About St. Benedict · Odessa, New York
St. Benedict's is a small Roman Catholic mission parish at 304 Speedway Road in the village of Odessa, Schuyler County, New York. Founded in the mid-1950s as a mission of St. Mary of the Lake in Watkins Glen, it is clustered with that parish to form the Schuyler Catholic Community and is one of the parishes of the Diocese of Rochester. A 100-family community of strong volunteerism, St. Benedict's is the only diocesan parish named for St. Benedict in the Rochester Diocese and offers weekend Mass on Saturday evenings, family-based faith formation, Spanish-language outreach, and active corporal works of mercy ministries including a parish-based food pantry presence.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. Benedict
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey S. Tunnicliff (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Benedict's offers the warmth of a small, 100-family Catholic community clustered with St. Mary of the Lake in the heart of Schuyler County, with a Saturday-evening Mass on Speedway Road, an active family-based faith-formation program for K–6 and a two-year youth Confirmation process, and a robust set of Corporal Works of Mercy ministries that include a parish-based Community Table and the Schuyler County Outreach Food Pantry. The parish opened a monthly Spanish-language Mass in January 2024 to welcome new immigrant families, and its volunteers are known for the way they pitch in across every dimension of parish life.
Mass times at St. Benedict
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:30–4:30 pm at St. Benedict's
- By appointment (call the parish office)
- The Thursday before each First Friday, following the 8 am Mass at St. Mary's
- The third Wednesday of each month, 4:00–6:00 pm at St. Mary's of the Lake
Parish Identity and Mission
St. Benedict's is a Roman Catholic mission parish clustered with St. Mary of the Lake in Watkins Glen to form the Schuyler Catholic Community, within the Diocese of Rochester. Its self-described mission is rooted in Baptismal commitment: 'We, the Catholic Community of St. Mary's and St. Benedict's, dedicated in our Baptism to life-long prayer, faith formation, and ministry, welcome all God's People to a deeper spirituality and caring spirit in the Love of Jesus Christ.' The parish sits on Speedway Road in the small village of Odessa in Schuyler County and is known for the close, family-like bonds among its roughly 100 registered families.
History of St. Benedict's Parish
St. Benedict's Parish was founded as a mission of St. Mary of the Lake Parish by Father Benedict A. Ehmann, who was serving St. Mary's in Watkins Glen from 1947 to 1961. Religious-education classes for the new mission were first held in a cleaned-out chicken coop and early Masses were celebrated in a local funeral home. The parish's first Mass took place on Christmas Day 1955 in a basement chapel; the upper church on Speedway Road was completed in the mid-1960s, financed piecemeal through bake sales, door-to-door appeals and an apron passed through the pews to gather cash. In 1961 Father Ehmann became pastor of St. Michael's Parish in Rochester, and St. Benedict's continued under pastors shared with St. Mary's. In January 2006 the parish celebrated its golden jubilee: Bishop Matthew H. Clark celebrated the anniversary Mass with founding and current parishioners, including Tom Letteer, who served at the altar at the very first Mass of the parish and returned for the jubilee alongside his granddaughter Stephanie.
- 1948 — Mission founded by Father Benedict A. Ehmann from St. Mary of the Lake, Watkins Glen
- 1955 — First Mass celebrated Christmas Day in the new basement chapel
- Mid-1960s — Upper church completed on Speedway Road
- 2006 — Golden jubilee celebrated with Bishop Matthew H. Clark
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
The Schuyler Catholic Community is presently led by Father Jeffrey S. Tunnicliff as Parochial Administrator, assisted by three permanent deacons: Deacon Dan Pavlina, Deacon Rick Roy and Deacon Tom Ruda. The diocese directory confirms these as the current clergy serving the cluster of St. Mary's of the Lake and St. Benedict's.
- Rev. Jeffrey S. Tunnicliff — Parochial Administrator
- Deacon Dan Pavlina
- Deacon Rick Roy
- Deacon Tom Ruda
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The cluster's faith-formation program is family-based rather than drop-off, reflecting the parish's small-community character. Parents gather with Father Jeff or the Faith Formation Coordinator during the children's sessions, then take home short weekly lessons to teach their children. Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is offered in second grade or above, with required participation in the K–6 family program and several prep sessions on the third Sunday of the month. Confirmation preparation follows the diocesan two-year model and begins in 8th grade.
- Family sessions for K–6, with parent catechesis alongside children's classes
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation (begins in 2nd grade or above)
- Two-year Confirmation program for youth in 8th grade and up
- Sacramental families must regularly attend Sunday Mass
Ministries and Corporal Works of Mercy
The parish identifies itself explicitly with the Corporal Works of Mercy, listing on its website: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned and burying the dead. St. Benedict's parishioners support the Schuyler County Outreach Food Pantry (a ministry of Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes) and help serve a hot Community Table meal at the Parish Center on Mondays at no cost. The cluster also publishes 'Walking with Moms in Need,' 'Walking with Dads in Need,' and 'Walking with Families in Need' resource brochures and recently produced a mental-health resources booklet for parishioners.
- Schuyler County Outreach Food Pantry (Catholic Charities)
- Community Table hot meal on Mondays
- Walking with Moms / Dads / Families in Need resource brochures
- Visits to the homebound and residents of nursing homes
- Funeral liturgy support (Burying the dead)
- Mental-health resource booklet for the parish
St. Benedict's Society and Parish Life
The St. Benedict's Society is the parish's fundraising and improvement organization, led at the parish's golden jubilee by then-president Tim Jaynes and treasurer Janet Jaynes. The Society has helped fund recent accessibility and liturgical upgrades, including a new chair lift and ambo, and hosts an annual fundraising dinner that draws founding families back together.
- St. Benedict's Society (parish fundraising committee)
- Annual fundraising dinner each fall
- Recent improvements: chair lift and ambo
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by calling 607-535-2786. The parish mailing address is 304 Speedway Road, Odessa, NY 14869. Mass and Confession times apply across both worship sites of the Schuyler Catholic Community — St. Benedict's in Odessa and St. Mary of the Lake at 905 N. Decatur Street in Watkins Glen — so visitors are encouraged to confirm the site of each liturgy on the parish website's Mass Times page.
- Parish phone: 607-535-2786
- Parish address: 304 Speedway Road, Odessa, NY 14869
- Cluster partner: St. Mary of the Lake, 905 N. Decatur Street, Watkins Glen
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Benedict A. Ehmann1948–1961
Founding pastor; nationally recognized liturgical scholar, professor of music and liturgy at St. Bernard's Seminary; oversaw the 1955 basement chapel opening and the parish's first Christmas Day Mass.
- Rev. Paul Bonacci2001–c.2014
Pastoral leader of the Schuyler Catholic Community cluster; presided with Bishop Matthew H. Clark at the 50th anniversary jubilee Mass in January 2006.
- Rev. Steven Lape2014–2021
Pastor of the St. Mary of the Lake / St. Benedict's cluster from 2014 until June 2021, when he returned to Gates to serve the Parish of the Holy Family.
- Rev. Jeffrey S. Tunnicliff2021–present
Current Parochial Administrator of the Schuyler Catholic Community cluster.