About St. Anthony · Farnham, New York
St. Anthony is a Roman Catholic parish in Farnham, New York, in the Town of Brant in southern Erie County, in the Diocese of Buffalo. Founded in 1904 by Italian immigrant families who settled in Farnham shortly after 1900, the parish has served the small Lakeshore community for more than a century. Today it is one of five parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo's Family #29 grouping. The parish is known for its Perpetual St. Anthony Novena on Thursdays and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, reflecting the devotion of its patron saint.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- St. Anthony (of Padua)
- Rector
- Rev. Timothy J. Koester (Pastor of Family #29, appointed March 8, 2023)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Anthony has been the spiritual home of the Farnham community since 1904 and remains a small, tight-knit parish where Italian-Catholic devotional traditions are still practiced — most visibly the Perpetual St. Anthony Novena each Thursday and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction. Families looking for a parish with active religious education for grade-school and middle-school youth, a traditional music program, and the rhythms of a long-standing lakeside village church will find a faithful and welcoming community here.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM (per the 2022 Official Catholic Directory)
- Thursday 6:00–6:30 PM (per the 2022 Official Catholic Directory)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: Adoration after the 9:00 AM Mass, closing with Benediction at noon
Welcome to St. Anthony Parish
St. Anthony is the Catholic parish of Farnham, a small hamlet in the Town of Brant in southern Erie County, New York, along the Lake Erie shoreline southwest of Buffalo. The parish has welcomed worshippers at 417 Commercial Street since 1904 and continues to invite new parishioners and visitors to celebrate Mass with the local faith community. The parish rectory and offices are at 421 Commercial Street.
- Address: 417 Commercial Street, PO Box A-9, Farnham, NY 14061
- Rectory: 421 Commercial Street, Farnham, NY 14061
- Phone: (716) 549-1159
- Fax: (716) 549-7742
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stanthonysfarnham.org
Our History
St. Anthony was founded in 1904 when Father Burke, then pastor of Angola, gathered the Italian Catholic families who had settled in Farnham shortly after 1900. In that founding year the first church, rectory, and school were constructed, and Bishop Colton blessed the church, school, and cemetery in the fall of 1904. The school was originally taught by the Sisters of St. Mary.
- 1904 — Parish founded; church, rectory, and school built
- 1904 — Bishop Colton blesses the church, school, and cemetery
- Early pastors: Revs. R. Burke, Coco, M. Raim, L. Toomey, M. O'Shea, F. Sc..., J. Jacobs, H. Sella, Pio Dei Feri, J. Hennessey, S....ati, G. Giovani
- Father Toomey made many improvements and retired the parish debt
- 1925 — Rev. P. Rogers arrives
- November 19, 1925 — Fire destroys the rectory, church, and convent
- After the fire — Rev. Edward Fitzhenry celebrates Mass in Robert's Hall until the church is rebuilt; new rectory built the following year
Family of Parishes (Family #29)
St. Anthony is grouped with four other parishes of the Diocese of Buffalo in 'Family #29,' a collaborative configuration of parishes sharing pastoral leadership. The family was reorganized by Bishop Fisher in March 2023. St. Anthony joins Most Precious Blood in Angola, St. Francis of Assisi in Athol Springs, St. Mary of the Lake in Hamburg, and St. John Paul II in Lake View.
- St. Anthony, Farnham
- Most Precious Blood, Angola
- St. Francis of Assisi, Athol Springs
- St. Mary of the Lake, Hamburg
- St. John Paul II, Lake View
- Pastor: Rev. Timothy J. Koester
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. Ross Syracuse, OFM Conv.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
St. Anthony offers religious education for parish children and youth through Grade 11, with separate directors for the elementary and middle-school/high-school programs. The parish school historically traces back to the school built alongside the church in 1904 and taught by the Sisters of St. Mary.
- Religious Education K-6 — Director: Kathleen Brachmann (716-648-4873)
- Religious Education 7-11 — Director: Keith Dash (716-947-2355)
- Parish school originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Mary (1904)
- Sacramental preparation through the religious education program
Music Ministry
Music for Sunday and weekday liturgies is led by Sharon Valites, the parish Music Director. The music program supports the sung liturgy and special devotions including the Perpetual St. Anthony Novena and First Friday Adoration.
- Music Director: Sharon Valites (716-549-5994)
- Supports Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, and devotions
Parish Cemetery
The parish cemetery was blessed by Bishop Colton together with the first church and school in the fall of 1904, and remains part of the parish's historic grounds in Farnham.
- Cemetery blessed by Bishop Colton, fall 1904
- Located on parish grounds, Town of Brant / Farnham
Visit Us
St. Anthony sits in the small lakeside hamlet of Farnham, where Route 5 (Erie Road) meets Route 249 (Commercial Street). The church is one building from that corner. Visitors from outside the area are advised to enter the GPS destination as Irving, NY 14081, since the hamlet of Farnham does not always resolve in standard mapping tools.
- Located 1 building from the corner of Route 5 (Erie Rd.) and Route 249 (Commercial St.)
- GPS tip: enter Irving, NY 14081
- Approximately 560 registered families
- Part of the Diocese of Buffalo
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. R. Burke1904 (founding pastor)
Pastor of Angola; organized the Italian families of Farnham into a parish and built the first church, rectory, and school.
- Rev. Coco
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. M. Raim
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. L. Toomey
Made many improvements and paid the parish debt.
- Rev. M. O'Shea
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. F. Sc...
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. J. Jacobs
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. H. Sella
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. Pio Dei Feri
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. J. Hennessey
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. S....ati
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. G. Giovani
Served briefly among the early pastors.
- Rev. P. Rogersarrived 1925
Came to Farnham in 1925; the church was destroyed by fire during his tenure on November 19, 1925.
- Rev. Edward Fitzhenryafter 1925 fire
Held services in Robert's Hall until the church was rebuilt; a new rectory was built the following year.
- Rev. James W. Flissuntil March 8, 2023
Former pastor; retired March 8, 2023, when Family #29 was reorganized.
- Rev. Timothy J. KoesterMarch 8, 2023 – present
Appointed pastor of Family #29 by Bishop Michael W. Fisher.