About Epiphany. St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish. · Sodus, New York
St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish is a multi-site Catholic community in western Wayne County, New York, in the Diocese of Rochester, that worships across four historic church buildings. The Epiphany church sits at 105 West Main Street in the village of Sodus, where Catholics have gathered for Mass since the parish was organized in 1922 and the current church was dedicated on June 1, 1924. Together with St. Mary's of the Lake in Ontario (founded 1869), St. Patrick's in Macedon, and the former mission St. Rose of Lima in Sodus Point, Epiphany now forms part of a four-church parish family staffed by a pastor and parochial vicar.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- St. Maximilian Kolbe (parish patron); the Epiphany church is dedicated to the Epiphany of the Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Symon Peter Ntaiyia
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish offers a rare chance to belong to a small, tight-knit Catholic community that worships across four historic churches in western Wayne County. At the Epiphany church in Sodus, parishioners find a full sacramental life — two Sunday Masses, weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday, a parish-centered Faith Formation program using the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, Children's Liturgy of the Word for ages 4 through 5th grade, and Sacramental Preparation for Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. The parish is currently discerning a future merger with neighboring St. Katharine Drexel Parish into a new Divine Mercy Parish, making this a moment of active community-building for any newcomer.
Mass times at Epiphany. St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Mary's (Ontario): Monday 5:30–6:30 PM
- St. Patrick (Macedon): Wednesday 5:30–6:30 PM
Adoration times
- St. Mary's (Ontario): Monday 5:30–6:30 PM
- St. Mary's (Ontario): First Friday Adoration 8:30 AM with Benediction at 4:45 PM
About St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish
St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish is the Catholic family of faith that serves the western Wayne County communities of Sodus, Ontario, Macedon, and Palmyra in the Diocese of Rochester. From a single parish office in Ontario the staff coordinates worship, faith formation, music, and sacramental preparation across four church buildings: the Church of the Epiphany in Sodus, St. Mary's of the Lake in Ontario, St. Patrick's in Macedon, and St. Anne's in Palmyra. A parochial vicar, a deacon, a faith formation coordinator, and lay music directors round out the team.
History of Church of the Epiphany, Sodus
Catholics of Sodus had been meeting for weekly Mass in a room above a local market years before the Church of the Epiphany was formally organized in 1922. The parish purchased a sizable lot from Maria C. Rogers, a descendant of the Green family, and the new church was dedicated on June 1, 1924. A Parish Center was added in 1985 to support growing parish life. During the Great Depression, Epiphany was temporarily served as a mission of neighboring St. Mary of the Lake from 1934 until 1942, when it resumed its identity as an independent parish.
2009 Merger into St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish
In 2009 the Diocese of Rochester grouped Epiphany (Sodus), St. Mary's of the Lake (Ontario), and the mission church of St. Rose of Lima (Sodus Point) into a single new parish under the patronage of St. Maximilian Kolbe. The cluster was later expanded to include St. Patrick's in Macedon and St. Anne's in Palmyra as a Wayne County pastoral grouping. St. Rose of Lima, which traced its roots to an 1885 gift of land by Rose and Georgette Lummis to Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid, has since closed, leaving the parish's active worship sites as listed above.
Centennial Year 2022
The Epiphany congregation celebrated its 100th anniversary throughout 2022. Bishop Salvatore R. Matano celebrated a 10:30 a.m. Mass on June 5, 2022, commemorating the centennial, with historical photos of the church on display at a catered luncheon afterward. A Centennial Coffee Hour followed the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass on September 18, 2022.
Future: Divine Mercy Parish
St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish is currently in a formal merger process with neighboring St. Katharine Drexel Parish. A joint merger committee has been convened and, in May, parishioners at every Mass in the cluster voted unanimously to name the future combined parish 'Divine Mercy Parish.' The plan, presented to the Diocese, anticipates two priests continuing to serve the four worship sites and preserving the current weekend Mass schedule during the transition.
