About Mary Immaculate (Immaculate Conception Worship Site, East Bethany) · East Bethany, New York
Mary Immaculate Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Buffalo serving the rural communities of East Bethany and Pavilion in Genesee and Wyoming Counties, New York. The parish was formed on August 15, 2010 — the Feast of the Assumption — through the merger of St. Mary's Church in Pavilion (founded 1865) and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in East Bethany (founded 1954), with Bishop Edward Kmiec presiding at a Unity Mass. Today the parish operates two historic worship sites, both notable for their stained-glass windows, and is part of the Fields of Grace Family of Parishes (Family #14) under the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal collaborative model.
- Established
- 2010 (parish; predecessor sites: St. Mary 1865, Immaculate Conception 1954)
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title of Mary Immaculate / Immaculate Conception)
- Rector
- Rev. F. Patrick Melfi (Pastor of Family #14 / Fields of Grace, including Mary Immaculate Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Mary Immaculate Parish offers a small, rural Catholic community rooted in more than 150 years of worship in Pavilion and over 70 years in East Bethany, served today from its historic Immaculate Conception church on Ellicott Street Road. As part of the Fields of Grace Family of Parishes, parishioners benefit from shared priests, regional faith-formation, and weekend Masses at multiple worship sites across Wyoming and Genesee Counties. It is a parish where the generations-old stained-glass windows, the rolling farmland setting, and a tightly knit congregation make Sunday Mass feel like coming home.
Mass times at Mary Immaculate (Immaculate Conception Worship Site, East Bethany)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 PM (April through September, Immaculate Conception worship site)
Mary Immaculate Parish — Overview
Mary Immaculate Parish is the merged Roman Catholic community of the Diocese of Buffalo serving the rural villages of East Bethany and Pavilion in Genesee and Wyoming Counties, New York. It exists today through two historic worship sites: the Church of the Immaculate Conception in East Bethany (founded 1954) and St. Mary's Church in Pavilion (founded 1865). The parish is identified publicly under the informal banner 'Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community' (ERRCC) and has long used www.errcc.org as its web home.
- Parish established August 15, 2010
- Diocese of Buffalo
- Two worship sites (Immaculate Conception, East Bethany; St. Mary, Pavilion)
- Immaculate Conception site: 5865 Ellicott Street Road, East Bethany, NY 14054
- Mailing address: PO Box 98, East Bethany, NY 14054-0098
History & the 2010 Merger
Mary Immaculate Parish traces its roots to two separate worship communities that served Catholic farm families in the rolling countryside east of Batavia. St. Mary's, Pavilion was established in 1865 and Immaculate Conception, East Bethany in 1954. In 2005 the Diocese of Buffalo launched the Journey in Faith and Grace program to address a shortage of priests, and recommended the two parishes first 'link' under a shared pastor before merging. Father Richard Cilano was appointed to the linked parishes in December 2007. After years of joint activities, faith-formation classes, and Masses shared between sites, the two parishes formally merged on August 15, 2010 — the Feast of the Assumption of Mary — at a Unity Mass presided over by Bishop Edward Kmiec.
- 1865 — St. Mary's, Pavilion founded
- 1954 — Immaculate Conception, East Bethany founded
- 2005 — Diocese launches Journey in Faith and Grace restructuring
- December 2007 — Father Richard Cilano appointed pastor of linked parishes
- August 15, 2010 — Merger creates Mary Immaculate Parish; Bishop Kmiec presides
- Generations-old stained-glass windows preserved at both worship sites
Worship Sites
The parish retains its two predecessor churches as separate worship sites, each with its own history and stained-glass windows. Weekday Masses and confession rotate between them across the year, while weekend Masses are celebrated at both locations.
Immaculate Conception Worship Site, East Bethany
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, on Ellicott Street Road in the hamlet of East Bethany, was established as an independent parish in 1954. Its stained-glass windows are more than 67 years old. Sunday Mass is celebrated here at 9:30 AM, with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM offered April through September, and weekday Masses on Tuesday through Friday at 8:30 AM during the odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, November). Confessions are heard Saturday at 3:45 PM April through September.
- Address: 5865 Ellicott Street Road, East Bethany, NY 14054-9795
- Established 1954
- Sunday Mass: 9:30 AM
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (April–September)
- Weekday Masses Tue–Fri 8:30 AM (odd months)
- Confession: Saturday 3:45 PM (April–September)
St. Mary Worship Site, Pavilion
St. Mary's Church in Pavilion is the older of the parish's two sites, founded in 1865 to serve Catholic settlers in Wyoming County. Its stained-glass windows date back roughly 156 years and remain a treasured feature of the building.
