St. Boniface

History of St. Boniface Parish

St. Boniface was established in 1859–1861 to serve German Catholics living in southeastern Rochester who had previously walked to St. Joseph's downtown. Bishop John Timon of Buffalo approved the purchase of land on Grand Street (now Gregory Street), and on June 8, 1861, he dedicated the three-story brick building that combined rectory, school, and church. The parish grew rapidly through the late 19th century, enlarged in 1869 under Bishop Bernard McQuaid, and replaced the original church with a Gothic Revival edifice in 1886–1887 that featured a 195-foot spire, stained-glass windows depicting the saint's life, and a handcrafted oak altar by sculptor A. Halstrick. From 1984 to 2006 the parish hosted Becket Hall, the diocesan priestly discernment program. In 2006 St. Boniface entered into a partnership with Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary's churches, and in June 2011 the three parishes became the Southeast Rochester Catholic Community Cluster under a shared pastoral plan.

• 1859: Petition granted to form a new parish; Redemptorist Fathers from St. Joseph's help establish it.
• 1860: Land on Gregory (then Grand) Street purchased for $1,000; construction begins on a three-story brick building.
• June 8, 1861: Bishop Timon dedicates the church under the patronage of St. Boniface.
• 1866: School Sisters of Notre Dame arrive from Germany to teach (80 boys, 94 girls registered).
• 1869: Bishop McQuaid blesses a 40-foot enlargement of the church.
• 1886–1887: Second church (Gothic Revival) built — 130 ft long, 63 ft wide, 195-ft spire.
• 1900: Present convent built.
• 1908: Two-story brick parish hall built.
• 1922: Three-story school built; basement bowling alley still in use.
• November 6, 1957: Devastating fire destroys the 1886 church during roof repairs.
• April 7, 1958: Atlas Wrecking Company begins demolition of the ruins.
• April 5, 1959: Ground broken for the new church.
• March 6, 1960: New church doors open for Mass.
• June 5, 1960: Bishop James E. Kearney dedicates the new church on the feast of St. Boniface, coinciding with the parish's 100th anniversary.
• June 5, 2011: Bishop Clark celebrates the 150th anniversary Mass, followed by a parish picnic.
• 2016: 800-pound cast-iron statue of St. Boniface, missing since the 1957 fire, is returned and re-dedicated.

The 1957 Fire and the New Church

On November 6, 1957, with the roof just completed, sparks from a charcoal fire pot used by workers ignited the wooden roof during high winds. Second and third alarms were called; the fire lit up the night sky and could be seen for miles. By morning the church was a total loss. Parishioners worshipped in the school auditorium until the Easter Monday 1958 demolition was complete. Ground was broken for a new church on April 5, 1959; construction took ten months and the doors opened on March 6, 1960. Bishop Lawrence B. Casey consecrated the altars on March 29, 1960, and Bishop James E. Kearney led the solemn dedication on June 5, 1960 — the feast of St. Boniface, which doubled as the parish's centennial.

The Return of the St. Boniface Statue

When fire gutted St. Boniface Church on November 6, 1957, an 800-pound cast-iron statue of the patron saint was knocked from its alcove above the center door. A Democrat and Chronicle photograph of the figure on its back in the mud ran under the caption, "It Will Rise Again." For 59 years the statue was missing — surfacing at a WXXI fundraiser auction in 1971, in the garden of a Penfield home, and outside a Livingston County antique shop — before antique-shop owner Jim Jerris researched its origins and donated it back to the parish in 2016. The statue was restored and formally unveiled on June 5, 2016 — the feast of St. Boniface. Parishioner John Curran called the return "a symbol of the resilience of this parish" and of the South Wedge neighborhood itself.

Clergy & Staff

St. Boniface is currently led by its eleventh pastor, Rev. John Loncle (2017–present), who also serves as pastor of the broader Southeast Rochester Catholic Community Cluster. He is assisted by a senior priest in residence, a priest-chaplain to Rochester's Strong, Highland and Unity hospitals, and three deacons.

• Rev. John Loncle — Pastor (11th pastor, 2017–present)
• Rev. Edward Palumbos — Senior Priest, In Residence
• Rev. David Tedesche — In Residence; Chaplain at Strong, Highland and Unity Hospitals
• Deacon Ed Knauf
• Deacon David Palma
• Deacon Duncan Harris

Southeast Rochester Catholic Community Cluster

Since 2011 St. Boniface, Blessed Sacrament, and St. Mary's have operated as a three-parish cluster under a single pastoral plan, sharing two priests (a pastor and an administrator) and rotating weekend Mass coverage. The collaboration was launched in 2006 and formally adopted by the bishop in June 2011. Together the cluster serves the southeast Rochester / South Wedge / Corn Hill / downtown neighborhoods across Monroe County, pooling resources for worship, formation, and outreach.

