About St. Alphonsus · Auburn, New York
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Auburn, New York, is a Roman-Latin rite parish of the Diocese of Rochester, located at 85 East Genesee Street in the city of Auburn, Cayuga County. The parish was founded in 1853 by Catholic families of German and Irish descent, and the present church building was constructed in 1929-30, with a parish center added in 1967. Since June 25, 2018, St. Alphonsus has been clustered with Auburn's Sacred Heart and Holy Family parishes and St. Ann in Owasco, sharing pastoral leadership under Fr. Stephen N. Karani, pastor, and Fr. Michael Brown, parochial vicar.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- St. Alphonsus Liguori
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen N. Karani
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Alphonsus offers a welcoming Catholic home in the heart of downtown Auburn on East Genesee Street, with Saturday vigil and two Sunday Masses plus daily weekday Masses — making it easy to worship around any schedule. As part of the four-parish Auburn cluster (with Sacred Heart, Holy Family, and St. Ann in Owasco), the parish reaches beyond its walls through the St. Alphonsus Food Pantry and through family-friendly outreach like Champions of Faith gatherings for children. Visitors and parishioners find a faithful, service-oriented community rooted in more than 170 years of Catholic life in Cayuga County.
Mass times at St. Alphonsus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30pm-4:30pm
- Confessions by appointment (Diocese of Rochester directory)
About St. Alphonsus Parish
St. Alphonsus is a Roman-Latin rite Catholic parish in Auburn, New York, part of the Diocese of Rochester and one of four worship sites in the Auburn cluster that also includes Sacred Heart, Holy Family, and St. Ann in Owasco. The parish's downtown church stands at 85 East Genesee Street, while the shared rectory/cluster office is at 90 Melrose Road. Office hours are Monday-Thursday 8:00am-4:30pm and Friday 8:00am-11:00am.
- Address: 85 East Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021
- Rectory / cluster office: 90 Melrose Road, Auburn, NY 13021
- Phone: (315) 252-7271
- Diocese: Rochester
History
Founded in 1853 by Catholic families of German and Irish descent, St. Alphonsus began life without a resident pastor or a church building. Redemptorist Fathers from Rochester came to Auburn to celebrate Mass — first in a hotel, then in a barn — until the parish received its first resident pastor in 1869. The current church on East Genesee Street was built in 1929-30, with a parish center added in 1967.
- 1853: Parish founded by German and Irish Catholic families
- No resident pastor until 1869; early Masses said by Redemptorists from Rochester in a hotel, then a barn
- 1929-30: Current church built
- 1967: Parish center added
Catholic Education on the St. Alphonsus Campus
St. Alphonsus has long been a center of Catholic education in Auburn. The parish school on the St. Alphonsus campus was built in 1949 and moved into its new home in 1950; by 1971 it enrolled nearly 700 students. In 1973 it merged with the schools of Holy Family and Sacred Heart to form Blessed Trinity School; when St. Mary's school joined in 1996 the building became St. Joseph School. St. Joseph School closed at the end of the 2019-20 school year due to declining enrollment and finances.
- 1949: School building constructed on the St. Alphonsus campus
- 1950: Became home to St. Alphonsus Parish School
- 1971: Peak enrollment ~700 students
- 1973: Merged into Blessed Trinity School
- 1996: Became St. Joseph School
- 2020: St. Joseph School closed at end of school year
Cluster Parishes
On June 25, 2018, St. Alphonsus officially clustered with Auburn's Sacred Heart and Holy Family parishes and with St. Ann Parish in Owasco. The clustering was initiated in 2017 at the request of Bishop Salvatore R. Matano so the parishes could plan for future declines in priest availability while sustaining strong pastoral care. The combined cluster is served by a pastor and a parochial vicar.
- Sacred Heart — 90 Melrose Rd., Auburn
- Holy Family — 85 North St., Auburn
- St. Ann — 4890 Twelve Corners Rd., Auburn (Owasco)
- Clustering initiated 2017 by Bishop Salvatore R. Matano; effective June 25, 2018
Clergy & Staff
St. Alphonsus is currently served by Father Stephen N. Karani as pastor and Father Michael Brown as parochial vicar. The two priests minister across the four-parish Auburn cluster (St. Alphonsus, Sacred Heart, Holy Family, and St. Ann in Owasco).
- Rev. Stephen N. Karani — Pastor
- Rev. Michael Brown — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. John Gathenya — served at the inaugural cluster Mass at St. Alphonsus in July 2018
Outreach & Ministries
The parish's principal outreach is the St. Alphonsus Food Pantry, a long-running food ministry that relocated to a storefront in the Fingerlakes Mall and was blessed by Father Karani at a June 11 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The cluster also launched Champions of Faith, a monthly gathering that mixes play, prayer, and conversation for parish children — held in settings like an indoor sports center where kids can play alongside Father Karani.
- St. Alphonsus Food Pantry — relocated to the Fingerlakes Mall
- Champions of Faith — monthly youth/family faith-and-fun gatherings
- Combined pastoral council with Sacred Heart, Holy Family, and St. Ann parishes
Visit & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish by phone or through the cluster parish office. The church is on East Genesee Street in downtown Auburn, and the shared rectory / cluster office is at 90 Melrose Road, Auburn, NY 13021.
- Phone: (315) 252-7271
- Website: http://www.auburnholyfamily.org/
- Rectory/Office: 90 Melrose Road, Auburn, NY 13021
- Office Hours: Mon-Thu 8:00am-4:30pm, Fri 8:00am-11:00am