About Holy Angels. St. Luke the Evangelist Parish. · Nunda, New York
Holy Angels Church is one of five worship sites that together make up St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, a multi-site Catholic community serving western Livingston County, New York, in the Diocese of Rochester. Located at 45 North Church Street in the Village of Nunda, Holy Angels is the parish's southernmost church and is closely identified with the Irish immigrant families — many of them laborers on the Genesee Valley Canal — who first gathered for Mass in the 1840s. The current church building, on the same lot as the original, hosted its first Mass in November 1873. The church is celebrated for its tightly-knit congregation, its modest and intimate scale, and a long tradition of sharing meals after Mass, especially during Lent.
- Established
- 1840s (first Masses); 1854 (first church); 1873 (current church)
- Patron
- Holy Angels
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel L. White (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Holy Angels offers something increasingly rare: a small, walk-up Catholic community where everyone knows your name and your presence is missed if you are absent. The weekly Wednesday evening Mass is followed by a potluck supper, Lenten Saturday Masses have been paired with shared breakfasts for over a decade, and Father Hoan Dinh's monthly First Friday gatherings (adoration, Mass, and dinner) keep the church a center of both prayer and table fellowship. Set in the Village of Nunda within reach of Letchworth State Park, Holy Angels is the historic southern anchor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, where five Livingston County faith communities share one Catholic home.
Mass times at Holy Angels. St. Luke the Evangelist Parish.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:15–3:45 PM at St. Lucy Church, Retsof (parish-wide)
- By appointment (call or email the parish office)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: Thursdays 9:00 AM–3:00 PM, September through April (parish-wide, listed on ministries page)
- Private Adoration at St. Mary's: Thursdays 5:00–7:00 PM
- Communal Holy Hour at St. Patrick: Third Thursday of the month, 9:00–10:00 AM
- First Friday Adoration at Holy Angels: monthly, 4:00–5:30 PM (followed by Mass and dinner)
About St. Luke the Evangelist Parish
St. Luke the Evangelist is a multi-site Catholic parish of the Diocese of Rochester that brings together five former independent faith communities in western Livingston County, New York. Its worship sites are St. Mary (Geneseo, the main office), St. Patrick (Mount Morris), St. Lucy (Retsof), St. Juan Diego Community (Leicester, formerly St. Thomas Aquinas), and Holy Angels (Nunda). The parish also ministers to inmates at Livingston County Jail, Groveland Correctional Facility, and Livingston Correctional Facility.
- Main office: 13 North Street, Geneseo, NY 14454
- Holy Angels worship site: 45 N. Church Street, Nunda, NY 14517
- Diocese of Rochester
- Phone: (585) 243-1100
Holy Angels Church — Nunda
Holy Angels is the southernmost worship site of St. Luke the Evangelist, set in the Village of Nunda near Letchworth State Park. The current church is the same 1873 building raised on the lot where the first Holy Angels church had stood since 1854. The small church is celebrated for the closeness of its congregation, its Wednesday evening potluck suppers after Mass, and a long tradition of shared meals accompanying Lenten liturgies.
- First Masses in Nunda: 1840s (Irish canal-laborer families)
- First church: 1854
- Current church first Mass: November 1873
- Sunday Mass: 8:15 AM
- Saturday Vigil-style Mass: 5:45 PM
- Wednesday Mass: 5:30 PM (fellowship dinner follows)
Parish History
Catholic ministry in western Livingston County dates back to at least the 1830s, when priests would travel by horse and buggy between towns to say Mass. As the population grew, more churches were built. Holy Angels began with Masses for Irish workers on the Genesee Valley Canal in the 1840s; the first church opened in 1854, and the present building was completed in 1873. On July 1, 2006, Holy Angels combined with St. Patrick (Mount Morris), St. Lucy (Retsof), St. Mary (Geneseo), and St. Thomas Aquinas (Leicester) to form St. Luke the Evangelist Parish.
- 1840s: First Masses for Irish canal laborers
- 1854: First Holy Angels church opens
- 1873: First Mass in current Holy Angels church
- July 1, 2006: Five parishes merge to form St. Luke the Evangelist
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by a parochial administrator and parochial vicar, supported by a secretary, faith-formation pastoral minister, cemetery manager, and finance team. Father Daniel L. White was appointed parochial administrator effective June 25, 2024, succeeding Father Sylvester Bioh, who now serves as parochial vicar in the Clyde/Newark/Wolcott cluster.
