About Sacred Heart · Auburn, New York
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is one of four parishes in the Catholic Community of Auburn, NY, which also includes St. Alphonsus, St. Ann, and Holy Family. Located at 90 Melrose Road in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, Sacred Heart is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester and shares a pastoral team with its sister parishes in the cluster. The parish is served by Father Stephen Karani as Pastor and Father Michael Brown as Parochial Vicar, with worship scheduled alongside the other cluster churches. Sacred Heart provides weekend and weekday Masses, reconciliation, faith formation, and parish life for the Auburn-area Catholic community.
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Father Stephen Karani
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is part of a four-parish Catholic community in Auburn that combines the heritage of long-standing Cayuga County parishes with a shared, modern pastoral team. Worshippers can choose from multiple Sunday and weekday Masses across Sacred Heart, St. Alphonsus, and St. Ann, with Saturday reconciliation available at Sacred Heart. The parish offers faith formation for all ages, a parish council with representation from each church, and active liturgical and outreach ministries. Families looking for a welcoming Catholic home in the Auburn area will find a stable parish community rooted in the Diocese of Rochester.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM at Sacred Heart (Reconciliation)
- By appointment
About the Catholic Community of Auburn
Sacred Heart is one of four parishes that make up the Catholic Community of Auburn, New York. Along with St. Alphonsus (85 E. Genesee St., Auburn), St. Ann (4890 Twelve Corners Rd, Owasco/Auburn area), and Holy Family (85 North St., Auburn), Sacred Heart forms a single pastoral cluster within the Diocese of Rochester. The cluster was formed in 2019 and shares pastors, parochial vicars, faith formation staff, and a regional finance office.
- Sacred Heart — 90 Melrose Rd., Auburn, NY 13021
- St. Alphonsus — 85 E. Genesee St., Auburn, NY 13021
- St. Ann — 4890 Twelve Corners Rd., Auburn, NY 13021
- Holy Family — 85 North St., Auburn, NY 13021
- Rectory: 90 Melrose Rd., Auburn, NY 13021
Parish History
Sacred Heart is part of a pastoral cluster of four Cayuga County parishes formed in 2019. In June 2020, Bishop Salvatore R. Matano asked Cayuga County's pastors to form a committee to study the area's ministerial and administrative needs and plan for declining priest numbers. After the committee's review, Bishop Matano decided in August 2021 to keep the four churches open while asking the parishes to continue reviewing local needs. In 2022, two rectories and two former school buildings in the cluster were placed up for sale and other buildings were repurposed. The cluster continues to operate as a shared Catholic community today.
- Cluster formed in 2019
- Bishop Matano's pastoral planning request in June 2020
- Committee recommendation for closures in 2021
- Bishop Matano's decision to keep four churches open, August 2021
- 2022 sale of two rectories and two former school buildings
Pastoral Team & Staff
The Catholic Community of Auburn is served by a shared pastoral and administrative team. Father Stephen Karani serves as Pastor and Father Michael Brown as Parochial Vicar. Thomas Techman serves as Funeral Minister. Ana Haff is the Director of Faith Formation and Nancy Kavanagh is the Parish Secretary. The regional finance office includes Shawn Gillen-Caryl (Regional Finance Director), Kim Guinnip, and Star Yankton (Regional Business Managers).
- Father Stephen Karani — Pastor
- Father Michael Brown — Parochial Vicar
- Thomas Techman — Funeral Minister
- Ana Haff — Director of Faith Formation
- Nancy Kavanagh — Secretary
- Shawn Gillen-Caryl — Regional Finance Director
- Kim Guinnip — Regional Business Manager
- Star Yankton — Regional Business Manager
Parish Council
The Parish Council is a decision-making body made up of representatives from St. Ann, Sacred Heart, St. Alphonsus, and Holy Family. The council includes members selected from each church in the faith community.
- Chairperson: Karen Walter
- Vice Chair: Marianne Mendzef
- Secretary: Liza Kelly
- Holy Family reps: Liza Kelly, Jeannine Larose
- Sacred Heart reps: Tom Ryan, Lisa Sobus, John Murtari
- St. Alphonsus reps: Andrea Gilfus, Maryann Mendzef, Mike Skomski, Lisa Homick
- St. Ann rep: Charlie Greene
Liturgy Committee
The Liturgy Committee works to bring the parish community closer to God through faithful observance of the Church's liturgical norms, especially at Mass and other liturgical rites. It encourages full and active participation through well-planned liturgies, appropriate liturgical settings, and the proper participation of liturgical ministers.
Faith Formation
Faith Formation for the Catholic Community of Auburn is led by Ana Haff, Director of Faith Formation. Programs serve parishioners across all four churches of the cluster.
- Director of Faith Formation: Ana Haff
Contact & Office Hours
The parish office is located at the Sacred Heart rectory at 90 Melrose Rd., Auburn, NY 13021. The office can be reached at (315) 252-7271. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
- Address: 90 Melrose Rd., Auburn, NY 13021
- Phone: (315) 252-7271
- Office Hours: M–Th 8:00 AM–4:30 PM; Fri 8:00 AM–11:00 AM