About St. Anthony · Lackawanna, New York
St. Anthony Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Buffalo serving the City of Lackawanna, New York. Founded in 1917 as a national parish for Italian immigrant families in Lackawanna's steel-mill community, it has grown into a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish that celebrates Mass in both languages each Sunday. The parish is known across the Diocese of Buffalo for hosting major diocesan events, including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Mass celebrated by the bishop.
- Established
- 1917
- Patron
- St. Anthony
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Anthony is a welcoming, bilingual parish where longtime Lackawanna families and newer Spanish-speaking neighbors worship side by side, with both an English and a Spanish Mass every Sunday. The parish takes seriously its call to community outreach, regularly hosting major diocesan celebrations such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Mass and supporting scholarships that help young people continue their education. Permanent Deacon Mike Quinn has ministered here since 2000, walking with parishioners through RCIA, baptisms, and preaching.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday by appointment (6:15 PM by appointment/request as published)
Parish History
St. Anthony Parish was established on June 1, 1917, when Bishop Charles G. Dougherty commissioned the Rev. John P. Boland, D.D., to organize a parish for the Italian community of Lackawanna. Father Boland celebrated the first Mass in a Club Room on Ingham Avenue before purchasing a dedicated site on the same street; the church was formally dedicated by Bishop Dougherty on December 16, 1917. Father Clemente arrived in July 1919 and built the combination church-school-dwelling that anchored the parish for decades. The early pastorate of Fathers Boland, Clemente, Raffaele D'Alfonso, and Joseph Vifredo shaped a strong Italian-American Catholic community centered on Ingham Avenue.
Diocese of Buffalo & Recent Renewal
St. Anthony is one of the historic parishes of the Diocese of Buffalo, which is led by Bishop Michael W. Fisher. In January 2021 the parish welcomed Bishop Fisher for his first public Mass as diocesan bishop at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Mass. More recently, St. Anthony has been part of the diocese's 'Road to Renewal' process; a formal decree of merger issued by Bishop Fisher links St. Anthony with neighboring parishes such as Our Lady of the Sacred Heart to sustain pastoral ministry in the City of Lackawanna.
- Diocese of Buffalo
- Bishop Michael W. Fisher
- Road to Renewal
- Decree of merger with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by Permanent Deacon Mike Quinn, who has ministered at St. Anthony since June 2000. Deacon Quinn assists with baptisms, preaching, and RCIA — walking with parishioners through the major milestones of Catholic life.
- Permanent Deacon Mike Quinn (since June 2000)
Sacraments & Faith Formation
St. Anthony prepares parishioners for the Sacraments of Initiation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and prepares families for the baptism of infants. Deacon Mike Quinn is the published contact for these ministries.
- Baptism preparation
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Preaching and pastoral care
Diocesan Events Hosted at St. Anthony
St. Anthony regularly opens its doors to wider diocesan gatherings. Most notably, the parish hosted the January 17, 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Mass and Scholarship Award, organized by the African-American Commission and the diocesan Office of Cultural Diversity. That Mass was celebrated by Bishop Michael W. Fisher, with Father Sean Paul Fleming serving as master of ceremonies and Sister Roberta Fulton, SSMN, as guest speaker. The Mass was livestreamed via stanthonylacka.com and the parish's Facebook page.
- MLK Memorial Mass (January 2021)
- Albert Lenhard Scholarship award
- MLK Scholarship for Catholic high school
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Anthony by phone at (716) 823-0782 or by email at [email protected]. The parish's official website at stanthonylacka.com and its Facebook page (facebook.com/stanthonylacka) carry weekly bulletins, Mass updates, and livestream information. The parish office and church are located at 306 Ingham Avenue, Lackawanna, NY 14218.
- Phone: (716) 823-0782
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stanthonylacka.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/stanthonylacka
- Address: 306 Ingham Avenue, Lackawanna, NY 14218
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John P. Boland, D.D.1917
Commissioned by Bishop Dougherty on June 1, 1917 to organize the parish; celebrated the first Mass in a Club Room on Ingham Avenue
- Rev. A. Clemente1919
Arrived July 1919; erected the combination church, school, and dwelling
- Rev. Raffaele D'Alfonso
Listed as one of the early pastors succeeding Father Clemente
- Rev. Joseph Vifredo
Listed as one of the early pastors