About St. Dominic. Saint Peter's Parish. · Shortsville, New York
St. Dominic Church is the Shortsville worship site of St. Peter's Parish, a multi-site Roman Catholic community in Ontario County, New York, that unites three historic congregations: St. Dominic in Shortsville, St. Felix in Clifton Springs, and St. Francis in Phelps. The three churches were formally merged by decree of Bishop Matthew H. Clark on March 30 (under Father Donald Curtiss) after working together as a cluster since 2007, with parishioners choosing St. Peter as patron — a saint linked by Curtiss to the three churches' threefold connection (Peter denied Christ three times and confessed his love three times after the Resurrection). St. Dominic's hosts the Saturday anticipated Mass, the noon Sunday Mass, and the Monday and Friday weekday Masses, and remains the visible anchor for Catholic life in the village of Shortsville under the pastoral care of Rev. Anthony J. Amato, KHS.
- Patron
- St. Dominic (church); St. Peter (parish)
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony J. Amato, KHS
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Dominic offers Shortsville-area Catholics the warmth of a small village church — with the Saturday anticipated Mass, Sunday noon Mass, and weekday Masses (Monday and Friday at noon) all celebrated here — while belonging to a larger family of three Ontario County churches that share faith formation, music, and pastoral leadership. Across the unified St. Peter's Parish, parishioners can take part in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium program for ages 3–9, traditional classroom catechesis and Confirmation preparation, the Bishop Joseph Hogan Knights of Columbus Council 13194, and parish women's groups that care directly for the St. Dominic building. Live-stream Masses on the parish YouTube channel and a weekly podcast make it easy to stay connected from home.
Mass times at St. Dominic. Saint Peter's Parish.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM in the sacristy of St. Dominic
- Sunday 7:15–7:45 AM in the sacristy at St. Felix
- Wednesday 5:30–6:00 PM in the sacristy at St. Felix
- Thursday 5:30–6:00 PM in the sacristy at St. Felix
- Friday 5:30–6:00 PM in the sacristy at St. Felix
- Or by appointment — call the Parish Office (315-462-2961)
Welcome to St. Peter's Parish
St. Peter's Parish is a single Roman Catholic parish formed by the merger of three historic Ontario County churches — St. Francis in Phelps, St. Felix in Clifton Springs, and St. Dominic in Shortsville — under the Diocese of Rochester. Together the three worship sites share one pastor, one pastoral council, one liturgy and finance committee, and one faith-formation program, while each retains its own building, its own weekend Mass, and many of its longstanding parish groups. Father Anthony J. Amato, KHS, serves as Pastor / Parochial Administrator.
- St. Francis Church — 12 Church Street, Phelps, NY 14532
- St. Felix Church — 12 Hibbard Avenue, Clifton Springs, NY 14432
- St. Dominic Church — 97 West Main Street, Shortsville, NY 14548
- Diocese of Rochester
- Pastor: Rev. Anthony J. Amato, KHS
History of the Parish
St. Dominic's roots in Shortsville stretch back well before the modern merger. Parish children were taught each summer from 1948 to 1963 by Sisters of St. Joseph — among them Sister Mary Martha, Sister Rose Bernard, Sister Euphrasia, Sister Mary Leon, Sister Bernice, Sister Anna Gertrude, Sister St. John, Sister Mary Claver, and Sister Paulitta — making the village a diocesan 'summer center' for catechetics. The Rev. John F. Wolach served as pastor during the 1960s and announced the annual summer religion classes for grades one through eight. In 2007 the three parishes of St. Dominic, St. Felix, and St. Francis began functioning as a single cluster under Father Donald Curtiss, who unified their pastoral council, liturgy committee, finance committee, and faith-formation program in preparation for canonical merger. By decree of Bishop Matthew H. Clark on March 30, the three parishes officially became one parish, with parishioners choosing St. Peter as patron — chosen for the threefold echo of Peter's three denials and three post-Resurrection confessions of love, mirroring the three worship sites.
- 1948–1963: St. Dominic's summer catechetical center staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph
- 1960s: Rev. John F. Wolach serves as pastor of St. Dominic's
- 2007: St. Dominic, St. Felix, and St. Francis begin functioning as a cluster under Father Donald Curtiss
- March 30: Decree of Bishop Matthew H. Clark formally merges the three parishes into St. Peter Parish
- Patron chosen: St. Peter (three churches, three denials, three confessions)
- New icons of St. Peter installed in each of the three church buildings
St. Dominic Church — Shortsville
St. Dominic is the Shortsville worship site of St. Peter's Parish, situated at 97 West Main Street on the corner of Route 21 in the heart of the village. It is one of the busiest liturgical sites of the merged parish, hosting the Saturday anticipated Mass and the noon Sunday Mass, as well as the Monday and Friday noon weekday Masses. Confessions are heard in the sacristy every Saturday from 3:00 to 3:45 PM. The Women of St. Dominic group continues to fundraise specifically for the care and maintenance of the St. Dominic building.
