About St. Anthony · Groton, New York
St. Anthony is a Roman Catholic parish in the village of Groton, in Tompkins County, New York. It is one of three parishes that make up the Northern Tompkins (NET Catholic) cluster, along with Holy Cross in Freeville and All Saints in Lansing, all served from a shared website at netcatholic.org. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Rochester and is currently led by Father John F. Gagnier as Parochial Administrator. Weekly Mass is celebrated in English (with a Spanish Mass once a week), the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered Saturday afternoons, and all liturgies are livestreamed online.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Anthony
- Rector
- Rev. John F. Gagnier (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester (East Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Anthony is a small, neighborly country parish in the village of Groton with deep roots going back to 1874, recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, and offers an unusually full schedule for its size — Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday afternoon Mass, weekday Masses, an active children's chapel, a parish library of religious books open after Mass, and a rapidly growing Saturday-evening Spanish Mass that has become a hub for Hispanic dairy-farm families across northern Tompkins County. The parish is fully part of the NET Catholic cluster, so families have access to faith formation and ministry opportunities across three churches, and every liturgy is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube for those at home or away.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (St. Anthony)
Adoration times
- Adoration listed cluster-wide (Holy Cross and All Saints) — check netcatholic.org schedule for the current St. Anthony slot
Parish History — 150 Years in Groton
Catholic life in the Groton area began with Masses in private homes, before St. Anthony Parish was formally established in 1874 with the dedication of its first church on South Main Street. Father Charles Horan was appointed as the parish's first resident pastor in 1875. As the surrounding farming community grew, the parish outgrew its original building; groundbreaking for the current church at 312 Locke Road took place in June 1974, and the new church was dedicated on October 26, 1975, by Bishop Dennis W. Hickey of the Diocese of Rochester. On October 25, 2024, the parish marked both the 150th anniversary of its founding and the 50th anniversary of the present church during a 4:30 p.m. Mass with the lighting of four anniversary candles and a reception in the parish hall.
- 1874 — Parish established; first church on South Main Street dedicated
- 1875 — Fr. Charles Horan becomes first resident pastor
- June 1974 — Groundbreaking for current church on Locke Road (Route 38)
- October 26, 1975 — Present church dedicated by Bishop Dennis W. Hickey
- 2005 — Forms NET Catholic cluster with Holy Cross (Freeville) and All Saints (Lansing)
- May 20, 2004 — Children's chapel dedicated during Ascension Thursday Mass
- September 2022 — Saturday Spanish Mass begins
- October 25, 2024 — 150th parish / 50th church anniversary celebrated
NET Catholic — A Three-Parish Cluster
St. Anthony is part of NET Catholic (Northern East Tompkins / NET), a 2005-formed partnership of three Roman Catholic parishes in northern Tompkins County: All Saints in Lansing, Holy Cross in Freeville (Dryden), and St. Anthony in Groton. The cluster is led by a single Parochial Administrator and shares parish administration through the main office at 347 Ridge Road, Lansing, with satellite office hours at each church. Masses, confession times, devotions, bulletins, livestreams, and faith-formation programming are coordinated across all three locations and published on netcatholic.org.
- All Saints Parish — 347 Ridge Road, Lansing
- Holy Cross Parish — 375 George Road, Freeville
- St. Anthony Parish — 312 Locke Road, Groton
- Main Parish Office Phone: 607-533-0145
- Parish office hours at St. Anthony: Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
NET Catholic is currently served by Father John F. Gagnier as Parochial Administrator. Father Gagnier was born on January 14, 1952, was ordained a priest on April 28, 1978, recently celebrated his 45th anniversary of priesthood (including an audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City), and assumed his pastoral duties at All Saints, Holy Cross and St. Anthony on June 28, 2023. He succeeded Father Jorge Ramírez, a Colombian-born Rochester diocesan priest (ordained 2016) who launched the Saturday Spanish Mass at St. Anthony in September 2022 before being assigned as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Webster in late June 2023. Father Daniel Ruiz, who served the cluster during the COVID-19 pandemic, established the livestreamed daily Mass, Angelus, adoration and Benediction schedule that continues today.
- Fr. John F. Gagnier — current Parochial Administrator (since June 28, 2023)
- After-hours sacramental line: 607-288-2350 (text or voicemail)
- Pastoral line: 607-533-0145
Hispanic Ministry & Spanish-Language Mass
Since September 2022, St. Anthony has hosted a Spanish-language Mass every Saturday at 7:15 PM, begun under Father Jorge Ramírez and now continuing as a vital part of the cluster. Up to 50 people gather for the liturgy, drawn largely from migrant and year-round dairy-farm families from Mexico, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Panama and Peru. At the 2023 Easter Vigil at St. Anthony, Hispanics made up seven of the eight people received into full communion with the Catholic Church.
