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Holy croSS cHurcH
The rst Mass in the Town of Dryden was offered in 1947 in a former Grange hall.
The Dryden Catholic Mission was of cially established in 1950, with Father Thomas Cleary as its founding priest. He served concurrently as chaplain of the George Junior Republic, a facility for at-risk children, where the parish celebrated its Masses in a chapel for the community’s rst
20 years.
In 1962 the mission became incorporated as Holy Cross Parish. That year a parish center was dedicated on Union Street in the Village of Dryden, where religious-education classes and social activities took place.
As the parish grew during the 1960s, farm property at 375 South George Road was purchased. Holy Cross’ long-awaited church, along with a rectory/of ce building, was completed in 1970.
The dedication Mass took place on Sept. 13 of that year, with Bishop Joseph L. Hogan presiding. Meanwhile, Father Cleary continued as pastor of Holy Cross until 1985, serving for a remarkable span of 35 years.
In 1992 all the parish facilities were consolidated when a new parish center, Cleary Hall, was opened on the grounds of Holy Cross Church.
Updates to the church include a refurbished 1906 E.M. Skinner Pipe organ that was added in 1997, and a new main altar and ambo dedicated by Bishop Matthew H. Clark in 2010.
In 2005 Holy Cross became clustered with two other Tompkins County parishes, St. Anthony in Groton and All Saints in Lansing.