About St. Hyacinth. Sts. Mary and Martha Parish. · Auburn, New York
Sts. Mary and Martha Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Auburn, New York, part of the Diocese of Rochester. It was formed by combining two historic immigrant churches — St. Francis of Assisi (the city's first Italian parish, founded 1907) and St. Hyacinth (a Polish parish, founded 1905) — into a single parish structure under one pastor. Today the parish serves about 940 families from two worship sites (St. Francis of Assisi Church at 303 Clark Street and St. Hyacinth Church at 63 Pulaski Street), is led by Very Rev. Frank E. Lioi, VF, who also serves as Dean of the East Region, and shares its St. Mary's Parish campus (299 Clark St., Auburn) for parish offices, faith formation, livestream Mass, and the well-known Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi and St. Hyacinth (with the combined parish named for Sts. Mary and Martha)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Frank E. Lioi, VF
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Sts. Mary and Martha Parish offers Auburn Catholics two distinct worship traditions under one roof — the Italian-heritage St. Francis of Assisi Church on Clark Street with its beloved Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, daily Adoration, Rosary, Sacred Heart Society, and Apostolate prayer group, and the Polish-heritage St. Hyacinth Church on Pulaski Street with its Romanesque interior and active Faith Formation community. A parishioner can join a tight-knit cluster with daily Mass, multiple Sunday options, ongoing RCIA/RCIC, youth and young-adult ministry, vibrant sacramental preparation, livestreamed and televised Mass for the homebound, and the spiritual richness of two immigrant Catholic traditions still very much alive.
Mass times at St. Hyacinth. Sts. Mary and Martha Parish.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 8:30 AM — St. Hyacinth Church
- Saturday 3:00 PM (in children's room) — St. Hyacinth Church
- 1st Saturday of the month 8:00 AM — St. Francis Church
- By appointment — St. Francis Church
- Anytime by calling 315-252-7593 for the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Anointing of the Sick in legitimate need
Adoration times
- Daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel at St. Francis of Assisi (visited frequently by parishioners and visitors)
History of Sts. Mary and Martha Parish
The parish combines two of Auburn's oldest immigrant Catholic congregations. St. Francis of Assisi Church was founded in 1907 by Father John Robotti under Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid to serve Auburn's Italian community; the first Italian national church was completed in 1908 at a cost of $17,000. St. Hyacinth Parish was formed in 1905 by Polish-descent immigrants who had been settling in Auburn since the 1890s and wanted to keep the customs and traditions of their homeland; it celebrated its centennial in September 2005. The two parishes were brought together into one parish structure known as Sts. Mary and Martha, sharing pastors and staff with neighboring St. Mary's and Our Lady of the Snow.
History of St. Francis of Assisi Church (303 Clark St.)
Founded 1907; first Italian national church in Auburn completed 1908. First baptism: Ida Maria Paolini (Jan. 9, 1908). First marriage: Raphael Fiocco & Maria Grazia Carbone (Feb. 9, 1908). The original building's ground floor served as the first school, with four Mercy Sisters from Holy Family Convent teaching grades 1–4. The present St. Francis church was completed in 1958. The parish is described as priest-centered, orthodox in the Roman Catholic faith, with many devotions to Mary, daily Adoration, the Rosary, Prayers of the Apostolate Group, and the Sacred Heart Society, and '940 families growing into a more diverse community while keeping their Italian heritage alive.'
- Founded 1907 by Father John Robotti
- First church completed 1908 at $17,000 (largely donated labor)
- First baptism: Ida Maria Paolini, Jan. 9, 1908
- First marriage: Raphael Fiocco & Maria Grazia Carbone, Feb. 9, 1908
- School opened with Mercy Sisters in 1915–17
- Present church completed 1958 under Father John J. Nacca
- Knights of Columbus Council founded under Fr. John F. Gagnier, 1991
History of St. Hyacinth Church (63 Pulaski St.)
St. Hyacinth was formed in 1905 when Polish-descent immigrants in Auburn asked for a parish that could preserve their native customs and traditions. The parish celebrated its centennial in September 2005. As the parish family grew, a larger Romanesque-style church was built in 1964 with a capacity of 700 — air-conditioned, handicap accessible, with a self-contained children's room, spacious choir loft and sacristy, and a rectory that can house six clergy. The campus includes an attached garage, a stand-alone garage, and a parish center (the former parochial school) with 8 classrooms, a large kitchen and cafeteria seating 100, and an air-conditioned gym used by the CYO.
- Founded 1905
- Centennial celebrated September 2005
- Romanesque-style church built 1964, capacity 700
- Air-conditioned and handicap accessible
- Rectory housing capacity for 6 clergy
- Parish center: 8 classrooms, kitchen, cafeteria (seats 100), air-conditioned gym
Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine
Located next to St. Francis of Assisi Church at 303 Clark Street, the Lourdes Shrine was formally dedicated in April 1951 before an estimated crowd of 4,000 people and is built of native field stone gathered from local farms. Much of the construction work was done by volunteer parishioner labor, and it remains a beloved Auburn landmark visited by thousands of tourists and local people of all faiths each year. The shrine commemorates the 1858 apparitions of Mary to Bernadette Soubirous: the statue of the Blessed Virgin stands at the front with Bernadette on the ground facing her, and the water has been blessed as a reminder of the miraculous spring at Lourdes. New LED lights have been installed with colors reflecting feast days and seasons of the Church year — violet for Advent and Lent, blue for the Blessed Mother, red for feasts of Jesus, Saint Joseph and the Holy Spirit, gold/yellow for Easter, and green for Saint Patrick. Visitors can sit on benches, kneel on the prie-dieu, light a candle, and pray as falling water from the fountain creates a meditative atmosphere.
