About Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph · Niagara Falls, New York
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish in Niagara Falls, New York, canonically established in 2008 within the Diocese of Buffalo. It is a two-worship-site parish — the main church is the historic Church of St. Joseph at 1413 Pine Avenue, with the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at 27th Street and Independence Avenue serving as its second worship site. Holy Family is one of five parishes that make up the Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes (Family #35), a collaborative grouping created under the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal pastoral initiative. The parish offers daily and weekend Masses, the Sacraments, devotions (including the Miraculous Medal Novena and Divine Mercy Rosary), and an active outreach and bereavement ministry for the Niagara Falls community.
- Established
- 2008
- Patron
- Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. James W. Kirkpatrick (Pastor of Family #35, including Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a welcoming two-site Niagara Falls parish with daily Mass (Monday–Friday at 8:00 am) and a full Sunday schedule at its St. Joseph and Our Lady of Mount Carmel worship sites. The parish is supported by an unusually rich network of lay ministries — a St. Vincent de Paul Society, food pantries, a Parish Nurse/Grief-Bereavement group, a Catholic Men's Group, Pro-Life ministry, Pre-Cana marriage prep, Rosary & Altar Society, Prayer Chain, and New Venture Seniors — making it easy to get involved in charity, fellowship, or service. The parish also offers Eucharistic Adoration, novenas (Miraculous Medal, St. Peregrine, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Padre Pio, St. John Neumann), a weekly Divine Mercy Rosary, and a candlelight All Souls Day Mass, giving parishioners many ways to grow in prayer alongside the Sunday Eucharist.
Mass times at Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at St. Joseph (Pine Ave) worship site: 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm (per the parish ministries page; listed as 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm on Discover Mass)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month at St. Mary of the Cataract: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (with confessions)
- First Saturday of the month at St. Mary of the Cataract: following 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
- First Monday of the month (within the family)
About Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parish
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish in Niagara Falls, New York, in the Diocese of Buffalo. Canonically erected in 2008, it operates two worship sites — the Church of St. Joseph on Pine Avenue (the main parish site and mailing address) and the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at 27th Street and Independence Avenue. The parish is part of the Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes (Family #35), a collaborative grouping created under the diocese's Road to Renewal pastoral plan. It offers daily and Sunday Masses, the Sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, novenas, a rosary devotional life, and an active network of outreach and pastoral ministries for the local community.
- Parish type: Roman Catholic (Latin rite)
- Established: 2008 (per GCatholic)
- Diocese: Buffalo
- Family of Parishes: #35 (Niagara Falls R.C. Family of Parishes)
- Main worship site: Church of St. Joseph, 1413 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls, NY 14301
- Second worship site: Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 27th St. & Independence Ave.
History and the Road to Renewal
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parish was canonically established in 2008 within the Diocese of Buffalo, taking on the heritage of the historic Church of St. Joseph (Pine Avenue) and the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In the years that followed, it became part of the diocese's 'Road to Renewal' reorganization, which grouped parishes into collaborative Families of Parishes to share priestly ministry and resources amid a declining number of priests. Holy Family was placed into Family #35 — the Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes — alongside St. John de LaSalle, St. Vincent de Paul (with the Prince of Peace and St. Leo worship sites), and St. Mary of the Cataract.
- Established 2008
- Two inherited worship sites: St. Joseph (Pine Ave) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (27th & Independence)
- Member of Family #35 of the Buffalo diocese's Families of Parishes
Worship Sites
The parish has two worship sites within the city of Niagara Falls. The Church of St. Joseph, 1413 Pine Avenue, is the main parish church and the principal mailing address. The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, at 27th Street and Independence Avenue, serves as the parish's second worship site.
- St. Joseph Church — 1413 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls, NY 14301-1994
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel — 27th St. & Independence Ave., Niagara Falls, NY 14301
Novenas, Rosary and Devotions
The parish maintains a robust devotional life rooted in traditional Catholic novenas and the rosary. St. Joseph Church hosts the weekday rosary and several novenas, while St. Mary of the Cataract within the family hosts the Monday Miraculous Medal Novena and the Thursday St. John Neumann Novena.
