About Holy Family · Albion, New York
Holy Family Parish in Albion, New York is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Buffalo, serving Orleans County at 106 South Main Street. The parish, originally founded as St. Joseph's in 1852 by Irish immigrant sandstone quarrymen, was renamed Holy Family in 2007 and is now part of ONE Catholic (Family #11 of the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal). It is led by Father Mark J. Noonan (Pastor) and Father Joseph W. Tokasz (Parochial Vicar) and shares sacramental life with sister churches in Medina, Holley, Kendall and Lyndonville, offering daily Mass, five-day-a-week Confession, weekday Eucharistic Adoration, and a weekly Spanish Mass.
- Established
- 1852 (as St. Joseph's); 2007 (renamed Holy Family)
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Mark J. Noonan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Holy Family offers the full rhythm of Catholic sacramental life in the heart of Orleans County — multiple daily Masses, a Saturday Vigil and three Sunday Masses including a weekly Spanish Mass (Misa en Español at 12:30 PM), Confession five days a week, Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays and all-day on Fridays in the school chapel, RCIA on Thursday evenings, K–10 Faith Formation using the Faith and Life curriculum, Sacramental Prep for First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation, and separate Middle School and High School youth groups. It also runs a St. Vincent de Paul Salvage Center and maintains St. Joseph's Cemetery, all under the pastoral care of Father Mark J. Noonan and Father Joseph W. Tokasz.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:00–6:00 PM, Holy Family, Albion
- Saturday 1:00–2:00 PM, Holy Family, Albion
- Following the 5:30 PM Saturday Mass in Albion, by asking the priest
- Anytime by appointment — Central Office 585-589-4243
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:00–6:00 PM, Holy Family, Albion
- Friday 9:30 AM–6:00 PM, Holy Family, Albion (in the Chapel in the school building)
About ONE Catholic
Holy Family is one of seven parishes that together form ONE Catholic — the Orleans Niagara East Catholic Community, Family #11 in the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal' restructuring. The partner parishes are Holy Trinity (St. Mary's) in Medina, St. Mary's in Holley, St. Mark's in Kendall, Our Lady of the Lake in Barker, and St. Joseph in Lyndonville. ONE Catholic shares clergy, faith formation staff, music directors and administrative support so that every Catholic in Orleans and eastern Niagara County can find a nearby Mass, Confession and Adoration.
- Holy Family, Albion (106 S. Main St.)
- Holy Trinity / St. Mary's, Medina (211 Eagle St.)
- St. Mary's, Holley (13 S. Main St.)
- St. Mark's, Kendall
- Our Lady of the Lake, Barker
- St. Joseph, Lyndonville
Parish History
Holy Family's story begins in the 1840s with Irish quarry workers along the Erie Canal. Bishop John Timon secured land on North Main Street in 1849, and the first parish Mass was celebrated on Palm Sunday 1852 under Rev. O'Conner. Father John M. Castaldi (1862–1895) built the parochial school, welcomed the Sisters of Mercy and acquired the Brown Road cemetery. Msgr. Francis Sullivan (1897–1946) nearly half a century of leadership cleared the parish debt and, in 1920, established the present St. Joseph's Cemetery with its Romanesque Revival Medina sandstone chapel. In 2007 the parish was renamed Holy Family and, under Father Mark J. Noonan, joined with neighboring parishes to form ONE Catholic.
- 1840 — earliest Masses celebrated in private homes by visiting priests from Lockport
- 1849 — Bishop John Timon secures the North Main Street site
- 1852 — first Mass as a parish on Palm Sunday
- 1869 — parochial school opens under the Sisters of Mercy
- 1873 — Brown Road cemetery acquired (Holy Sepulchre / 'Old St. Joseph's')
- 1897–1946 — Msgr. Francis Sullivan's 49-year pastorate
- 1920 — new St. Joseph's Cemetery and Medina sandstone chapel opened
- 2007 — parish renamed Holy Family
- 2022 — Father Mark Noonan named first pastor of ONE Catholic (Family #11)
St. Joseph's Cemetery
Established in 1920 on 14 acres just east of the Village of Albion under the direction of Msgr. Francis Sullivan, St. Joseph's Cemetery features a Romanesque Revival chapel of Medina sandstone designed by parishioner Pasquale DiLaura, with a terra cotta tile roof and an interior vault capable of holding roughly 15 bodies through the winter. It replaced the older Brown Road cemetery (Holy Sepulchre / 'Old St. Joseph's Cemetery') and is now a documented stop on local cemetery history tours.
