an entirely new edifice began to be used as a parish hall. The statue of St. Rita was transported to the new church and placed on the right side of the main wooden altar. Folding chairs and wooden kneelers were used as pews, and stained glass windows depicting various saints were installed. On Thanksgiving Day, November 21, 1940, after more extensive renovations, the new Church of St. Rita’s was solemnly blessed by the Most Rev. Edmund F. Gibbons, D.D., Bishop of Albany. The musical arrangements were under the direction of the famous organist and composer, Professor Giovanni Carabella, who, for the occasion, composed a poem in the Roman dialect comparing St. Rita to St. John in Lateran Church in Rome. Against odds which most people would have deemed insurmountable, the parishioners of St. Rita’s had seen their fondest dreams realized. Father Galanti died on October 15, 1943, and Father Anthony Perrone was appointed Administrator of the Parish until a pastor was named. The new pastor was Rev. Arthur J. Reilly. It was expected at that time that an Italian parish would have an Italian pastor. So, when Father Reilly arrived at St. Rita’s Church, it was difficult for some people to accept. However, it was just as difficult a change for the new pastor. Father Reilly made himself as comfortable as possible in the rectory, and Mrs. Reilly, Father Reilly’s mother, made the rectory into a home for him. In the meantime, the parishioners learned that Father Reilly was very interested in serving their needs. He spoke fluent Italian, which he studied during his training at the North American College in Rome, where he was ordained. He also learned and adopted many of the Italian customs through which the parishioners now felt a commonality with their Irish pastor. An especially well-liked tradition that everyone appreciated was the blessing of the homes. Father Reilly, with the help of an Irish priest friend studied in Rome and was fluent in Italian, went from house to house to bless each home. Through these brief visits the priests and parishioners became more familiar with each other. Father Reilly’s pastorate was the longest of any priest at St. Rita’s Church since its beginning. His vision of improving the church property began with the erection of the Grotto. The Grotto, built in 1946, honors Our Lady of Peace in thanksgiving for the end of World War II and in memory of those men who lost their lives in the war. Joseph Mencucci, a noted local brick mason and a parishioner built the shrine. He used locks of the Erie Canal for the foundation and bricks donated from a recently-demolished factory nearby. The Grotto was dedicated in 1946 during the annual May crowning of the Virgin Mary. A young girl, Mary Pipino, whose brother, Private Sylvio Pipino was killed in action in Luxembourg, had the honor of placing the crown of flowers on Our Lady of Peace in the niche of the Grotto. During Father Reilly’s tenure, the parish was well attended by more than 400 families, between 1200 and 1500 parishioners. The Mass schedule included the five regularly scheduled Masses on Sunday and one daily Mass at 7:00AM, and a second daily Mass as needed. Confessions were heard on Saturday and Thursday before first Friday’s of the month. The Brown Franciscans from Siena College came to St. Rita’s weekly to offer Mass on Sunday to help Father Reilly with the heavy Mass schedule. Religious instruction for the school children was held on Tuesday in both the church and in the Main Street Hall. Father Reilly made several trips in his car each Tuesday to the Van Schaick School to transport the children to instructions. The Sisters of Presentation from Saint Colman’s Home came to St. Rita’s to instruct the children on Tuesday, and on Sunday they led the children in prayers and songs people of Cohoes were marked with appropriate ceremonies. Directly in front of the new church, the Pieta Shrine was erected in a garden of evergreen and blue spruce trees. In early summer, roses of many colors bloomed around the outer edges of the garden. In June 1942, during the flag raising ceremony, the Shrine was dedicated to the young men in the parish who were serving in the armed forces during World War II. Father Anthony DeFranco was appointed Pastor on February 14, 1961. Shortly thereafter, the Bishop suggested building a new church because of the recurring problem with the development of cracks in the massive walls of the church and the constant need for repairs to the roof. In 1964, the Golden Jubilee of St. Rita’s Parish was to be celebrated. However, since the building of the new church was then completed, the ceremonies for the dedication of the third St. Rita’s Church also became the ceremonies of the Fiftieth Anniversary of its founding. In 1969, Father DeFranco was transferred to St. Anthony’s Church in Schenectady. In November 1969, Rev. Eolo Pucci, S.A.C., the first of the Pallottine Fathers at St. Rita’s was appointed Administrator. Father Pucci made several improvements in the rectory. He also made major liturgical changes following the renewal brought about by the decisions of the Ecumenical Council Vatican II and the guidelines of the National Conference of the Catholic Bishops in the United States. In November 1972, Father Anthony Pompei, S.A.C. was appointed Administrator of St. Rita’s after Father Pucci was transferred to St. Ann. In 1975 Father Pompei presented to the Diocese and Bishop Broderick, from Father Dominic Pistella, the Provincial of the Pallottine Fathers, a written commitment that Pallottine priests would continue to staff St. Rita’s Church/Parish. A few months later a decision came from Bishop Broderick’s Office which disposed that St. Rita’s and Sacred Heart Parishes would be merged to form one new Parish – St. Rita’s-Sacred Heart Parish. According to the wishes of the Diocese of Albany, the pastors from both churches, Father Pompei and Father Leroux, were transferred, and Father Fausto Stampiglia, S.A.C., was named as the new pastor to St. Rita’s-Sacred Heart Parish. In fact, part of the stipulations with the Diocese was that the Pallottine’s Church in Manhattan, New York. During Father Fausto’s tenure the following priests served in the parish: Father Edward Rizzo, Father Alfred DiTerlizzi, S.A.C., Father John Facci, S.A.C.. Father Fausto left in September of 1977, and Father Mario Pacini, S.A.C. was appointed Pastor of St. Rita’s-Sacred Heart Parish. Father Mario, assisted by Father John Facci, S.A.C. started to revitalize the combined parish along two main guidelines: Spiritual Renewal and Capital Improvement Renewal. The first change concerned the schedule of Masses, which was combined and alternated between the two churches to give parishioners a better opportunity to attend Mass at the most convenient time. A number of committees were established in each church to help carry on the apostolic work. They were: the Liturgy, Sick and Elderly, Maintenance, Religious Education, Evangelization, and St. Rita’s Feast Committees. A Youth Group was started in the Parish, based in the old parish hall or ―Hut‖, which was remodeled by the young parishioners. Along with the already established parish societies – the Holy Name, Altar and Rosary, and St. Vincent De Paul- a new one was founded; the St. Rita’s Italian-American Historical Society was created to keep the Italian church traditions alive.