About St. Francis of Assisi · Athol Springs, New York
St. Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic parish in Athol Springs, New York, founded in 1929 to serve the Conventual Franciscan friars establishing their high school nearby. It is part of the Diocese of Buffalo's Family #29, the Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community, and is currently a secondary worship site of St. Mary of the Lake Parish following the Diocese of Buffalo's 2025 'Road to Renewal' reorganization. Daily and Sunday Masses continue to be celebrated in the church at 4263 St. Francis Drive by Conventual Franciscan and diocesan clergy, and the parish grounds house ministries including the Buffalo House of Hope, a shelter for asylum seekers.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Timothy J. Koester (Pastor of Family #29 / Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community; St. Francis is a secondary worship site of St. Mary of the Lake Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi offers the rare gift of daily and Sunday Mass celebrated by Conventual Franciscan friars in a quiet Athol Springs setting, with traditional devotions such as weekly Rosary, Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Anthony, and First Saturday devotions still observed. The parish family (Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community) keeps a tight-knit Sacramental and faith-formation program — including OCIA, youth ministry, and Life in the Eucharist retreats — while the parish convent houses the Buffalo House of Hope shelter for asylum-seekers, a ministry the friars and parishioners have enthusiastically embraced as a concrete expression of Catholic Social Teaching.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM (pre-Vigil)
- Before daily Mass
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Exposition, Benediction and Adoration following the Monday 8:00 AM Mass
- First Saturday Devotion (Operation Storm Heaven Rosary)
- First Friday devotions and benediction are celebrated at the Family level (Most Precious Blood, 8:30–11:00 AM)
History of St. Francis of Assisi Parish
The parish was born in 1929 out of the Conventual Franciscans' vision for a Catholic minor seminary in Western New York. Working with Bishop William Turner of Buffalo, Polish-American Conventual Franciscans broke ground on St. Francis Minor Seminary (High School) in Athol Springs on July 12, 1925; the cornerstone was blessed on Labor Day, September 7, 1925. Once the school opened, Bishop Turner formally created St. Francis of Assisi Parish in 1929 and entrusted it to the Franciscans, with Fr. Thomas Wieprecht, OFM Conv., as the first pastor. The original church served the growing community for nearly three decades until a new, larger church was built in 1958. A parish school was added in 1947 and operated until 1999. The parish has long been a destination for traditional Franciscan devotions, including a 2016 visitation of the first-class relics of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Conventual Franciscan martyr.
- 1929: Parish founded by Bishop Turner, entrusted to the Conventual Franciscans (OFM Conv.)
- First pastor: Fr. Thomas Wieprecht, OFM Conv.
- 1947: Parish school opens; closed 1999
- 1958: New church built
- May 2016: Hosts Relics of St. Maximilian Kolbe
- 2023: Grouped into Family #29 (Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community)
- 2025: Merged into St. Mary of the Lake Parish; continues as secondary worship site
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The parish keeps its longstanding rhythm of frequent Masses — three weekday Masses plus a Saturday Vigil and two Sunday Masses — celebrated by Conventual Franciscan and diocesan priests. Confessions are heard before the Vigil Mass and before daily Masses, and Holy Day schedules are published in the bulletin and on the family website (lakeshorecatholicfc.org).
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM
- Weekdays: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday at 8:00 AM
- Holy Days: 12:00 Noon (see bulletin for full schedule)
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Faith Formation at St. Francis is run in collaboration with the Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community, led by William Nistor ([email protected]). The program prepares children for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, and works closely with parents, catechists, and the Sacred Environmental Committee.
- Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry: William Nistor ([email protected], 716-627-3357)
- 2024 First Communion class: ten children received the sacrament
- Life in the Eucharist retreat series offered at multiple family sites
Becoming Catholic (OCIA / RCIA)
Adults seeking to become Catholic, or Catholics seeking Confirmation, participate in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Sessions are offered family-wide through the Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community and are advertised in the weekly bulletin.
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) inquiry sessions through the Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community
- Registration via parish office or family website
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Music at the parish is directed by Glenn Colton; he leads the cantors and choir that support the parish's weekend and daily Masses. The Music Ministry is also an essential part of the parish's preparation for First Communion, Confirmation, weddings, and funerals.