- Address: 11095 St. Mary's St., Pavilion, NY 14525
- Established 1865
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Tuesday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Friday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Confessions: Sunday 7:30–8:00 AM (before Mass)
Clergy & Staff
Mary Immaculate Parish is shepherded by the priests of Family #14 in the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal collaborative model. Father F. Patrick Melfi serves as pastor; he was originally named pastor of St. Michael (Warsaw), Mary Immaculate (East Bethany), and St. Isidore (Perry/Silver Springs) effective July 1, 2023, and on October 15, 2024 his pastor role was expanded to all parishes of the newly realigned Family #14. Supporting parochial vicars across the family include Father Peter Napierkowski, Father John J. Arogyasami (senior parochial vicar of newly aligned Family #14), Father Jozef Dudzik, and Father George Devanapalle.
- Rev. F. Patrick Melfi — Pastor (since July 1, 2023)
- Rev. Peter Napierkowski — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. John J. Arogyasami — Senior Parochial Vicar, newly aligned Family #14
- Rev. Jozef Dudzik — Senior Parochial Vicar, newly aligned Family #12 & #14
- Rev. George Devanapalle — Parochial Vicar, newly aligned Family #14
- Rev. Richard Cilano — Former pastor (2007–2010+), led the 2010 merger
Fields of Grace — Family #14
Mary Immaculate is one of the parishes in Family #14 of the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal initiative, now branded 'Fields of Grace Catholic Community.' The family brings together rural parishes across Wyoming and Genesee Counties so that they can share priests, faith-formation programming, and other resources in response to a regional shortage of clergy. The October 15, 2024 realignment brought SS. Joachim & Anne (Attica), St. John Neumann (Strykersville) and Immaculate Heart of Mary (Darien Center) into Family #14 alongside the original three parishes. A shared family website, fieldsofgrace.family, lists unified Mass and confession schedules.
- Family #14 / 'Fields of Grace Catholic Community'
- St. Michael, Warsaw
- Mary Immaculate, East Bethany (Immaculate Conception & St. Mary sites)
- St. Isidore, Perry
- SS. Joachim & Anne, Attica (added Oct. 15, 2024)
- St. John Neumann, Strykersville (added Oct. 15, 2024)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary, Darien Center (added Oct. 15, 2024)
- Family hub: https://fieldsofgrace.family/
Diocese of Buffalo & Road to Renewal
The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and participates in the diocese's multi-year Road to Renewal restructuring program, which has grouped parishes into collaborative 'Families of Parishes' that share pastoral leadership. The earlier Journey in Faith and Grace initiative, launched in 2005, set the stage for the 2010 merger of St. Mary's Pavilion and Immaculate Conception East Bethany.
- Diocese of Buffalo
- Journey in Faith and Grace (launched 2005)
- Road to Renewal (current restructuring)
- Bishop Michael W. Fisher — current diocesan bishop
Visiting & Contact
The parish can be reached by mail at PO Box 98, East Bethany, NY 14054-0098, or in person at the Immaculate Conception worship site, 5865 Ellicott Street Road. The parish office line is (585) 786-2400. The Immaculate Conception rectory is listed separately at (585) 584-7031. The parish maintains an informational web presence at www.errcc.org, with broader family information published through fieldsofgrace.family.
- Parish office: (585) 786-2400
- Rectory: (585) 584-7031
- Mailing: PO Box 98, East Bethany, NY 14054-0098
- Website: www.errcc.org
- Family site: https://fieldsofgrace.family/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Richard CilanoDecember 2007 – 2010+
Appointed pastor of the linked parishes of Immaculate Conception (East Bethany) and St. Mary (Pavilion) in December 2007; led them through the Journey in Faith and Grace merger process that created Mary Immaculate Parish on August 15, 2010.
- Rev. F. Patrick MelfiEffective July 1, 2023 – present
Named pastor of St. Michael (Warsaw), Mary Immaculate (East Bethany) and St. Isidore (Perry/Silver Springs) as Family #14 under Road to Renewal; on Oct. 15, 2024 his pastor role was expanded to all parishes in the newly aligned Fields of Grace Family #14.