About St. Catherine of Siena · Mendon, New York
St. Catherine of Siena is a Roman Catholic parish in the small hamlet of Mendon, NY, in Monroe County, now clustered with the Church of the Transfiguration in nearby Pittsford under the Diocese of Rochester. The parish traces its origins to May 18, 1900, when Father John J. Donnelly said the first scheduled weekly Mass in Mendon, and it is now in its second century of welcoming worshippers. The parish takes St. Catherine of Siena as its patron and lives by her quote, 'Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.' Today the church is pastored by Rev. Robert S. Bourcy and served by Deacon Kevin Carges, with a parish staff and lay ministries that care for formation, liturgy, music, outreach and social justice.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena
- Rector
- Rev. Robert S. Bourcy
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Siena is a small but vibrant country parish now clustered with the Church of the Transfiguration in Pittsford, giving parishioners the warmth of a tight-knit community and the resources of a larger partner parish. Worship is fully accessible — with wheelchair access, a hearing loop, sign-language interpreters at Sunday Mass, a cry room with rocking chairs and changing tables, and live-streamed services for the homebound. The parish takes seriously the formation of disciples of every age (children's Liturgy of the Word, family-life and sacramental preparation, youth ministry) and active outreach, including Deacon Kevin Carges's charity Eight 4 World Hope, which supports schools and orphanages in Jamaica. It is a place where visitors are welcomed as newcomers, encouraged to 'be who God meant you to be,' and invited into worship, service and community life.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Siena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 3:00 pm at the Church of the Transfiguration (Pittsford)
- Anytime by appointment at St. Catherine of Siena or the Church of the Transfiguration
About St. Catherine of Siena Parish
St. Catherine of Siena is a Roman Catholic parish rooted in the small hamlet of Mendon in Monroe County, NY, now joined in a Monroe County cluster with the Church of the Transfiguration in nearby Pittsford. Both parishes share one pastor, one staff and one mission statement: to be a vibrant Roman Catholic faith community committed to welcoming all, rooted in the teachings of Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit. The parish's motto, drawn from its patron, is 'Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.' Visitors — weekend travelers or those seeking a new faith home — are warmly welcomed to attend in person or watch one of the streamed services.
- Address: 26 Mendon-Ionia Road, Mendon, NY 14506
- Phone: (585) 624-4990
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: pittsfordmendoncatholic.org
- Motto: 'Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.'
Parish History
At the turn of the last century, Mendon was a busy place of mills, a coal and lumber company, a produce company, two general stores and three hotels — but it had no Catholic church. Ann Furlong and her husband asked Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid to erect one, and once he approved, Catholics and non-Catholics alike contributed $2,920.75 to build it. Father John J. Donnelly, traveling from Victor, said the first weekly Mass in Mendon on May 18, 1900 in Finucane Hall; he would serve as the parish's first pastor for 11 years. St. Catherine's operated as a mission of four neighboring parishes until 1955/56, when Monsignor Albert Schnacky became its first resident pastor and the parish became independent. The present church was built in 1990 and dedicated by Bishop Matthew H. Clark on May 3, 1992.
- First Mass: May 18, 1900, in Finucane Hall
- First pastor: Rev. John J. Donnelly (11 years)
- Cornerstone/founding fundraising: $2,920.75 raised by townspeople of all faiths
- Lot donated May 18, 1901 by Patrick and Mary Culhane
- Independent parish: 1955/56 under Msgr. Albert Schnacky
- Schnacky Community Center: 1976
- Current church built: 1990; dedicated May 3, 1992 by Bishop Matthew H. Clark
Clergy & Staff
St. Catherine of Siena and the Church of the Transfiguration share a single pastoral and administrative team. Pastor Rev. Robert S. Bourcy is assisted by retired/senior priest Rev. Michael J. Bausch and Deacon Kevin Carges. The staff includes formation, family-life, liturgical, music and communications roles, plus a regional finance and facilities team.
- Rev. Robert S. Bourcy — Pastor
- Rev. Michael J. Bausch — Retired Pastor / Senior Priest
- Deacon Kevin Carges
- Anne Gallagher — Director of Disciple Formation
- Karen Luke — Director of Family Life and Sacraments
- Meg Kastner — Administrative Assistant for Formation
- Liturgical Coordinator — St. Catherine
- Music Director — St. Catherine
- Nancy Wahl — Communications
- Bob Goldbach / Ben Cutter — Streaming and Sound / Communications
- Regional Finance Director
- Regional Facilities Manager
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Faith formation at St. Catherine is led by a team that serves both St. Catherine's and the Church of the Transfiguration. Anne Gallagher directs disciple formation and Karen Luke directs family life and sacramental preparation, helping parishioners of every age encounter the Gospel and prepare for the sacraments. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the school season, and Vacation Bible School is offered in the summer. Families with infants and toddlers are warmly welcomed: there is a small cry room with windows into the main sanctuary, rocking chairs and changing tables in the rest rooms.
- Disciple Formation (Anne Gallagher)
- Family Life & Sacraments (Karen Luke)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (school season)
- Vacation Bible School
- Cry room with rocking chairs and changing tables
Outreach & Social Ministry
Social ministry is a core part of the parish's identity. The parish's mission statement commits it to 'advocating for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and providing opportunities for social ministry outreach.' A particular point of pride is Deacon Kevin Carges's charity Eight 4 World Hope, which he co-founded in 2009 with six fellow 1984 St. John Fisher College graduates. The charity has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to construct and improve schools in impoverished Jamaican communities and recently funded construction of the Father Joe Trovato Home for Boys, an orphanage designed to accommodate 72 boys.
- Eight 4 World Hope (founded 2009 by Deacon Kevin Carges and classmates)
- Schools built/improved in Jamaica
- Father Joe Trovato Home for Boys (orphanage, capacity 72)
- Peace and Justice / Social Ministry Outreach
Accessibility & Visitor Welcome
St. Catherine of Siena makes a particular effort to welcome every visitor and accommodate every body. The church is fully accessible for walkers and wheelchairs; a hearing loop is installed; and sign-language interpreters are present for Sunday Masses. Whether one is in town for a weekend or looking for a new faith community, parishioners are encouraged to come in person for Mass or watch a streaming service to see if St. Catherine of Siena is the right place for them.
- Wheelchair-accessible
- Hearing loop installed in the church
- Sign-language interpreters at Sunday Mass
- Livestreamed Sunday Mass
- Children's cry room with rocking chairs
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John J. Donnelly1900–~1911
First pastor; said the first weekly Mass in Mendon on May 18, 1900, vesting in Finucane Hall; served 11 years.
- Rev. Louis Edlelman
Succeeded Fr. Donnelly.
- Rev. Cornelius Silke
Succeeded Fr. Edlelman.
- Rev. Victor Hurley
Succeeded Fr. Silke.
- Rev. William Killackey
Succeeded Fr. Hurley.
- Rev. Howard Geck
Succeeded Fr. Killackey.
- Msgr. Albert Schnacky1956–1986
First resident pastor (per diocesan Courier; the parish's own history begins resident pastorship in 1970). Beloved for his German Shepherd Heidi; Schnacky Community Center named in his honor (1976).
- Rev. Charles Latus
Resident pastor after Msgr. Schnacky.
- Rev. James Lawlor
Resident pastor after Fr. Latus, preceding Fr. Bourcy.
- Rev. Robert S. Bourcy
Current pastor.