• St. Boniface — 330 Gregory Street, Rochester, NY 14620
• Church of the Blessed Sacrament — 534 Oxford Street, Rochester, NY 14607
• St. Mary's Church — 15 St. Mary's Place, Rochester, NY 14607

Faith Formation & Religious Education

The parish offers Liturgy of the Word for Children for ages 4–8 during Sunday Mass, where trained volunteers — often parents — lead children through an age-appropriate Liturgy of the Word. The cluster also offers a weekly Wednesday Morning Bible Study (10 AM on Zoom) and a Thursday Afternoon Rosary (2:30 PM on Zoom). Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, RCIA) is coordinated through the parish office at 585-271-7240.

• Liturgy of the Word for Children (ages 4–8) — Sunday mornings during Mass
• Wednesday Morning Bible Study — 10 AM on Zoom
• Thursday Afternoon Rosary — 2:30 PM on Zoom
• RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

Social Justice & Outreach

St. Boniface and the Southeast Rochester Catholic Community take seriously the Church's mission "to work for mercy and justice in our world," engaging the Corporal Works of Mercy through a wide network of outreach programs. A monthly food collection after Masses at St. Boniface supports the People's Pantry (formerly the South Wedge Food Program), and parishioners regularly cook and serve at the Blessed Sacrament Supper Program (serving 450 guests weekly), Bethany House (a Catholic Worker House for Women), and St. Joseph's House of Hospitality. The Homeless Initiative sends volunteers monthly to assist those without housing in connecting with social services. The parish also supports Rochester Hope (food pantry and refugee services), Family Promise of Rochester (formerly RAIHN), and the Vocational Institute for the Children of South Sudan, founded by St. Mary's parishioner Kuc Majak.

• People's Pantry / South Wedge Food Program — monthly food collection at St. Boniface
• Homeless Initiative / Homeless Outreach — monthly outreach with social workers and medical volunteers
• Blessed Sacrament Supper Program — weekly hot meal for 450 guests
• Bethany House — monthly dinner for residents
• St. Joseph's House of Hospitality — quarterly lunch service
• Rochester Hope — 3rd Saturday service team at St. Michael's complex
• Family Promise of Rochester — temporary housing partnership
• Next-to-New Sale — spring and fall, basement of Blessed Sacrament school building
• Christmas Giving Tree — gift ornaments for families in need each Advent
• Downtown Community Forum — speakers on current issues at the Dugan Center
• Vocational Institute for the Children of South Sudan — opened August 2015
• JustFaith Advocacy — small-group formation and advocacy

St. Boniface School & Parish Hall

St. Boniface School operated for 147 years before closing; in recent decades it transformed into an urban school welcoming a diverse array of students from across the City of Rochester, and in 1994 became one of six Catholic WIN schools supported by the Wegman family. The parish's three-story school building, built in 1922, still houses a bowling alley in its basement that is used by parish bowling leagues and rented out for bowling parties. The two-story brick parish hall, built in 1908, continues to host parish events.

• 1908: Two-story brick parish hall built
• 1922: Three-story school built (basement bowling alley still in use)
• 1994: Joined the Wegman-supported WIN schools consortium
• After 147 years of operation, the school closed.

Parish Life & Getting Involved

Beyond worship and outreach, the parish offers a number of ways to get involved — from the historic Men's Club (founded 1909) to liturgical ministries, choir, fundraising, parish events, and prayer groups. The parish operates a Scheduler Pro Web Portal for liturgical ministers and a parish app for ongoing communication. Newcomers are encouraged to register through the parish office at 585-271-7240.

• Men's Club (founded 1909)
• Liturgical ministries (Scheduler Pro web portal)
• Choir and parish music ministry
• Parish App — download via southeastrochestercatholics.org
• Fundraising committee
• How to Register — contact the parish office

Contact & Visit

St. Boniface Church is located at 330 Gregory Street in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood. The mailing address for the cluster office is 259 Rutgers Street, Rochester, NY 14607. The parish phone is 585-271-7240 (fax 585-442-7517) and the email is [email protected]. Weekend Masses are live-streamed on the Southeast Rochester Catholic Community's YouTube page, and recordings are posted after a short processing delay.

• Address: 330 Gregory Street, Rochester, NY 14620
• Mailing Address: 259 Rutgers Street, Rochester, NY 14607
• Phone: 585-271-7240 — Fax: 585-442-7517
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://southeastrochestercatholics.org/st-boniface-church
• Live-streamed Masses: YouTube (search "Southeast Rochester Catholic Community")