About Holy Trinity-St. Stephen Parish @ St. Stephen · Phoenix, New York
Holy Trinity–St. Stephen Parish @ St. Stephen is a Roman Catholic parish located at 469 Main Street in the village of Phoenix, Oswego County, New York, part of the Diocese of Syracuse. St. Stephen's was established on July 1, 1928 by Bishop Daniel Curley as a 'daughter parish' of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in neighboring Fulton, and today is united with Holy Trinity Parish in Fulton under a single pastor, Rev. Joseph E. Scardella. The parish serves families on both sides of the Oswego River with a rich calendar of Masses, formation programs, outreach, and beloved annual events such as the Strawberry Festival. St. Stephen's also hosts a sign-language-interpreted Sunday Mass ministry through its sister parish, and reaches out locally through Mary's Closet and a free monthly community dinner.
- Established
- 1928
- Patron
- St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph E. Scardella
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
St. Stephen's is a faithful village parish with deep roots in Phoenix — founded in 1928 by the Prendergast family and built into its present home in the 1950s — where nearly every parishioner can find a way to serve. The parish offers Family Faith Formation for elementary children, a deeper middle- and high-school program built around fun and service, and adult opportunities as liturgical ministers, in the Golden Agers, Altar-Rosary Society, Knights of Columbus, or Catholic Daughters. Two flagship outreaches — Mary's Closet (run by the Family/Respect Life Committee) and the free community dinner hosted every last Wednesday of the month by the Parish Council — make the parish a real neighbor in Phoenix, while the annual Strawberry Festival is a beloved tradition that brings the whole community together.
Mass times at Holy Trinity-St. Stephen Parish @ St. Stephen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity (Fulton)
- Tuesday and Wednesday 9:30–10:00 a.m. at St. Stephen (Phoenix)
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity (Fulton), with Holy Rosary at 4:45 p.m. and Benediction following
Parish History & Heritage
St. Stephen's Parish in Phoenix traces its origins to July 1, 1928, when Bishop Daniel Curley of Syracuse created it as a 'daughter parish' of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Fulton. Early Masses were celebrated first in the home of Stephen Prendergast and then at Fitzgerald's Store. The Prendergast family, the area's first Catholic family, donated the land and construction money for the original church, built on the west side of the river with about 158 families registered. The present church was built between 1954 and May 1957 on land purchased in 1951 that had been a private park adjoining the Seits family home (which became the rectory); the stained-glass windows from the original 1928 church were carefully preserved and installed in the new building.
- Founded July 1, 1928 by Bishop Daniel Curley
- First pastor: Rev. Harold J. Flynn (July 1928 – August 1942)
- Present church constructed 1954 – May 1957
- Original stained-glass windows retained in present church
Catholic Communities of Holy Trinity–St. Stephen
Today, St. Stephen's is part of the Catholic Communities of Holy Trinity–St. Stephen Parish, served by one pastor, Rev. Joseph E. Scardella. The sister parish, Holy Trinity, sits at 309 Buffalo Street in Fulton and traces back to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, formed December 8, 1854 in the Diocese of Albany (the Diocese of Syracuse was created in 1886 under Bishop Patrick Ludden). In March 2008, after decades of population decline in Fulton, the three Fulton parishes of Holy Family, St. Michael's, and Immaculate Conception merged into Holy Trinity Parish, using the Immaculate Conception church. St. Stephen's was then united with Holy Trinity, and the two communities have shared a single pastor and a single website ever since — a partnership the parish calls 'Bridges of Faith.'
- Holy Trinity location: 309 Buffalo Street, Fulton, NY 13069
- St. Stephen location: 469 Main Street, Phoenix, NY 13135
- Diocese of Syracuse
Clergy, Staff & Parish Office
The united Catholic Communities of Holy Trinity–St. Stephen are led by Pastor Rev. Joseph E. Scardella, supported by Deacon Jeff Dean and a full parish staff. Tracy McAfee serves as Parish Business Administrator. Kelly LeVea is the Office Administrator at Holy Trinity (Fulton), and Beth Edic is the Office Administrator at St. Stephen (Phoenix). The Coordinators of Faith Formation and Music ministry serve both worship sites.
- Rev. Joseph E. Scardella — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon Jeff Dean — 315-668-3845, [email protected]
- Tracy McAfee — Parish Business Administrator ([email protected])
- Kelly LeVea — Office Administrator, Holy Trinity
- Beth Edic — Office Administrator, St. Stephen ([email protected])
- Lucy Hawthorne — Coordinator of Catechesis, Grades 1–12 ([email protected])
- James Feeney — Director of Music, Holy Trinity (315-559-3966)
- Tonette Orlando — Director of Music, St. Stephen (315-243-3642)
- Denise Pawlewicz — Website & Social Media Coordinator
- Mark Reilly — Maintenance for both parishes
- Dana Howell — Holy Trinity Buildings/Grounds/Cemetery (315-236-5532)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish's Family Faith Formation program is open to all elementary-aged parishioners, with parents encouraged to take a leading role as the first educators of their children in the faith. For middle school and high school students, the parish offers a program geared toward learning the faith in a deeper way through fun and service. Lucy Hawthorne serves as Coordinator of Catechesis for Grades 1–12 across both worship sites.
- Family Faith Formation (Grades 1–5)
- Middle School program
- High School program
- Coordinator of Catechesis: Lucy Hawthorne
Parish Ministries, Organizations & Fellowship
Adult parishioners have many ways to serve — as liturgical ministers, or through the Golden Agers, the Altar-Rosary Society, the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Daughters. The Family/Respect Life Committee staffs Mary's Closet, a place for mothers to obtain whatever they may need to help parent their children. The Parish Council of Holy Trinity–St. Stephen hosts a free community dinner on the last Wednesday of every month for anyone in need.
- Family/Respect Life Committee — Mary's Closet
- Parish Council — free monthly community dinner
- Liturgical ministers
- Golden Agers
- Altar-Rosary Society
- Knights of Columbus
- Catholic Daughters
Annual Traditions & Community Life
St. Stephen's hosts the annual Strawberry Festival, and Holy Trinity hosts its Family Fun Festival every summer — both beloved opportunities for parishioners to work together in support of the parish and enjoy one another's company. The free monthly community dinner and Mary's Closet are year-round expressions of the parish's outreach to neighbors in need in the Phoenix–Fulton area.
- Annual Strawberry Festival (St. Stephen's)
- Annual Family Fun Festival (Holy Trinity, summer)
- Free community dinner — last Wednesday of each month
- Mary's Closet — support for mothers and families
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Harold J. FlynnJuly 1928 – August 1942
First pastor of St. Stephen's; later the sixth pastor of Immaculate Conception in Fulton.
- Rev. Edmund D. BerriganAugust 1942 –
Purchased the present church site on October 1, 1951 (formerly a private park with the Seits family home, which became the rectory); oversaw construction of the present St. Stephen's Church, 1954–May 1957.
- Rev. Philip BrockmyreSeptember 28, 2009 –
Appointed Pastor of St. Stephen's by Bishop Robert J. Cunningham effective September 28, 2009; previously Parochial Vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary (Liverpool) and Holy Family (Syracuse); ordained June 1, 2002.
- Rev. Joseph E. Scardellacurrent
Current pastor of the united Holy Trinity–St. Stephen Catholic Communities.