- Saturday Spanish Mass — 7:15 PM at St. Anthony
- Outreach coordinator: Nereida Juarez Gomez, who visits farms across northern Tompkins County
- First Communions, RCIA and family support provided in Spanish and bilingually
- Diocesan support through Father Jésus Flores, Hispanic Ministry coordinator
Children's Chapel & Family Faith Formation
St. Anthony's children's chapel was built on the site of the old confessionals in the 1970s church building and dedicated on Ascension Thursday, May 20, 2004 — the one-year anniversary of Father Bernard Carges' memorial Mass. Conceived by Father Frank Lioi and supported by Father Scott Kubinski, the project was funded in part by memorial donations for Fr. Carges and by the diocesan Partners in Faith campaign. Karen Brown, pastoral minister, helps families use the chapel; it also serves as a bride's preparation room, religious-education classroom, and overflow seating for holiday liturgies.
- Children's Chapel — dedicated May 20, 2004
- Refurbished reconciliation chapel — included in same project
- $10,000 total project cost, overseen by Groton contractor Tim Higgins
- Memorial plaque honoring Father Bernard Carges
Parish Library and Relics
St. Anthony Church houses a collection of religious books available to parishioners. The library is opened after Mass, and visitors are invited to borrow and return titles. The parishes of NET Catholic also house a collection of relics that have been featured in the Catholic Courier Relic Tour.
- Parish library — open after Mass; full book list linked from netcatholic.org
- Relics featured in the Catholic Courier Relic Tour
Liturgical Music and Livestream Ministry
Music is an active part of parish life across NET Catholic; an example is the Eucharistic hymn 'This is He,' composed by parishioner Matt Connolly of All Saints Church and performed on November 5, 2023. Beginning under Fr. Daniel Ruiz during the pandemic in 2020, the cluster streams daily Mass Monday through Saturday, the Angelus at noon, and Adoration and Benediction at 8:30 PM; Sunday Masses are streamed from each parish's site. Recordings remain archived online so absent parishioners can keep connected to Mass and devotions throughout the week.
- All liturgies livestreamed at facebook.com/netcatholic
- Recordings and livestreams on youtube.com/c/netcatholic
- 'This is He' Eucharistic Hymn — composed by Matt Connolly, performed 11/5/2023
Sacraments and Pastoral Care
Beyond the regular Mass and Reconciliation schedule, NET Catholic prepares parishioners for the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick across the three parishes. After-hours sacramental emergencies are handled through the cluster voicemail line (607-288-2350), and Fr. Gagnier can be reached through the main parish office at 607-533-0145 or by visiting the church office during office hours.
- Main office: 607-533-0145 (Mon–Thu, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.)
- After-hours pastoral line: 607-288-2350
- Email (listed in diocesan directory): [email protected]
Safe Environment and Diocesan Oversight
St. Anthony adheres to the Diocese of Rochester's Safe Environment policies for the protection of children. NET Catholic publishes its safe-environment information and responses to abuse at netcatholic.org/safe. The parish is part of the Diocese of Rochester's East Deanery, which covers three counties across the southern tier of New York State.
- Diocese of Rochester — East Deanery (covers Tompkins, Cayuga and surrounding counties)
- Safe Environment program — see netcatholic.org/safe
Visiting St. Anthony in Groton
St. Anthony sits on Route 38 (Locke Road) on the north side of the village of Groton in Tompkins County, New York. From the center of Groton, continue north on Route 38 and the church will be on the right. Parish office hours at St. Anthony are Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; the main administrative office for NET Catholic is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at 347 Ridge Road, Lansing, NY 14882.
- Address: 312 Locke Road, Groton, NY 13073
- Driving: north on Route 38 from the heart of Groton — church on the right
- Office hours at St. Anthony: Tuesday 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Main cluster office: 347 Ridge Road, Lansing, NY 14882 — Monday–Thursday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Horan1875–
First resident pastor of St. Anthony Parish, appointed shortly after the 1874 dedication of the original South Main Street church.
- Father Bernard Carges1997–2002
Pastor whose memorial donations later funded the children's chapel; died April 2003.
- Father Frank Lioitwo-year pastorate ending late June 2004
Oversaw construction and May 20, 2004 dedication of the children's chapel; moved to St. Mary's Parish, Auburn.
- Father Scott Kubinskiafter Fr. Lioi
Served as priest administrator of St. Anthony and Holy Cross following Fr. Lioi's departure.
- Father Daniel Ruizthrough ~2022
Pastor of the NET Catholic cluster during the COVID-19 pandemic; livestreamed daily Mass, Angelus, adoration and Benediction from St. Anthony, Holy Cross and All Saints.
- Father Jorge Ramírezuntil late June 2023
Parochial administrator; Colombian-born Rochester diocesan priest (ordained 2016) who launched the Saturday Spanish Mass at St. Anthony in September 2022. Moved to Holy Trinity Parish, Webster.
- Father John F. GagnierJune 28, 2023–present
Current Parochial Administrator of NET Catholic (All Saints, Holy Cross and St. Anthony).