- Address: 97 West Main Street, Shortsville, NY 14548 (corner of Route 21)
- Saturday anticipated Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 12:00 noon
- Weekday Masses: Monday 12:00 PM and Friday 12:00 PM
- Confessions: Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM (sacristy)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Peter's Parish offers catechesis in two complementary styles: the classical Montessori-based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) for young children, and traditional classroom catechesis for older grades, with Confirmation preparation as a two-year process beginning in eighth grade. The parish's website provides registration for the 2025–2026 Faith Formation Year and details on First Communion preparation.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — Level I ages 3–6, Level II ages 6–9
- CGS classes: Sundays 10:00 AM–11:30 AM and Mondays 1:00–2:30 PM (minimum 4 children)
- CGS tuition: $30 per child or $50 family maximum
- Instructional Catechesis — Grades 4–5 and 6–7
- Instructional Catechesis tuition: parishioners $65/child, $50 second child, $35 each additional; non-parishioners $100/$75/$50
- Confirmation — two-year process beginning in 8th grade; classes Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The merged parish carries forward both parish-wide and site-specific ministries. Parish-wide bodies include the unified Pastoral Council (with representation from each church), Liturgy Committee, and Finance Committee. Fraternal and devotional societies include the Bishop Joseph Hogan Knights of Columbus Council 13194, open to all men of the parish. Each former parish also retains a women's group that cares for its own church building — the Women of St. Dominic and Women of St. Francis — preserving the individuality of each worship site within the unified parish.
- Bishop Joseph Hogan Knights of Columbus Council 13194
- Women of St. Dominic (fundraising for St. Dominic Church building)
- Women of St. Francis (fundraising for St. Francis Church building)
- Unified Pastoral Council
- Unified Liturgy Committee
- Unified Finance Committee
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics of all ages for the seven sacraments through age-appropriate programs and family catechesis. Children receive First Communion after a dedicated preparation program, and Confirmation is offered as a two-year process beginning in eighth grade. Adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or reception into the Catholic Church are invited to contact the parish office; confession is available on a regular weekly schedule plus by appointment, and the parish office can be reached at 315-462-2961 for anointing of the sick, marriage preparation, or baptism arrangements.
- Baptism — preparation through the parish office
- First Communion — children's preparation program
- Confirmation — two-year program beginning in 8th grade
- Reconciliation (Confession) — weekly schedule plus by appointment
- Matrimony / Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Parish Staff
The unified parish is served by a small staff working across the three sites, led by the pastor and supported by music, finance, and administrative roles. Pastor Rev. Anthony J. Amato, KHS, can be reached in emergencies at 585-397-7567.
- Rev. Anthony Amato, KHS — Pastor / Parochial Administrator (Emergency line: 585-397-7567)
- Matthew Luca — Music staff
- Daniel Hofford — Music staff
- Shelby Galutia — Finance Director
- Parish Secretary — phone 315-462-2961, email [email protected]
Media, Bulletin, and Livestream
The parish keeps parishioners connected across all three sites through a weekly bulletin, a live-streamed Mass on YouTube, an audio podcast on Podbean, and a SoundCloud presence. Facebook is the primary social-media channel for news and announcements. The latest bulletin is always the authoritative source for any changes to the Mass intention schedule, Holy Day additions, or special liturgical events.
- Weekly bulletin — published and posted online; consult for current-week Mass intentions and Holy Day changes
- Facebook: facebook.com/stpeterparishny/
- YouTube (livestream Mass): youtube.com/channel/UCHmvZ892eXsncCHcicA8EWQ
- Podbean podcast: stpetersparish1.podbean.com/
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/anthony-amato-24873301
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone at 315-462-2961 or by email at [email protected]. The parish mailing addresses reflect its three sites: 12 Church Street, Phelps, NY 14532 (St. Francis); 12 Hibbard Avenue, Clifton Springs, NY 14432 (St. Felix); and 97 West Main Street, Shortsville, NY 14548 (St. Dominic, on the corner of Route 21). Confessions at St. Dominic are heard in the sacristy every Saturday afternoon before the Vigil Mass.
- Parish Office Phone: 315-462-2961
- Email: [email protected]
- St. Dominic address: 97 West Main Street, Shortsville, NY 14548 (corner of Route 21)
- Confessions at St. Dominic: Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM (sacristy)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John F. Wolach
Pastor of St. Dominic's Church in the 1960s; announced summer religion classes for parish children taught by Sisters of St. Joseph.
- Rev. Donald Curtiss2007–c. 2015
Pastor of the three-church cluster from 2007; led the parishes into a single pastoral council, liturgy/finance committees, and faith-formation program; oversaw the formal March 30 merger into St. Peter Parish under Bishop Matthew H. Clark.