About Ss. Peter and Paul · Jamestown, New York
Ss. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church is one of two worship sites of Holy Apostles Parish in Jamestown, New York, part of the Catholic Neighbors in Faith (CNIF) Family of Parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo. Established in 1863 to serve a largely Irish-American immigrant community, it is the first Roman Catholic parish in southern Chautauqua County and one of the oldest Catholic churches in Jamestown. The present Gothic Revival church building at 508 Cherry Street was constructed from 1894 to 1900 and is a recognized city landmark. After a 2008 merger, Ss. Peter & Paul was joined with St. John Parish to form Holy Apostles Parish, and in 2025 parishioners successfully appealed a diocesan merger decree at the Vatican, keeping the parish open.
- Established
- 1863
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul
- Rector
- Father Todd M. Remick (temporary parish administrator of Holy Apostles and St. James parishes since September 25, 2021; pastor of St. Mary of Lourdes in Bemus Point)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Holy Apostles Parish at Ss. Peter & Paul is the spiritual home of an active, multigenerational Catholic community in southern Chautauqua County with deep roots dating to 1863. Worshippers can take part in weekday Masses, a Saturday vigil Mass, a Friday noon Eucharistic Holy Hour and Benediction, weekly Adoration at the chapel, a parish Rosary Prayer Group, lector ministry, and the wider Catholic Neighbors in Faith family of ministries including That Man Is You!, BAM men's Bible study, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Catholic Daughters, and St. Vincent de Paul. The parish is also notable for its historically landmark Gothic Revival church and its recently successful Vatican appeal protecting its continued independent life.
Mass times at Ss. Peter and Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM at St. James (parish-wide reconciliation time within Holy Apostles/CNIF)
Adoration times
- First Friday: 11:00 AM followed by 11:15 AM Benediction at Ss. Peter & Paul
- Wednesday: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM in the Chapel at St. James
History of Ss. Peter & Paul Parish
Ss. Peter & Paul was established in 1863 as the first Roman Catholic parish in southern Chautauqua County, founded to minister to a largely Irish-American immigrant community. Its site has hosted Catholic worship since 1854, when a small chapel served visiting priests until an 1860 fire; a wood-frame church then served the parish until construction of the current building began. The cornerstone was laid in 1894, and the present church was completed in 1900. The parish's growth gave rise to several daughter communities in the region, most notably under the pastorate of Rev. Richard Coyle, who founded Holy Cross Cemetery and the parishes of St. James in Jamestown and Sacred Heart in Lakewood.
- 1854: small chapel for visiting priests on the site
- 1860: fire destroys the chapel; Rev. Patrick Byrnes appointed first resident Catholic priest in Jamestown
- 1863: Ss. Peter & Paul formally established as first Catholic parish in southern Chautauqua County
- 1894: cornerstone laid for the present church
- 1900: Gothic Revival church completed and dedicated
- 1999: Father Dennis W. Mende becomes pastor
- 2008: Ss. Peter & Paul merges with St. John Parish to form Holy Apostles Parish
The Church Building & Architecture
The Ss. Peter & Paul church at 508 Cherry Street is a Gothic Revival landmark designed by the Swiss-born, Boston-based architect Franz Joseph Untersee. While Untersee is more widely recognized for his Romanesque designs, this Jamestown church is a notable Gothic Revival commission, displaying classic Gothic features — a large rose window with floral tracery, pointed arches, exterior buttresses, and predominantly vertical lines — alongside Romanesque touches such as arcaded Cherry Street windows between the twin entrances and rock-faced stone exterior walls. Construction spanned six years, from 1894 to 1900.
- Architect: Franz Joseph Untersee (Swiss-born, Boston-based)
- Style: Gothic Revival with Romanesque accents
- Rose window with floral tracery
- Twin entrances separated by arcaded windows on Cherry Street
- Exterior buttresses and rock-faced stone walls
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Holy Apostles Parish, including the Ss. Peter & Paul worship site, has been led since September 25, 2021 by Father Todd M. Remick as temporary parish administrator, with responsibility for both Holy Apostles and St. James parishes. Father Remick was ordained in 2006, served as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist in Kenmore, and has been pastor of St. Mary of Lourdes in Bemus Point since 2009. He succeeded Father Dennis W. Mende, who had served as pastor of Ss. Peter & Paul since 1999, led the parish into the 2008 merger forming Holy Apostles, and died on September 8, 2021.