- Address just east of Albion on East Avenue
- Romanesque Revival chapel of Medina sandstone (1920)
- Cemetery Director: Jason Dash, 585-589-4243
Our Clergy and Staff
Holy Family and the ONE Catholic community are served by two priests and a committed lay staff. Father Mark J. Noonan, who previously served St. Mark's in Kendall and St. Mary's in Holley for 7½ years and was a seminarian at St. Joseph's in Albion in 2006, is the Pastor. Father Joseph W. Tokasz serves as Parochial Vicar. Retired Father Richard Csizmar continues to assist, and Father Jan Trela has also been assigned to the family.
- Rev. Mark J. Noonan — Pastor (ext. 7)
- Rev. Joseph W. Tokasz — Parochial Vicar (ext. 9)
- Emily Kwiatkowski — Director of Discipleship & Mission (ext. 2); [email protected]
- Pat Swindon — Secretary, Holy Family & St. Mary's, Holley (ext. 4)
- Jason Dash — Director of Maintenance (Holy Family & St. Mary's, Holley)
- Katie Robinson — Director of Music, Holy Family; Organist, St. Mary's
- Aaron Grabowski — Director of Music, Holy Trinity
- Tim Williams — Organist, Holy Trinity / St. Mary's, Medina (ext. 5)
- Casimer Pruski — St. Vincent de Paul Salvage Center, 585-589-7376
Faith Formation & Religious Education
ONE Catholic offers lifelong formation for every age. Children in grades K–8 use the Faith and Life curriculum by Ignatius Press, meeting twice a month for grade-level classroom sessions and once a month as a family. Students in Grades 9–10 begin Confirmation preparation. Separate Middle School and High School youth groups meet several times a year for faith and social events. Adults can take part in Bible studies, retreats and book studies, and anyone interested in becoming Catholic — or completing their sacraments — is invited to RCIA, which meets Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 PM at Holy Family.
- RCIA — Thursdays 6:30–7:45 PM at Holy Family (Emily Kwiatkowski)
- Youth Faith Formation K–8 (Faith and Life by Ignatius Press)
- Sacramental Prep — First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Confirmation preparation for Grades 9–10
- Middle School and High School Youth Groups
- Adult Faith Formation — Bible studies, retreats, book studies
- Text-message reminders: text @hfalbion to 81010
Outreach and Charity
Holy Family operates a St. Vincent de Paul Salvage Center to assist families in need throughout Orleans County. Contact Casimer Pruski at 585-589-7376 for information about donating or receiving aid.
- St. Vincent de Paul Salvage Center
- Contact: Casimer Pruski, 585-589-7376
Music and Liturgy
Music at Holy Family is directed by Katie Robinson, who also serves as organist at St. Mary's, Holley. The parish maintains a choir and instrumentalists who support the Saturday Vigil, three Sunday Masses, Holy Days and the weekday liturgical schedule.
- Katie Robinson — Director of Music, Holy Family; Organist, St. Mary's
- Aaron Grabowski — Director of Music, Holy Trinity and Our Lady of the Lake
- Tim Williams — Organist, Holy Trinity / St. Mary's, Medina
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Costello (Lockport)circa 1840s
Served the earliest Irish Catholic settlers from Lockport, celebrating Mass in homes.
- Rev. O'Connercompleted church 1852
Directed the completion of the original wood-frame church on North Main Street; first parish Mass on Palm Sunday 1852.
- Rev. John Marius (M.) Castaldi1862–1895
One of the longest-serving pastors; built the parochial school (1869, Sisters of Mercy), acquired the Brown Road cemetery, and saw the parish elevated to an Irremovable Rectorship.
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Francis SullivanMay 19, 1897 – Dec. 13, 1946
Nearly 50-year pastorate; cleared the parish debt, built lyceum/convent/rectory/sexton's house, and in 1920 purchased 14 acres and oversaw construction of the Romanesque Revival Medina sandstone cemetery chapel. Celebrated more than 26,000 Masses, performed 660 marriages and 2,017 baptisms.
- Rev. Richard Csizmarserved until retirement in 2022
Retired from Holy Family, Albion; first 25 years in Niagara County, next 25 in Genesee County, then 20+ years in Orleans County.
- Rev. Mark J. Noonanappointed 2022
First pastor of ONE Catholic Family #11; previously served 7½ years at St. Mark's, Kendall and St. Mary's, Holley; was a seminarian at St. Joseph's, Albion in 2006.