The earliest record we have of priestly administration to the people of our area was in the 1840’s when a priest from St. Peter’s Church in Poughkeepsie tended to the few Catholics in the vicinity.

Thanks to the construction of the Wallkill Valley Railroad, Gardiner grew rapidly. Masses were celebrated in a barn owned by James Clinton, who later sold land to Father Brady in order to build St. Charles Borromeo Church. The first pastor was Father James Mee, who consecrated the cemetery in 1882 and dedicated the church a year later. However, the parish was suppressed within a few years because of the small number of Catholics in the area; it became a mission of St. James in Milton.

In 1892, the parish was re-established, and the new pastor, Father B.F. Duffy, began the construction of the rectory. Succeeding pastors also took care to build up the church, preach, and tend to the needs of their parishioners. In 1929, the parish again was reduced to the status of mission church, this time to St. Joseph’s in New Paltz.

There was no longer a priest in residence at St. Charles until 1966 when Msgr. Robert E, Moore, assistant at St. Joseph’s, was instructed to live at St. Charles and administer the church. When the parish was established for the third time on March 6, 1976, Msgr. Moore became pastor. During his administration he expanded the cemetery twice and oversaw the construction of an all-purpose hall, which was dedicated in 1980 by his Eminence Terence Cardinal Cooke.