- Rev. Patrick Byrnes – first resident Catholic priest in Jamestown (1860)
- Rev. Richard Coyle – founder of Holy Cross Cemetery and daughter parishes
- Father Dennis W. Mende – pastor 1999–2021; oversaw 2008 formation of Holy Apostles
- Father Todd M. Remick – Temporary Parish Administrator since Sept. 25, 2021
Parish Ministries
The parish supports a range of lay ministries and small groups, many coordinated across the Catholic Neighbors in Faith Family of Parishes. Lector scheduling is published monthly for Ss. Peter & Paul, and the parish hosts or shares men's formation, women's fellowship, prayer, and outreach ministries such as That Man Is You!, Be A Man (BAM) Bible Study, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Catholic Daughters, and St. Vincent de Paul.
- Lector Ministry (scheduled readers at Mass)
- Rosary Prayer Group (St. Joseph Chapel)
- That Man Is You! Men's Group
- BAM – Be A Man Men's Bible Study (Monday nights)
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Catholic Daughters
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Lord Teach Me to Pray (LTMTP) – Third Mondays, 10:00 AM, St. James Library
Catholic Neighbors in Faith (CNIF) Family of Parishes
Holy Apostles Parish at Ss. Peter & Paul belongs to the Catholic Neighbors in Faith (CNIF) Family of Parishes, a collaborative grouping of diocesan parishes in the southern Chautauqua County region. CNIF shares ministries, formation, and sacramental scheduling across its member parishes. As of the most recent diocesan planning, the active parishes in the family include St. James (Jamestown), Sacred Heart (Lakewood), and St. Patrick (Randolph); St. John in Jamestown continues as a secondary worship site.
- St. James Parish – 27 Allen St., Jamestown
- St. John – 270 Newton Ave., Jamestown (secondary worship site)
- Sacred Heart – Lakewood
- St. Patrick – Randolph
- Ss. Peter & Paul – 508 Cherry St., Jamestown (Holy Apostles Parish)
The 2024–2025 Merger Appeal and Vatican Decision
In 2024, the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal' plan identified Ss. Peter & Paul / Holy Apostles Parish for merger into St. James Parish. Bishop Michael W. Fisher issued the official merger decree in January 2025, with an effective date of February 28, 2025. Parishioners organized as the 'Save Holy Apostles Parish' group and filed an appeal with the Vatican's Dicastery for Clergy. In April 2025, the Dicastery suspended the decree to review the case, and in December 2025 it revoked the merger decree on the merits, ruling that the Diocese had not demonstrated just cause based on the parish's finances, attendance, registered households, sacraments, priest count, or congregation age. Holy Apostles Parish therefore remains an independent parish.
- 2024: Parish listed in Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal' closure plan
- January 2025: Bishop Michael W. Fisher issues merger decree
- February 28, 2025: Scheduled effective date of merger
- April 2025: Vatican Dicastery for Clergy suspends decree
- December 2025: Dicastery revokes merger decree on the merits
Visit, Contact & Getting Involved
Visitors and parishioners can reach Ss. Peter & Paul / Holy Apostles Parish by phone at (716) 664-5703 or by email at [email protected], with the parish office at 508 Cherry Street, Jamestown, NY 14701. The parish website at holyapostlesparishjamestown.org and the Catholic Neighbors in Faith site at cniffamily.org publish bulletins, Mass schedules, ministry pages, and an events calendar. The parish welcomes new parishioners and invites participation in its ministries and devotional life.
- Phone: (716) 664-5703
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: holyapostlesparishjamestown.org
- Family of Parishes site: cniffamily.org
- Bulletin and event calendar published online
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Byrnes1860–
First resident Catholic priest in Jamestown
- Rev. Richard Coyle
Founder of Holy Cross Cemetery and daughter parishes St. James (Jamestown) and Sacred Heart (Lakewood); home church pastor during the parish's formative expansion
- Father Dennis W. Mende1999–2021
Led Ss. Peter & Paul into the 2008 merger forming Holy Apostles Parish; oversaw both Holy Apostles and St. James from July 2021 until his death Sept. 8, 2021
- Father Todd M. Remick2021–present
Appointed temporary parish administrator of Holy Apostles and St. James parishes effective Sept. 25, 2021; previously pastor of St. Mary of Lourdes, Bemus Point; ordained 2006