- Rev. Daniel L. White — Parochial Administrator ([email protected])
- Rev. Hoan Dinh — Parochial Vicar
- Cathy Meyer — Secretary ([email protected])
- Leslie Nieves — Faith Formation Pastoral Minister ([email protected])
- Andy DiFulvio — Cemetery Manager ([email protected])
- Annette Syracusa — Finance Director
- Laurie A. Baverstock — Regional Assistant Finance Manager
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is described by the parish as 'a vital element of the Catholic life' and is offered across the lifespan. K-8 classes meet Sunday mornings at three locations — including Holy Angels (9:15–10:15 AM) — and Confirmation is a two-year process beginning in 8th grade. Sacramental preparation is provided for First Communion and First Reconciliation (grade 2). Adult faith formation, RCIA, and a Newman Community for college students round out the offerings.
- K-8 classes at Holy Angels: Sundays 9:15–10:15 AM
- K-8 classes at St. Mary: Sundays 9:00–10:00 AM
- K-8 classes at St. Patrick: Sundays 8:45–9:45 AM
- Confirmation: 2-year process, 8th grade and older
- First Communion/First Reconciliation: grade 2
- RCIA for adult candidates
- Newman Community for college students
- Adult faith formation offerings
Liturgical Ministries & Music
Parishioners serve the liturgy in many roles — as sacristans, lectors, greeters, ushers, altar servers (including senior servers), and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who also bring Communion to the sick and homebound. A Liturgical Linen Service cares for altar cloths and purificators.
- Sacristan, Usher, Greeter, Lector
- Senior Altar Server and Altar Server (grade 3+)
- Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
- Liturgical Linen Service
- Music Ministry / Choir (rehearsals Tuesday 7:00 PM)
Prayer, Devotions & Small Groups
The parish sustains an active devotional life with Stations of the Cross during Lent, a weekly Monday Night Prayer Group, a Pro-Life Rosary, and recurring gatherings for men and women. A monthly First Friday at Holy Angels — instituted by Father Hoan Dinh — features adoration from 4:00 to 5:30 PM followed by Mass and dinner.
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays 6:30 PM in the Chapel during Lent
- Monday Night Prayer Group — 7:00 PM in the Convent Chapel
- Pro-Life Rosary
- Men's Group — every other Saturday 7:30–8:50 AM
- Women's Group — periodic gatherings
- First Friday at Holy Angels — Adoration 4:00–5:30 PM, Mass, and dinner
Service & Outreach
St. Luke the Evangelist lives out a commitment to those beyond the parish walls. The Soup Kitchen ministry provides hot meals on a monthly basis to the homeless, and the parish ministers to the incarcerated at three local facilities. A Fellowship Committee coordinates social activities and gatherings throughout the year.
- Soup Kitchen — monthly hot meals for the homeless
- Ministry at Livingston County Jail
- Ministry at Groveland Correctional Facility
- Ministry at Livingston Correctional Facility
- Fellowship Committee
- Offertory Counters
- Cemetery ministry
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Information on sacramental preparation is shared through the parish office. Baptism Preparation helps parents prepare for the faith formation of their child; First Communion and First Reconciliation are celebrated in second grade; Confirmation is a two-year process beginning in eighth grade; and adult candidates are welcomed through RCIA. Eucharistic Ministers carry Communion to the sick and homebound.
- Baptism Preparation
- First Communion / First Reconciliation (grade 2)
- Confirmation (2-year, 8th grade and older)
- Marriage (contact the parish office)
- RCIA (Becoming Catholic)
- Communion to the sick and homebound
Parish Governance & Support
The Parish Pastoral Council is involved in most activities affecting the liturgical and spiritual life of the parish, while the Finance Council advises the pastor on financial matters, monitors income and expenses, and approves the annual budget. Cemetery care is managed as part of the parish's overall stewardship.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- Cemetery Manager (Andy DiFulvio)
- Flowers and Grounds volunteers
Contact, Location & Livestream
The parish can be reached through its main office in Geneseo. Masses and special events are livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel so that homebound parishioners and those traveling can keep connected to the life of the parish.
- Main office: 13 North St., Geneseo, NY 14454
- Phone: (585) 243-1100
- Email: [email protected]
- Holy Angels worship site: 45 N. Church St., Nunda, NY 14517
- Livestream: youtube.com/channel/UCLb4aX14NU9GRkCHPbCgznw
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel L. White2024–present
Appointed parochial administrator effective June 25, 2024; previously parochial vicar at St. Maximilian Kolbe, Ontario, and St. Katharine Drexel, Macedon; native of St. Patrick Parish, Owego, Tioga County; ordained 2019.
- Rev. Sylvester Bioh2023–2024
Served as parochial administrator of St. Luke the Evangelist beginning May 30, 2023; reassigned June 2024 to parochial vicar at St. Joseph the Worker, Clyde; St. Michael, Newark; and Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, Wolcott. Had instituted a monthly First Friday gathering with adoration, Mass, and dinner at Holy Angels.
- Rev. Michael Sauteruntil May 30, 2023
Served as temporary pastoral administrator; reassigned May 30, 2023 to diocesan position of Director of Pastoral Services.