About Our Lady of Victory/ Saint Joseph · Rochester, New York
Our Lady of Victory / St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish in downtown Rochester, New York, located at 210 Pleasant Street in Monroe County. It belongs to the Diocese of Rochester and is served today by Rev. Ronald A. Antinarelli, KCHS. The parish congregation was founded in 1848 by French and Belgian Catholic immigrants, and its current church building — designed by noted Rochester architect Andrew Jackson Warner — was completed in 1868 in the French Romanesque Revival style. The parish is widely known for its commitment to traditional Catholic liturgy, including Latin chant and a choral music program spanning five centuries, and it remains active in preserving its historic sanctuary.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- Our Lady of Victory (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Victory)
- Rector
- Rev. Ronald A. Antinarelli, KCHS
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Our Lady of Victory / St. Joseph offers downtown Rochester a small, historic Catholic parish rooted in a 175-year-old immigrant community, with the warmth and personal attention that comes from being a close-knit congregation. Worship here is celebrated with traditional Catholic music — Latin chant of the Mass Ordinary, classic hymns, and choral music drawn from five centuries of sacred repertoire — supported by a fine choir and cantors. The parish also stands out for its stewardship of an 1868 Andrew-Jackson-Warner–designed church on the National Register of Historic Places, with an ongoing sanctuary restoration project through which parishioners can help preserve a genuine piece of Rochester's Catholic heritage.
Mass times at Our Lady of Victory/ Saint Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 11:30 AM (before 12:10 PM Mass)
- Tuesday 11:30 AM (before 12:10 PM Mass)
- Wednesday 11:30 AM (before 12:10 PM Mass)
- Friday 11:30 AM (before 12:10 PM Mass)
- Saturday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (confessions only)
- By appointment at any other time
About Our Lady of Victory / St. Joseph
Our Lady of Victory / St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Rochester, situated at 210 Pleasant Street in downtown Rochester, Monroe County, New York. The parish community worships in the historic 1868 church building and is led today by Rev. Ronald A. Antinarelli, KCHS. The parish combines deep immigrant roots (French, Belgian, Dutch) with a long-standing commitment to traditional Catholic liturgy and historic preservation.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
- Pastor: Rev. Ronald A. Antinarelli, KCHS
- Parish office: 210 Pleasant St., Rochester, NY 14604
- Phone: (585) 454-2244
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: olvsj.org
Parish History
Founded in 1848 by French Canadian Catholic immigrants to Rochester, the parish grew to serve Belgian and Dutch newcomers and remains a living link to Rochester's 19th-century immigrant Catholic experience. In 1868, after extensive fundraising led by Monsignor De Regge — more than half of whose building funds came from Europe — the present brick church was completed. It was designed by Andrew Jackson Warner, one of Rochester's most prominent 19th-century architects. In 1975, when the neighboring Saint Joseph Church was destroyed by fire, its congregation was merged into Our Lady of Victory, giving the parish its present name. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
- 1848: French Catholics from Canada found a chapel on the site.
- Later Belgian and Dutch immigrants joined the parish community.
- Monsignor De Regge led the fundraising drive for the present church, drawing major support from European benefactors.
- 1868: Current church building completed, designed by Andrew Jackson Warner.
- Father Notebaert opened a parish school, staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph, in a converted stable; a later purpose-built school operated until 1947.
- 1975: Saint Joseph Church destroyed by fire; Saint Joseph's congregation merged into Our Lady of Victory.
- March 12, 1992: Church listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #92000153).
The Church Building & Architecture
The church is a French Romanesque Revival brick cruciform-plan structure, with design work attributed to the noted Rochester architect Andrew Jackson Warner. The building's two slender corner towers are capped with concave (Mansard-inspired) roofs, and the entrance is set within a single-story protruding section, crowned by a large semi-circular stained-glass window. Inside, the central altar is flanked by candlelit niches and religious statuary beneath a decorated ceiling. The architecture has been called eclectic, mixing Romanesque Revival massing with Italianate lines and Baroque flourishes — contributing to the parish's affectionate nickname, the 'Little French Church.'
- Style: French Romanesque Revival with Italianate and Baroque influences
- Architect: Andrew Jackson Warner
- Built: 1868
- Two slender towers with concave roofs
- Semi-circular stained-glass window above recessed entrance
- Listed on National Register of Historic Places, 1992 (NRHP #92000153, Inner Loop MRA)
Music & Liturgy
Our Lady of Victory maintains a traditional liturgical music program in which the Mass Ordinary is sung in Latin and accompanied by classic hymns. Cantors and the parish choir perform sacred music spanning five centuries — from 16th-century plainchant and polyphony through to contemporary choral works. In devotion to the parish's patroness, a seasonal Marian Antiphon or the Ave Maria is sung before each weekend Mass, either in plainchant or in a choral setting.
- Latin chant of the Mass Ordinary
- Traditional Catholic hymns
- Choir and cantors
- Pre-Mass Marian Antiphon or Ave Maria (plainchant or choral)
Sanctuary Restoration
The parish is actively raising funds for a Sanctuary Restoration Project to preserve its 1868 historic interior. The work is documented in a published 'Restoration Project Guide' (PDF) available from the parish website, with recurring giving and online contribution options provided for parishioners and friends of the parish who wish to support the effort.
- Restoration Project Guide (PDF) available on olvsj.org
- Online / recurring giving options
- Aims to preserve the 1868 historic sanctuary
Getting Involved & Giving
As a small downtown parish, Our Lady of Victory / St. Joseph relies on the active participation of its members for worship, music, sacristan service, and the preservation of its historic building. Visitors are welcomed at any Mass, and parishioners can support the parish's mission and its Sanctuary Restoration Project through online one-time or recurring contributions.
- Online giving / recurring contributions via olvsj.org
- Liturgical participation (choir, cantors, sacristans) — inquire through the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor De Regge
Longtime pastor in the 19th century; credited with raising more than half the funds for the present 1868 church from benefactors in Europe.
- Father Notebaert
Pastor in the late 1800s; six years after his appointment he opened the parish school in a converted stable, staffed by Sister Berchmans Frison.