About Mary Immaculate (St. Mary Worship Site, Pavilion) · Pavilion, New York
Mary Immaculate Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Buffalo serving rural Genesee and Wyoming counties in western New York. It is organized as the 'Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community' (Family #14 in the diocese's Road to Renewal initiative) and worships at two historic church sites: St. Mary in the hamlet of Pavilion and Immaculate Conception in East Bethany. With about 275 registered families, the parish shares its priests with St. Michael Parish in Warsaw and St. Isidore Parish in Perry/Silver Springs.
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mary Immaculate (the parish also retains the historic patrons St. Mary at the Pavilion site and the Immaculate Conception at East Bethany)
- Rector
- Rev. F. Patrick Melfi
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Mary Immaculate Parish offers the beauty of small-town Catholic life in western New York, with two historic worship sites — the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Mary's in Pavilion and the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass at Immaculate Conception in East Bethany — plus Saturday evening and weekday Masses that rotate between the two churches. The parish combines traditional rural Catholic devotional life with the shared pastoral resources of Family #14, so families have access to faith formation, Reconciliation before Mass, and the care of a full priest and deacon team. It is a welcoming place for anyone living in or traveling through the Pavilion and East Bethany area who wants a quiet, faithful community rooted in the Diocese of Buffalo.
Mass times at Mary Immaculate (St. Mary Worship Site, Pavilion)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM (October–March) at the site of that day's Saturday Mass (i.e., St. Mary's, Pavilion)
- By appointment
About Mary Immaculate Parish
Mary Immaculate Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Buffalo serving the hamlets of Pavilion and East Bethany in the rolling farmland of Genesee and Wyoming counties. Established in 2010, the parish worships at two historic church buildings: Church of St. Mary on St. Mary's Street in Pavilion, and Church of the Immaculate Conception on Ellicott Street Road in East Bethany. About 275 families belong to the parish, which is one of three parishes in the diocese's Family #14, the Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community.
- Parish name: Mary Immaculate
- Established: 2010
- Diocese: Buffalo
- Family of Parishes: #14, Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community
- Sister parishes: St. Michael, Warsaw; St. Isidore, Perry/Silver Springs
- Worship sites: St. Mary's (Pavilion) and Immaculate Conception (East Bethany)
Worship Sites
The parish retains both of its predecessor churches as active worship sites. The Pavilion church is formally known as Church of St. Mary and the East Bethany church as Church of the Immaculate Conception. Sunday Mass is celebrated at both churches every weekend, and a Saturday evening Mass alternates between them by season.
- St. Mary Worship Site — 11095 St. Mary's St., Pavilion, NY 14525
- Immaculate Conception Worship Site — 5865 Ellicott Street Rd., East Bethany, NY 14054
Clergy & Staff
Mary Immaculate Parish is pastored by a priest shared with the other two parishes of Family #14 and is assisted by a parochial vicar, a permanent deacon, a business manager, and a director of religious education.
- Rev. F. Patrick Melfi — Pastor (effective July 1, 2023)
- Rev. Michael P. LaMarca — Pastor (through 2023)
- Rev. Denning Achidi — Parochial Vicar (appointed Oct. 8, 2022)
- Deacon Mark Kehl — Permanent Deacon
- Julie Gruendike — Business Manager ([email protected])
- April Stringham — Director of Religious Education
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Family Faith Formation for the parish is led by Director of Religious Education April Stringham, providing catechesis for children and families preparing for the sacraments. The program is coordinated across the Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community so that families in Pavilion, East Bethany, and the wider Family #14 area can share resources and events.
- Director of Religious Education: April Stringham
- Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation
- Family-based faith formation model
Parish Office & Contact
Day-to-day operations of the parish are run from a shared parish office. The mailing address for the Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community is in Warsaw, while worship continues at the two historic church sites.
- Parish Phone: (585) 786-2400
- Parish Fax: (585) 786-3977
- Pastor Email: [email protected]
- Office Email: [email protected]
- Business Email: [email protected]
- Mailing Address: 16 North St., Warsaw, NY 14569-1125 (also listed as PO Box 98, East Bethany, NY 14054)
- Website: www.ERRCC.org
- Facebook: @ERRCCBuffalo
Part of Family #14 — Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community
Under Bishop Michael W. Fisher's Road to Renewal pastoral initiative, Mary Immaculate Parish is grouped with two neighboring parishes into Family #14. The three parishes share priests and resources while keeping their individual worship sites and identities.
- St. Michael Parish — Warsaw, NY
- Mary Immaculate Parish — Pavilion / East Bethany, NY (this parish)
- St. Isidore Parish — Perry / Silver Springs, NY
- Common clergy team serving all three parishes
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael P. LaMarcathrough 2023
Listed as Pastor in the November 2022 Official Catholic Directory of the Diocese of Buffalo.
- Rev. F. Patrick MelfiEffective July 1, 2023
Named pastor of Family #14, comprising St. Michael Parish (Warsaw), Mary Immaculate Parish (East Bethany/Pavilion), and St. Isidore Parish (Perry/Silver Springs) under the Road to Renewal program.