- Music Director: Glenn Colton
- Cantors and choir for weekend and daily Masses
- Music Ministry coordinates special celebrations with the Sacred Environmental Committee
Outreach: Buffalo House of Hope
Since July 2023, the parish's former convent on the Athol Springs grounds has housed the Buffalo House of Hope, a non-profit shelter for asylum-seekers, refugees, and other immigrants in Western New York. Operated in partnership with resettlement agencies (Jericho Road, Jewish Family Services, and the International Institute of Buffalo), the house can accommodate 14–16 residents at a time and provides case management, legal support, and follow-up housing assistance for up to a year. Father Ross Syracuse, OFM Conv., praised the St. Francis faith community as the 'unsung heroes' who welcomed strangers in the spirit of Matthew 25:36.
- Opened July 22, 2023 in the parish convent
- Capacity 14–16 residents; bedrooms, living room, fully remodeled kitchen
- President of the board: Father Roy Herberger; treasurer: Paula Hunt
- Receives no government funding; supported by donations and volunteers
- Partners include Jericho Road, Jewish Family Services, International Institute of Buffalo, Province Farm, Churches in Action, and other Faith Community partners
- Specific needs include a generator, culturally appropriate food staples, regular donors, and house managers
Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community (Family #29)
Since March 8, 2023, St. Francis has belonged to Family #29 — the Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community — under the pastoral leadership of Father Timothy J. Koester and a team of senior parochial vicars, parochial vicars, and permanent deacons. The family is the operating unit of the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal' pastoral planning process, designed to share clergy, ministries, and resources across five worship sites in the southern Erie Vicariate.
- Most Precious Blood — 22 Prospect St., Angola
- St. Anthony of Padua — Farnham (merged with Most Precious Blood)
- St. Francis of Assisi — 4263 St. Francis Dr., Athol Springs (secondary worship site)
- St. Mary of the Lake — 4737 Lake Shore Rd., Hamburg (merger recipient 2025)
- St. John Paul II — Lake View
Road to Renewal and the 2025 Merger
As part of the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal,' Bishop Michael W. Fisher announced in June 2024 that, effective in 2025, St. Francis of Assisi would be merged into St. Mary of the Lake Parish; the St. Mary of the Lake church site was slated to close, with the St. Francis of Assisi site continuing in continuous use. The Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community has framed the change through the 'New Wine, New Wineskins' pastoral program, helping parishioners process grief and opportunity in the restructuring.
- Diocese reduced from 160 parishes to approximately 106
- Father Johnson Machado named parochial vicar of Family #29 (March 15, 2023)
- Father Timothy J. Koester named pastor of Family #29 (March 8, 2023)
- Father Ross Syracuse, OFM Conv., continues as senior parochial vicar
- 2025 merger: St. Francis of Assisi remains open as secondary worship site of St. Mary of the Lake Parish
Parish Staff and Administration
Staffing is now shared across the Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community. The central family office handles all Sacramental records, registration, and parish business; the St. Francis church remains an active worship site with Friars and deacons serving locally.
- Pastor: Rev. Timothy J. Koester
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. Ross M. Syracuse, OFM Conv.
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. Johnson Machado, Rev. Michael Johnson
- Permanent Deacons: Joseph Gray, Neal Linnan, Steve Schumer, William Walkowiak
- Administrative Assistant: Jennifer Comstock
- Director of Mission: Jonathan Molik
- Director of Discipleship: Elizabeth Woods
- Director of Faith Formation: William Nistor
- Music Director: Glenn Colton
- Director of Cemeteries & Funerals: Faith Holmes
- Business Manager: Mary Lou McEvoy
- Assistant to Discipleship & Buildings: Kathleen Brachmann
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas Wieprecht, OFM Conv.1929
First pastor, appointed by Bishop Turner when the parish was founded.
- Rev. Ross M. Syracuse, OFM Conv.
Long-time pastor of St. Francis of Assisi before the Road to Renewal restructuring; now serves as Senior Parochial Vicar of Family #29 and advisor to the Buffalo House of Hope.
- Rev. Timothy J. Koester2023–present
Appointed pastor of Family #29 (Lakeshore Catholic Faith Community) by Bishop Michael W. Fisher, effective March 8, 2023.