About Immaculate Conception · Eden, New York
Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic parish in the small hamlet of Eden, in southern Erie County, New York, part of the Diocese of Buffalo. Established in 1908 by Bishop Charles H. Colton, it grew from the first Mass celebrated in 1907 for 40 Catholic families in town. Today the parish serves the Eden community from its church and parish complex on South Main Street, sharing pastoral coverage with nearby Holy Spirit Parish in North Collins since 2010.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Dawid Krzeszowski (Administrator, appointed May 1, 2018)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a tight-knit rural Catholic parish that has served the families of Eden for more than a century. It offers daily and weekend Masses in a comfortable mid-century church, weekday Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confession, and a calendar of faith-formation, fellowship, and outreach ministries shared with linked Holy Spirit Parish. Whether you are a lifelong resident or new to the Eden valley, you'll find a small, faithful community that knows its people and welcomes visitors warmly.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
- Friday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
- First Friday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Parish History
Immaculate Conception Parish traces its roots to 1907, when 40 Catholic families in Eden gathered for the first Mass in a building on Green Street. Bishop Charles H. Colton formally established the parish the following year and sent Rev. Hyainthy Cocola to build a church, dedicated December 8, 1908. Over more than a century the parish has grown alongside the hamlet, replacing its original church with a larger one in 1958 and serving generations of farming families in southern Erie County.
- 1907: first Mass celebrated for 40 Catholic families on Green Street
- 1908: parish established; cornerstone laid Sept 20, 1908; church dedicated Dec 8, 1908
- 1924: under Rev. James Mullins, new altar, pews, and pipe organ added
- 1950s: Rev. Norman George oversaw construction of the present church and a parish school, opened June 1, 1958
- 1995: school regionalized with Immaculate Conception, St. Mary's East Eden, Holy Spirit North Collins, St. Mary's New Oregon
- 2002: school closed in June due to declining enrollment
Worship Schedule
Mass is offered five days a week in the parish church, with a Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Mass for the weekend. Weekday and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration is offered in the morning hours, and confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before Vigil Mass.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Saturday Confessions: 3:30-4:00 PM
- Adoration: Monday and Friday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM, and First Friday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Parish Facilities and Improvements
The parish campus includes the 1958 church, a parish hall, chapel, rectory, and cemetery on South Main Street. Under Fr. Dawid Krzeszowski a series of facility upgrades were completed between 2018 and 2019 to modernize worship and gathering spaces.
- New church sound system installed June 2018
- Both church entrances remodeled with new wall paneling and lighting, March 2019
- New projector screen and audiovisual system in the Parish Hall, March 2019
- Safety railing installed in the choir loft, April 2019
- Statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Mother, St. Francis of Assisi, and Jesus in the chapel garden renovated, May 2019
- Air-conditioning units in the hall and chapel replaced
- Rectory repainted and remodeled after 20+ years; new boiler and air-conditioner units installed
Immaculate Conception School
The parish school opened in September 1958 with 83 students and was originally staffed by the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart. It grew grade by grade and was regionalized in 1995 to draw students from Immaculate Conception Eden, St. Mary's East Eden, Holy Spirit North Collins, and St. Mary's New Oregon. After years of declining enrollment the school closed in June 2002. The former school building continues to be used for parish activities, faith formation, and as the Parish Hall.
- Opened September 1958 with grades 1-4
- Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart served as teachers; withdrew June 1971
- First eighth-grade graduation held in 1965
- Regionalized as The Regionalized School of the Immaculate Conception in 1995
- Closed June 2002
Linked Parish: Holy Spirit, North Collins
Since April 2010 Immaculate Conception has been pastorally linked with Holy Spirit Parish in North Collins. The two parishes share a pastor, a combined bulletin, joint Pastoral Council meetings, and many ministries and activities, strengthening fellowship across the two rural communities.
- Link began April 2010
- Single pastor serves both parishes
- Combined parish bulletin
- Joint Pastoral Council meetings
Sacraments and Faith Formation
The parish celebrates the usual Roman Rite sacraments including Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick, with preparation typically coordinated through the parish office and the Diocese of Buffalo.
- Baptism preparation
- First Communion (parish First Communion Sunday tradition continued since 1958)
- Confirmation (Diocese of Buffalo)
- Matrimony preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Hyainthy Cocola1908
Sent by Bishop Colton to establish the parish; cornerstone laid September 20, 1908
- Rev. James Mullinsby 1924
Added new altar, pews, and pipe organ
- Rev. Norman Georgeinstalled 1950
Added a third Mass (including 6:30 A.M. for farm workers); oversaw building of new church and school
- Rev. Leo Benker1962
Succeeded Father George
- Rev. William Doerflein1967
Succeeded Father Benker
- Rev. Williams Zenns1977-1995
Long-serving pastor; moved into remodeled rectory in 1989; retired August 1995
- Rev. David Peter1995-2000
Started daily Masses in the chapel; refurbished and enlarged the chapel, dedicated by Bishop Mansell May 15, 1997
- Rev. Walter Grabowski2000-2017
Administrator from Feb 5, 2000, installed pastor May 3, 2000; also became pastor of linked Holy Spirit Parish in 2010; reassigned to St. Gabriel Parish of Elma Aug 31, 2017
- Rev. John Arogyasami2017-2018
Interim Administrator until April 30, 2018
- Rev. Dawid Krzeszowski2018-present
Appointed Administrator May 1, 2018; oversaw sound system, entrance remodels, projector, and chapel renovations