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Symon Peter Ntaiyia and Parochial Vicar Rev. Steven B. Lewis, supported by Deacon Marcelo DeRisio, Deacon Ed Kohlmeier, Faith Formation Coordinator & Youth Minister Corey Ginett, parish office staff, and Music Directors including Mark Wlodarczyk for the Church of the Epiphany. Fr. Lewis's homilies are also available online via SoundCloud.
- Rev. Symon Peter Ntaiyia — Pastor (Ext. 17; cell 585-613-8187)
- Rev. Steven B. Lewis — Parochial Vicar (Ext. 20; Sacramental Emergencies 315-791-2088)
- Deacon Marcelo DeRisio
- Deacon Ed Kohlmeier
- Corey Ginett — Faith Formation Coordinator & Youth Minister ([email protected]; Ext. 12)
- Mark Wlodarczyk — Music Director, Church of the Epiphany
Faith Formation for Children & Youth
Faith Formation at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish typically runs from November through May/June. The program uses the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies — the only liturgically-based catechetical program in the Catholic market that ties every lesson to that week's Sunday Gospel and the Catholic doctrine flowing from it, available for preschool through 7th grade. Children ages 4 through 5th grade are also invited to Children's Liturgy of the Word during Sunday Mass, where they are called forth to hear the day's readings, a reflection, the Creed, and prayers before returning to their families before the gifts are presented.
- Children's Faith Formation — preschool through 7th grade
- Curriculum: Gospel Weeklies by Pflaum
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — ages 4 through 5th grade, during Sunday Mass
- Faith Programs for Youth/High School
- Contact: Corey Ginett, [email protected], 315-524-2611 Ext. 12
Sacramental Preparation
The parish offers formal preparation for each of the three Sacraments of Initiation as well as Marriage, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. Children preparing for Reconciliation and First Communion must be registered in Faith Formation and be in at least 2nd grade; preparation begins in February. Confirmation is a two-year program beginning in September, with students entering in at least 8th grade.
- Reconciliation Prep — begins February; 2nd grade or older; must be enrolled in Faith Formation
- First Communion Prep — begins February; 2nd grade or older; must be enrolled in Faith Formation
- Confirmation Prep — two-year program beginning September; 8th grade or older to start
- Baptism Preparation — working with families for the first sacrament of initiation
- Marriage — couples coordinate with the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — available for serious illness, pre-surgery, or end-of-life; may be received more than once
RCIA & Adult Initiation
The parish supports adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Leadership is by invitation of the Pastor, and the process walks inquirers through the formation, rites, and sacraments of initiation.
Music & Liturgy
Music at the Church of the Epiphany is coordinated by Music Director Mark Wlodarczyk, with a separate Music Director serving St. Mary's of the Lake. Liturgical ministries are supported by trained volunteer lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Children's Liturgy of the Word leaders.
- Mark Wlodarczyk — Music Director, Church of the Epiphany
- Music Director — St. Mary's of the Lake
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — Sundays at Mass
Parish Office, Visiting & Contact
The parish office serves all four worship sites from its location at P.O. Box 499, Ontario, NY 14519. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with phone (315) 524-2611 connecting to all extensions. The Epiphany church is located at 105 West Main Street, Sodus, NY 14551.
- Parish mailing address: P.O. Box 499, Ontario, NY 14519
- Phone: 315-524-2611
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- Epiphany church: 105 W. Main St., Sodus, NY 14551
- Faith Formation: [email protected]
Stay Connected
Parishioners can stay informed through the parish website, the diocesan Pastoral Services Directory, a weekly online bulletin, the parish Facebook page, an Instagram account (@stmaximiliankolbeparish), and SoundCloud homilies from Fr. Steven B. Lewis.
- Website: catholicparisheswwc.org
- Diocese of Rochester directory: ps.dor.org/directory/st-maximilian-kolbe-parish/
- Facebook: St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish (Ontario, NY)
- Instagram: @stmaximiliankolbeparish
- SoundCloud: Rev. Steven B. Lewis homilies
- Weekly Bulletin (linked from the diocesan directory)