- Divine Mercy Rosary — Tuesday–Friday at 7:40 am (St. Joseph Church)
- Novena to St. Peregrine — Wednesday following 8:00 am Mass (St. Joseph)
- Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel — Thursday following 8:00 am Mass (St. Joseph)
- Novena to St. Padre Pio — Friday following 8:00 am Mass (St. Joseph)
- Miraculous Medal Novena — Mondays at 12:00 pm (St. Mary of the Cataract)
- St. John Neumann Novena — Thursdays after 12:10 pm Mass (St. Mary of the Cataract)
- Rosary — every Friday following the Mass
- Candlelight All Souls Day Mass — November 2 at 6:30 pm (St. Leo worship site within the family)
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Holy Family and its Niagara Falls Family of Parishes sponsor a wide network of ministries for charity, fellowship, spiritual life, and sacramental support. Lay-led groups include St. Vincent de Paul, food pantries, a Catholic Men's Group, Pro-Life, New Venture Seniors, the Rosary & Altar Society, Prayer Chains, and a Parish Nurse / Grief-Bereavement group. Liturgical ministries train altar servers (grades 4–high school), lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, and sacristans.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — main office x108
- SVDP Food Pantry — 957-7146
- St. Joseph Outreach Center — Tuesdays 9 am–1 pm, 1402 Pine Avenue
- Community Care / Food Pantry — 622-5880 (Mon 10–2, Wed 9–3, Fri 9–12); Mobile Food Pantry 2nd Friday
- Parish Nurse / Grief & Bereavement — Maria Stevenson, 297-1816
- Bereavement Meals — 427-7384
- Catholic Men's Group — John Jesz, 297-8686
- Pre-Cana / Marriage Prep — Deacon Chris & Caroline Privitera, 427-7384
- Pro-Life — Amy Garrison, 898-0919
- New Venture Seniors
- Prayer Chain — Donna
- Rosary & Altar Society — Barb Skowron 283-0198 / Dorothy Spears 297-5927
- St. Padre Pio Prayer Ministry — 297-6382 or 285-7141
- Altar Servers — 4th grade through high school
- Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers, Sacristans
Clergy and Staff
Holy Family is served by the priest team of the Niagara Falls Family of Parishes (Family #35). Per the Diocese of Buffalo's June 1, 2023 assignment list, Rev. James W. Kirkpatrick serves as Pastor, with Rev. Duane R. Klizek as Senior Parochial Vicar, Rev. Lathislaus B. Mariasoosai and Rev. Mario O. Racho as Parochial Vicars. Deacon Chris Privitera and Deacon David Slish are the assigned deacons for the family.
- Pastor: Rev. James W. Kirkpatrick
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. Duane R. Klizek
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Lathislaus B. Mariasoosai
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Mario O. Racho
- Deacon Chris Privitera
- Deacon David Slish
- Earlier listing also referenced Rev. Mario Racho as Parish Administrator for the family
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Communion for the sick and homebound, and Reconciliation, with Marriage Preparation (Pre-Cana) coordinated by Deacon Chris and Caroline Privitera.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Marriage / Pre-Cana — Deacon Chris & Caroline Privitera, 427-7384
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:00–3:45 pm at St. Joseph (and by appointment)
Diocese and Family of Parishes
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is part of the Diocese of Buffalo and is grouped into Family #35 of the diocese's Families of Parishes, known publicly as the Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes. Family #35 brings together five parish communities that share clergy and pastoral resources: St. John de LaSalle, St. Vincent de Paul (with Prince of Peace and St. Leo worship sites), St. Mary of the Cataract (and Divine Mercy), and Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (with St. Joseph and Our Lady of Mount Carmel worship sites).
- Diocese: Buffalo
- Family: #35 — Niagara Falls R.C. Family of Parishes
- Website: https://www.nfrcfparish.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Mario Racho
Listed as 'Parish Administrator' for Holy Family in the Diocese's Family of Parishes Assignment Listing (earlier listing).