I'm New

Planning to visit St. Ambrose Catholic Community in Latham?
You can find us at
347 Old Loudon Road
Latham, NY 12110

Here’s what you’ll encounter in our church facility and in our celebration of the Mass:

Our Buildings and Grounds

Entrances: The main entrance from Old Loudon Road takes you to our parking lot.  There is handicap accessible parking closer to the church.  There is also a smaller parking lot on the north side of the church. Both parking lots have sidewalks to the front of the church, the main entrance. The smaller lot (is referred to as the north side) has a side entrance, where you can enter through the parish center into our church.

Handicap Access:  There is room for wheelchairs in the front sections of the church as well as in the middle. We do have handicap accessible doors at the main entrance.

Seating: You are welcome to sit anywhere.

Restrooms are located on either side in the of the church. To the right of the church, in the chapel hallway is a bathroom. There are also bathrooms located in the parish center hallway, on the left side as you face the altar.  You can use the doors toward the back of the church .

Kneeling: Our pews contain kneelers; we kneel during the traditional kneeling times of the Mass; members of other religions and people with health problems may sit during the kneeling times. We believe kneeling is a sign of respect to God, and note the scriptural call that "At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend." Philippians 2:10

What to Wear: We encourage respectful dress for Mass, and other liturgies and services, but you will find people attired in casual as well as their “Sunday best.”

Have Questions? Want to Join? If you have a question about our parish or would like information on registering as a parishioner email us: salatham@rcda.org

Our Celebration of the Mass
Our Sunday and Holy Day services are the celebration of the Mass and include prayers, songs, readings from the Bible, and a discussion of those readings. The Mass is very biblical; all its elements can be found in Scriptures. 

Service: The celebration of Mass at St. Ambrose lasts approximately 45 minutes. You are encouraged to stay until the priest and other ministers process out of the church.

Who’s Up There? The priest is the celebrant of the Mass. He is assisted by Altar Servers and a Deacon. Those people will be on the altar area of the church during the entire Mass. Selected members of the congregation will go to the altar area to proclaim the readings. Eucharistic Ministers will gather around the altar before taking their distribution stations.

Sing Along: We are a singing parish, with some traditional and some newer songs. If you are not familiar with the order of Mass, the books in the pews can guide you but we also have a projector with the Mass content displayed.

Collection:  The collection is used to support the various ministries and operations of the church, including charitable outreach.

Hand-shaking: After praying the Lord’s Prayer – the Our Father, we exchange a sign of peace – usually a handshake or, between couples and families, a hug.  If you are not comfortable with this gesture or have a bad cold, don’t feel obligated to participate, alternativity simply offer a nod and a wave.

Communion: Roman Catholics not in a state of serious sin, and members of Orthodox churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church, are welcome to join us in Communion. We use real wine, and — as Scriptures teach — believe the bread and wine to be totally transformed into the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.

If you will not receive Communion, you are encouraged to join the Communion line with your arms crossed across your chest; the distributor will give you a blessing.

We process from the pews to the distributor and follow the practice of gently bowing before receiving the Sacrament. The Body of Christ may be received in the hand or can be placed directly into your mouth. The Blood of Christ is distributed in common cups; the distributor wipes the cup clean after each recipient’s sip. 

We hope to see you!