About St. John Neumann (St. Mary Queen of the Rosary Worship site, Strykersville) · Strykersville, New York
St. John Neumann Catholic Community is a merged parish in rural Wyoming County, New York, formed in 2008 (effective 2007) from four historic parishes: St. Patrick's (Java Center, 1838), St. Cecilia's (Sheldon, 1848), St. Mary Queen of the Rosary (Strykersville, 1885) and St. Nicholas' (North Java, 1891). The community worships at two main sites — St. Mary's in Strykersville and St. Cecilia's in Sheldon — and tends four cemeteries. It is a parish of the Diocese of Buffalo and a member of the Fields of Grace Family of Parishes, currently pastored by Father F. Patrick Melfi.
- Established
- 2008
- Patron
- St. John Neumann
- Rector
- Father F. Patrick Melfi
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. John Neumann Catholic Community offers a deeply rooted rural Catholic family life that connects four legacy parishes (going back to the 1830s) into a single welcoming community. Worshippers can choose between two distinct church sites — St. Mary's in Strykersville and St. Cecilia's in Sheldon — each with its own weekday and weekend schedule, daily Mass Monday through Saturday, monthly First Friday adoration, regular confession times, and a robust home-based sacramental preparation program for First Eucharist, First Reconciliation and Confirmation. The community is small enough to know one another, big enough to offer a Family Catechesis program, parish Flocknote communication, and four historic cemeteries.
Mass times at St. John Neumann (St. Mary Queen of the Rosary Worship site, Strykersville)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:30 PM — St. Cecilia's (Sheldon site)
- Saturday 4:45 PM – 5:15 PM — St. Mary's (Strykersville site)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:30 PM — St. Cecilia's (Sheldon site, following evening Mass)
- First Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM — St. Mary's (Strykersville site)
Parish Identity: Two Worship Sites, Four Cemeteries
St. John Neumann Catholic Community is structured around two active worship sites — the parish's namesake address is St. Mary – Strykersville, 3854 Main Street, and the older mission site is St. Cecilia – Sheldon, 991 Centerline Road — with four cemeteries under the parish's care: St. Mary's Cemetery (Strykersville), St. Cecilia's Cemetery (Sheldon), St. Nicholas' Cemetery (North Java), and St. Patrick's Cemetery (Java Center). Together these sites and grounds carry the intertwined family histories of four former parishes (1838, 1848, 1885, 1891) into one faith community.
- St. Mary – Strykersville, 3854 Main St., Strykersville NY 14145
- St. Cecilia – Sheldon, 991 Centerline Rd., Strykersville NY 14145
- St. Mary's Cemetery, Strykersville
- St. Cecilia's Cemetery, Sheldon
- St. Nicholas' Cemetery, North Java
- St. Patrick's Cemetery, Java Center
Our History: From 1837 Mission to 2008 Parish
The community's roots run back to 1837, when the future St. John Neumann — then a Redemptorist missionary — said Mass in the home of Peter George in Sheldon, beginning Wyoming County's Catholic mission. A log church was built on Bartz Road a year later; within a decade a larger St. Cecilia's was built (named for the patron of music because, tradition holds, the settlers loved music); by 1885 the present rectory was up, and on January 31, 1892 the present St. Cecilia's church opened at a cost of about $13,000. St. Mary Queen of the Rosary in Strykersville and the smaller parishes of St. Patrick's (Java Center, 1838) and St. Nicholas' (North Java, 1891) grew alongside it. In 1998 a shrine, garden and statue of St. John Neumann were blessed at St. Cecilia's. In 2007–2008 the Diocese of Buffalo merged the four into today's St. John Neumann Parish.
- 1837 — Father John Neumann says first Mass in Peter George's home, Sheldon
- 1838 — log church built on Bartz Road
- 1848 — larger St. Cecilia's church built nearby
- 1885 — St. Mary Queen of the Rosary founded; St. Cecilia's rectory built
- 1889 — cornerstone laid for present St. Cecilia's church
- 1892 (Jan 31) — first service in the current St. Cecilia's church
- 1904 — St. Cecilia's school and convent completed
- 1971 — St. Cecilia's school closes
- 1974 — Weber Hall created from a renovated shed
- 1998 — Shrine area, garden and statue of St. John Neumann blessed
- 2007–2008 — four parishes merged into St. John Neumann Parish
- Road to Renewal — parish placed in Fields of Grace Family #14
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
Following the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal realignment, St. John Neumann Parish belongs to the newly aligned Family #14 of the Fields of Grace Family of Parishes. Father F. Patrick Melfi serves as pastor of the family (including St. John Neumann, SS. Joachim & Anne in Attica, and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Darien Center). Father John J. Arogyasami is the senior parochial vicar, residing at St. John Neumann in Strykersville; Father George Devanapalle serves as parochial vicar for Family #14 as well.
- Father F. Patrick Melfi — Pastor (Family #14)
- Father John J. Arogyasami — Senior Parochial Vicar (residence: St. John Neumann, Strykersville)
- Father George Devanapalle — Parochial Vicar (Family #14)
Sacramental Preparation
Following the Diocese of Buffalo's Home-Based model of catechesis, St. John Neumann prepares children and teens for the sacraments of initiation as a family-centered process. First Eucharist is prepared in 2nd grade and First Reconciliation in 3rd grade, using the BLESSED program from Dynamic Catholic; Confirmation is celebrated in the late spring of the 10th-grade year (or 11th) after at least two years of adolescent faith formation. The process relies on parent meetings, monthly Family Catechesis Sessions, Advent and Holy Week family gatherings, and a Children @ Mass service program.
- First Eucharist: 2nd grade; uses BLESSED (Dynamic Catholic)
- First Reconciliation: 3rd grade; uses BLESSED (Dynamic Catholic)
- Confirmation: typically 10th–11th grade, after 2+ years of formation
- Sponsor requirements: 16+, fully initiated, parish-affiliated
- Family Catechesis Sessions (monthly)
- Advent & Holy Week family gatherings
Family of Parishes: Fields of Grace #14
St. John Neumann is one of the parishes of the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Fields of Grace' Family of Parishes, designated Family #14 under the diocese's Road to Renewal pastoral planning initiative (effective October 15 realignment). Father Melfi pastors the family, with parochial vicars assisting across the member parishes.
- Family #14 member parishes (effective Oct. 15): St. John Neumann (Strykersville), SS. Joachim & Anne (Attica), Immaculate Heart of Mary (Darien Center), St. Michael (Warsaw), Mary Immaculate (East Bethany), St. Isidore (Perry)
- Pastor: Father F. Patrick Melfi
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Father John J. Arogyasami (residence at St. John Neumann)
- Parochial Vicar: Father George Devanapalle (residence at SS. Joachim & Anne)
Stay Connected: Flocknote
The parish uses Flocknote as its email and text communication platform so that families can receive news about parish events, ministries and sacramental preparation. Visitors and parishioners can sign up via the form on the parish homepage by providing first name, last name, email and phone.
- Sign-up form on sjnchurch.org homepage
- Email + text channels for parish news
- Used for sacramental-prep communication and parish-wide announcements
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
St. John Neumann Parish can be reached by phone at (585) 457-3222, by email at [email protected], or through its official Facebook page (St. John Neumann Catholic Community). The parish office is located at the St. Mary's site, 3854 Main Street, Strykersville, NY 14145.
- Phone: (585) 457-3222
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://sjnchurch.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/stjohnneumanncc/
- St. Mary's site mailing address: PO Box 9, Strykersville, NY 14145