- Dedicated April 1951 before a crowd of ~4,000
- Built of native field stone by volunteer parishioner labor
- Statues of the Blessed Virgin and Bernadette face one another
- Blessed water fountain as a Lourdes reminder
- Color-changing LED lights for liturgical seasons
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Very Rev. Frank E. Lioi, VF, who also serves as Dean of the East Region of the Diocese of Rochester, with Rev. Joseph J. Martuscello as Parochial Vicar. Deacon Dennis R. Donahue serves as New Evangelization Coordinator, and Deacon Gary DiLallo directs Baptismal Preparation and Faith Formation (RCIA/RCIC). Lay staff include Delia Westmiller (Sacramental records for St. Mary's and Our Lady of the Snow), Donna Malinowski (Sacramental records for Saints Mary and Martha), Shawn Gillen-Caryl (Regional Finance Director), Diane Gove (Pastoral Minister & Wedding Coordinator), Kathy Lipfert (Funeral Preparations), Greg Lawson and Dan Preuss (Facilities), Jon Robson (Faith Formation/Sacramental Preparation), Ashley Reilly (Youth & Young Adults), Sr. Anne Marie Saphara (Archivist), and Chelsea Bosnar, DMA (Music Director).
- Very Rev. Frank E. Lioi, VF — Pastor & Dean of East Region
- Rev. Joseph J. Martuscello — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Dennis R. Donahue — New Evangelization Coordinator
- Deacon Gary DiLallo — Baptismal Preparation / RCIA-RCIC Director
- Shawn Gillen-Caryl — Regional Finance Director
- Chelsea Bosnar, DMA — Music Director
- Sr. Anne Marie Saphara — Archivist
- Diane Gove — Pastoral Minister & Wedding Coordinator
- Kathy Lipfert — Funeral Preparations
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation is shared across the cluster (St. Mary's, Sts. Mary and Martha, Our Lady of the Snow, and Good Shepherd Catholic Community) and centers on forming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ through the Sacramental and Liturgical life of the Church, study, prayer, and the Works of Mercy. Programs are offered for Pre-K through High School, families, and adults around four dimensions: Contact, Encounter, Engage, Witness. The parish also runs Confirmation Year 1 and Year 2, First Penance and First Communion Preparation, and RCIA/RCIC for those seeking initiation into the Catholic Church.
- Pre-K through High School faith formation (Jon Robson)
- Adult Faith Formation
- Young Adult Ministry (Ashley Reilly)
- Confirmation Year 1 and Year 2
- First Penance & First Communion Preparation
- RCIA / RCIC (Deacon Gary DiLallo)
Devotions, Outreach & Parish Life
The parish life is rich with Marian and Eucharistic devotion: daily Adoration in the St. Francis Chapel, the Rosary, Prayers of the Apostolate Group, the Sacred Heart Society, and devotions to Mary and the saints throughout the year. Outreach includes a Homebound Ministry and a Knights of Columbus Council (founded at St. Francis in 1991). The parish participates in the third year of the National Eucharistic Revival ('Year of Mission') together with the worldwide Jubilee Year 2025 ('Pilgrims of Hope'), hosting visiting priests for talks at Nacca Hall. A free FORMED subscription gives parishioners Catholic Netflix-style content (movies, cartoons, books, classes).
- Daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
- Rosary, Apostolate Prayer Group, Sacred Heart Society
- Homebound Ministry
- Knights of Columbus Council
- National Eucharistic Revival & Jubilee Year 2025 events
- FORMED Catholic media access (formed.org)
Contact & Getting Involved
The parish office is at 299 Clark Street, Auburn, NY 13021, reachable at 315-252-7593 or [email protected]. The parish website hosts online giving, a mailing list, livestream Mass on YouTube, and the Safe Environment program. Visitors and parishioners are invited to stop by the Lourdes Shrine to pray, light a candle, or simply sit — the sound of the falling water and the color-changing seasonal lights make it a year-round place of reflection in the heart of Auburn.
- Parish Office: 299 Clark Street, Auburn, NY 13021
- Phone: 315-252-7593
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stmaryauburn.org
- Online giving & mailing list available
- Safe Environment program for parish life
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Frank E. LioiJune 24, 2014–present
Pastor of Sts. Mary and Martha; also Pastor of St. Mary's, Auburn and Dean of the East Region.
- Gary DiLalloJune 30, 2009 – June 24, 2014
Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi (now part of Sts. Mary and Martha).
- Eugene DoboszJune 27, 2006 – June 30, 2009
Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Peter J. DeBellisJune 25, 2002 – June 27, 2006
Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Peter DeckmanNov. 13, 2000 – June 25, 2002
Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Robert L. BeligottiJune 29, 1993 – Nov. 30, 2000
Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi.
- John F. GagnierJune 25, 1991 – Apr. 28, 1993
Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi; established the parish Knights of Columbus Council.
- Francis W. Seelman, TORJune 1985 – June 25, 1991
Established the first Parish Council; hired the first lay Director of Religious Education.
- John J. Nacca1949 – June 1985
Built the present St. Francis church (1958), school (opened 1951) and Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine (dedicated 1951).
- Francis H. Turner1943
- Adolph L. GabbaniMay 3, 1935 – Apr. 18, 1949
- Pietro G. MoiaSep. 1911 – May 1, 1935
Enlarged rectory and bought land for the future St. Francis church.
- John RobottiMay 15, 1907 – Sep. 1911
Founding pastor of St. Francis of Assisi; built the first Italian national church in Auburn in 1908.