About St. Francis of Assisi [St. Francis, St. Mary & St. Matthew Tri-Parish] · Bridgeport, New York
St. Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic parish in Bridgeport, New York (Onondaga County), just northeast of Syracuse along Route 298. It is one of three canonically linked parishes — together with St. Mary of the Assumption in Minoa and St. Matthew's in East Syracuse — forming the 'Tri-Parish' served by a single pastor and sharing a central Parish Office at St. Matthew's on W. Yates Street. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Syracuse, offers Sunday and weekday Masses, faith formation for all ages, a parish cemetery, and a tri-parish food-pantry network that serves the surrounding communities of Bridgeport, Minoa, and East Syracuse.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen P. Wirkes
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is the Catholic home for Bridgeport and the surrounding lakeside communities northeast of Syracuse, offering a Sunday 9:30 AM Mass, weekday Masses on a rotating schedule with its sister parishes, and a full faith-formation program for children and adults under director Gary Krajacic. The Tri-Parish model means parishioners are welcomed into a wider family of three worship sites — St. Francis (Bridgeport), St. Mary of the Assumption (Minoa), and St. Matthew (East Syracuse) — sharing one pastor, one bulletin, and joint ministries such as weekly Bible study groups, a women's and men's fellowship, and a coordinated Bridgeport/Minoa/East Syracuse food-pantry network that helps neighbors in need.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi [St. Francis, St. Mary & St. Matthew Tri-Parish]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:15 PM (St. Matthew's, East Syracuse)
- Sunday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM (St. Mary's, Minoa)
About the Tri-Parish
St. Francis of Assisi in Bridgeport is one of three canonically linked parishes — together with St. Mary of the Assumption in Minoa and St. Matthew in East Syracuse — that make up a single pastoral family under one pastor and a shared Parish Office. The parish's own website frames the grouping as 'three linked parishes – one faith.' The mailing address for all three is 229 W. Yates Street, East Syracuse, NY 13057, and the main parish phone line is 315-437-8318.
- St. Francis of Assisi (SFA) — 7820 Route 298, Bridgeport, NY 13030
- St. Mary of the Assumption (SMA) — 401 North Main St., Minoa, NY 13116
- St. Matthew (SMT) — 229 W. Yates Street, East Syracuse, NY 13057
- Parish Office: 229 W. Yates Street, East Syracuse, NY 13057
- Main Phone: 315-437-8318
History
St. Francis of Assisi was established in 1951 (per GCatholic church records) as a Catholic parish serving the small Bridgeport community in northern Onondaga County, just northeast of Syracuse along Route 298. Over time the parish was canonically linked with neighboring parishes in Minoa and East Syracuse to form today's Tri-Parish, in which one pastor and one pastoral team minister across three worship sites while preserving each parish's local identity, food pantry, and traditions.
- Founded: 1951 (per GCatholic)
- Part of the Diocese of Syracuse
- Currently canonically linked as the St. Francis – St. Mary – St. Matthew Tri-Parish
Parish Staff & Clergy
The Tri-Parish is led by a single pastor and supported by two deacons, a faith-formation team, music directors, administrative assistants, a business manager, and a cemetery director. The team ministers to parishioners across all three worship sites — Bridgeport, Minoa, and East Syracuse.
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen P. Wirkes
- Deacon: Dc. Dean Brainard
- Deacon: Dc. Joseph Lupia Jr.
- Faith Formation Director: Gary Krajacic (cell 315-254-9804)
- Faith Formation Assistant Director: Anne Karkruff ([email protected])
- Administrative Assistants: Anne Kolozsvary & JoAnn Binion
- Business Manager: Thomas Lupia Jr.
- Cemetery Director: Laura Cavanaugh — 315-345-8007
- Music Director, St. Francis & St. Mary's: Lynne Stocker — 315-725-8510
- Music Director, St. Matthew & St. Mary's: Mike McClelland — 315-278-7862
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Tri-Parish Faith Formation program, directed by Gary Krajacic with assistant director Anne Karkruff, serves children and adults across all three worship sites. Classes are held at St. Mary's Parish Center in Minoa, and weather-related cancellations are announced via Flocknote; if local schools close for inclement weather, all faith formation classes are canceled as well.
- Faith Formation classes held at St. Mary's Parish Center, Minoa
- Director: Gary Krajacic (cell 315-254-9804)
- Assistant Director: Anne Karkruff ([email protected])
- Cancellations announced via Flocknote and tied to local school closings
Bible Study & Small Groups
Parishioners of all three churches come together for weekly Bible study and fellowship groups hosted at St. Mary's Parish Center, with options to join in person or via Zoom.
- Men's Group — Wednesdays 6:30–7:30 PM, St. Mary's Parish Center (contact Greg Macidyn, 315-437-8318)
- Women's Group — Thursdays 6:30–8:00 PM, St. Mary's Parish Center and via Zoom (contact Sharon Bartholomew, 315-656-8910)
Music & Liturgy
Music ministry for the Tri-Parish is shared between two directors who coordinate choirs and musicians across the three worship sites, supporting the sung liturgy at every Mass.
- Music Director (St. Francis & St. Mary's): Lynne Stocker — 315-725-8510
- Music Director (St. Matthew & St. Mary's): Mike McClelland — 315-278-7862
Outreach: Food Pantries
Each of the three linked parishes operates its own local food pantry to serve neighbors in need, especially in a time of high inflation and rising food prices. Parishioners are encouraged to support their local pantry with envelopes available at all three churches.
- Bridgeport Food Pantry — checks payable to 'Bridgeport Food Pantry', placed in the Sunday collection basket at St. Francis
- Heaven's Pantry (Minoa) — checks payable to 'Heaven's Pantry', mailed to 246 East Ave, Minoa, NY 13116
- St. Matthew's Food Pantry (East Syracuse) — checks payable to 'St. Matthew's Food Pantry', placed in the Sunday collection basket
Parish Cemetery
St. Francis of Assisi maintains a parish cemetery, with day-to-day care and family arrangements overseen by Cemetery Director Laura Cavanaugh. The cemetery ministry is part of the parish's broader pastoral care for families across generations.
- Cemetery Director: Laura Cavanaugh — 315-345-8007
Getting Involved
The parish welcomes new parishioners at any of the three worship sites and invites participation in the many shared ministries — faith formation, music, Bible study, food pantry, and cemetery ministry — that knit the Tri-Parish together.
- New parishioner registration available through the parish website (faithalive1.com)
- Shared ministries across all three sites — Bridgeport, Minoa, and East Syracuse
- Mailing/Parish Office: 229 W. Yates Street, East Syracuse, NY 13057
Visit, Location & Contact
St. Francis of Assisi sits prominently along Route 298 (Bridgeport-Minoa Road) in Bridgeport, NY, across from the local Post Office and near the intersection with Route 31 — an easy drive northeast of Syracuse. Parish business is handled centrally through the shared Parish Office at St. Matthew's in East Syracuse.
- Worship site: 7820 Route 298, Bridgeport, NY 13030
- Mailing address: 229 W. Yates Street, East Syracuse, NY 13057
- Phone: 315-437-8318
- Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]
- Website: http://www.faithalive1.com/
- Facebook: The Catholic Communities of St. Francis, St Mary's & St Matthew's