About Our Lady of the Lake · Barker, New York
Our Lady of the Lake is a Roman Catholic parish in Barker, New York, in the Diocese of Buffalo and a member of ONE Catholic — Family of Parishes #11, a collaborative grouping that also includes Holy Family in Albion, St. Mary in Holley, St. Mark in Kendall, and Holy Trinity in Medina/Middleport. The parish was created on March 30, 2009 through the merger of St. Patrick Parish in Barker (the original site) with St. Joseph Parish in Lyndonville (the former secondary worship site), under the diocesan 'Journey in Faith and Grace' pastoral plan. After a devastating February 28, 2023 fire destroyed the Lyndonville (St. Joseph's) worship site, the Diocese of Buffalo ruled in July 2023 that it would not be rebuilt, leaving St. Patrick's Church in Barker as the sole surviving worship site of Our Lady of the Lake. The parish is currently pastored by Fr. Mark Noonan as part of the ONE Catholic collaborative.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Lake (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Mark J. Noonan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Lake offers a small, family-sized Catholic community in rural eastern Niagara County, where parishioners know one another and worship at a historic 19th-century church that has served Barker since the 1850s. As part of ONE Catholic (Family of Parishes #11), the parish shares resources and programming — including faith formation, music ministry, and a Spanish Mass — with sister parishes in Albion, Holley, Kendall, and Medina. Weekly Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, lay trustee leadership, and opportunities for adult faith formation make this a faithful home for Catholic families in the lakeshore region between Lockport and Lake Ontario.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Lake
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:15 AM – 9:25 AM (Barker site)
- Saturday 6:30 PM – 6:45 PM, Barker site (also by appointment) — per Discover Mass directory
Our Lady of the Lake — Parish Overview
Our Lady of the Lake is the merged Roman Catholic parish serving Barker, Lyndonville, and the surrounding lake-shore communities of eastern Niagara County and western Orleans County. It is one of five parishes that together make up ONE Catholic (Family of Parishes #11), pastored by Fr. Mark J. Noonan with parochial vicar Fr. Joe Tokasz. After the loss of the Lyndonville worship site in 2023, Mass, sacraments, and parish life are now centered at St. Patrick's Church, 1726 Quaker Road, Barker, NY 14012.
History of Our Lady of the Lake
The parish's roots reach back to 1856–1857, when the first church of St. Patrick's was built in Barker to serve the Catholic farming families of eastern Niagara County. The parish has worshipped on or near the present Quaker Road site ever since. In 2009, as part of the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Journey in Faith and Grace' pastoral plan, St. Patrick's was merged with St. Joseph Parish in Lyndonville to form a new parish named Our Lady of the Lake — St. Patrick's in Barker designated as the primary site and St. Joseph's in Lyndonville as the secondary worship site. On February 28, 2023, a fire originating in an attached classroom structure destroyed St. Joseph's Church in Lyndonville. Pastor Fr. Mark Noonan announced in July 2023 that the damaged church would not be rebuilt, leaving St. Patrick's in Barker as the sole surviving worship site of Our Lady of the Lake.
- 1856–1857: First church of St. Patrick's built in Barker
- 1865: Parish founding date listed by the Diocese of Buffalo / Wikipedia
- March 30, 2009: St. Patrick (Barker) and St. Joseph (Lyndonville) merged into Our Lady of the Lake
- February 28, 2023: Fire destroys St. Joseph's Church, Lyndonville
- July 10, 2023: Diocese announces Lyndonville worship site will not be rebuilt
Parish Staff and Leadership
Our Lady of the Lake is led by Pastor Rev. Mark J. Noonan, with the assistance of Parochial Vicar Rev. Joe Tokasz. Music ministry is provided by Aaron Grabowski, who serves as Director of Music for both Our Lady of the Lake and Holy Trinity (Medina). Lay leadership is provided by Parish Trustees Patricia (Patty) Rexinger and Marilyn Zaciewski. Day-to-day operations across the parish family are supported by Emily Kwiatkowski (Director of Mission and Discipleship), Pat Swindon (Secretary), and Jason Dash (Director of Maintenance).
- Rev. Mark J. Noonan — Pastor (585-589-4243 x 7)
- Rev. Joe Tokasz — Parochial Vicar (585-589-4243 x 9)
- Aaron Grabowski — Director of Music (Our Lady of the Lake & Holy Trinity)
- Emily Kwiatkowski — Director of Mission and Discipleship (585-589-4243 x 2)
- Pat Swindon — Secretary (585-589-4243 x 4)
- Jason Dash — Director of Maintenance
- Patricia (Patty) Rexinger — Lay Trustee
- Marilyn Zaciewski — Lay Trustee
- Virginia Hughes — former Lay Trustee (retired)
ONE Catholic — Family of Parishes #11
Our Lady of the Lake is one of five parishes that together form ONE Catholic, Family of Parishes #11, created under the Diocese of Buffalo's collaborative pastoral model. The other parishes in the family are Holy Family in Albion (where a weekly Spanish Mass is celebrated), St. Mary in Holley, St. Mark in Kendall, and Holy Trinity in Medina/Middleport. Sharing clergy, music directors, faith formation staff, and administrative resources across these rural communities allows each parish — including Our Lady of the Lake — to offer more robust ministry than it could on its own.
- Our Lady of the Lake — St. Patrick's, Barker (primary worship site since 2023)
- Holy Family — Albion (weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish at 12:30 PM)
- St. Mary — Holley
- St. Mark — Kendall
- Holy Trinity — Medina / Middleport
Faith Formation and Adult Discipleship
Adult faith formation across ONE Catholic, including Our Lady of the Lake, is coordinated by Director of Discipleship and Mission Emily Kwiatkowski. The parishes offer Bible studies, parish retreats (most recently a 2025 Lenten Retreat led by Sr. Claire Strasser of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity), and book-based programs such as 'No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ's Passion.' Sacramental preparation for English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners is available by contacting Fr. Mark Noonan directly.
- Bible studies and book studies offered throughout the parish family
- ONE Catholic Lenten Retreat (annual)
- 'Mere Christianity' small-group study offered at multiple parish sites
- 'No Greater Love' Lenten study during Holy Week season
- Sacramental preparation available in English and Spanish
Music and Liturgy
Liturgical music at Our Lady of the Lake is supported by Aaron Grabowski, Director of Music for both Our Lady of the Lake (Barker) and Holy Trinity (Medina). Together with fellow music directors across ONE Catholic, Grabowski helps sustain sung liturgy in the smaller rural worship sites of the parish family.
- Aaron Grabowski — Director of Music (Our Lady of the Lake & Holy Trinity)
- Shared liturgical and choir support across ONE Catholic parishes
Spanish Ministry (Misa en Español)
While Our Lady of the Lake itself does not currently publish a regular Spanish Mass schedule, ONE Catholic (Family of Parishes #11) offers a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish at 12:30 PM at Holy Family Church in Albion, about 20 miles from Barker. Spanish-speaking parishioners from the Barker area are welcomed to attend, and sacramental preparation or pastoral care in Spanish can be arranged by contacting Fr. Mark Noonan directly.
- Spanish Mass — Sundays 12:30 PM, Holy Family, Albion
- Sacramental preparation in Spanish: contact Fr. Mark Noonan, 585-589-4243, [email protected]
Visit, Contact, and Parish News
New parishioners are warmly welcomed at Our Lady of the Lake. The parish publishes an online 'I'm New' registration form on its cncfwny.org page and posts parish news, Mass schedules, and announcements through the ONE Catholic website and bulletins. The most recent bulletin announcement welcomes Patricia (Patty) Rexinger as the parish's new lay trustee, succeeding Virginia Hughes who retired after many years of service.
- Address: 1726 Quaker Road, Barker, NY 14012
- Parish phone: (716) 795-3331
- ONE Catholic Central Office: (585) 589-4243
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- 'I'm New' parish registration form available on the parish website