About St. John the Baptist · Alden, New York
St. John the Baptist Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Alden, a small town in eastern Erie County, New York, just outside Buffalo. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Buffalo and currently sits within the Beloved Disciples of Christ the Lord Family of Parishes, a collaborative grouping created through the diocese's Road to Renewal. The parish runs an active parish school (PreK-3 through Grade 8) on its Sandridge Road campus, offers daily and weekend Mass, and continues a faith-formation program that has been part of parish life since before the Civil War.
- Established
- 1854
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Father Daniel Ogbeifun
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers the rhythm of a classic small-town Catholic parish — weekend Masses at 4:00pm Saturday and 8:00 & 11:00am Sunday, a full daily Mass schedule Monday through Friday, weekly confession opportunities, and Eucharistic Adoration every Monday evening and First Friday. Active ministries include Family Faith Formation (CCD), First Eucharist and Confirmation preparation, the Legion of Mary, the Holy Name Society, the parish choir and folk group, Works of Mercy, the Cemetery ministry, and a full parish-school program (PreK-3 through Grade 8) on the same campus, all supported by an engaged Parish Council and Finance Committee.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:15pm–3:45pm
- Mondays after 7:00pm Mass
Adoration times
- Mondays after 7:00pm Mass
- First Fridays 9:00am–5:00pm
Welcome & Parish Mission
St. John the Baptist describes itself as "a faith-filled Catholic Christian Community" that is "part of the Beloved Disciples of Christ the Lord Family of Parishes." The parish's stated mission is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His Church and its teachings, under the direction of its spiritual leaders — and to watch and pray as it follows His call to love, life, fellowship and holiness. Visitors and newcomers are warmly invited to attend any Mass and to register with the parish online through the parish website.
- Parish mission statement: 'a faith filled Catholic Christian community which believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His Church and its teachings, under the direction of our spiritual leaders.'
- Parish belongs to the Beloved Disciples of Christ the Lord Family of Parishes (Diocese of Buffalo)
- Online parish registration available via stjohnalden.com
History of the Parish
Catholics in the Alden area were first visited by Redemptorist missionaries from Buffalo between 1847 and 1850. Land for a church was bought from George Suttel in 1850 along Sandridge Road; Bishop Timon laid the cornerstone that November. Lancaster priests served the mission until 1854, when the first resident pastor arrived and the parish was officially founded. The parish grew steadily through the 19th and 20th centuries, with German as the dominant language for many early decades, and built its present brick church in 1893–94 and a large brick school in 1914.
- 1850 — Land purchased; cornerstone of frame church laid by Bishop Timon on November 9
- 1854 — Official founding with arrival of first resident pastor
- 1860 — First parochial residence built by Rev. M. Schinabeck
- 1872 — Addition to original frame church under Rev. F. X. Koefler
- 1882 — Larger school built by Fr. Gysen, with Sisters of St. Joseph teaching
- 1889 — Present rectory built under Fr. Peter Theis
- 1894 — Present brick church dedicated by Bishop Ryan on October 29, 1894
- 1914 — Large brick school across the street completed under Fr. Robert Mockel
- 1953, 1958 — Major school additions
- 1959+ — Fr. Irwin Spahn leads parish through Vatican II changes
- 1990 — Sisters leave the parish; convent later becomes 'The Rock' youth and adult ministry center
- April 23, 2007 — The Rock destroyed by fire
- Deborah Brown becomes one of the first female Administrators in the Diocese of Buffalo
- 2021 — Fr. Daniel Serbicki named pastor after Brown's unexpected death
- Parish joins Beloved Disciples of Christ the Lord Family of Parishes under Msgr. Richard W. Siepka
- November 2024 — Fr. Lukasz Kopala moves into the rectory as Priest in Solidum
Lenten & Holy Week Devotions
St. John the Baptist has an active Lenten and Holy Week program. Stations of the Cross are prayed every Friday at 7:00pm during Lent, with a Living Stations of the Cross hosted at Our Lady of Pompeii. On Good Friday the parish prays the 14 Stations for Life at 12 noon in the parish cemetery and offers both a 3:00pm Good Friday Service and a 7:00pm Taizé Service. The parish also hosts a Thursday-evening Lenten Bible Study in the school.
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays at 7:00pm during Lent
- Living Stations of the Cross — at Our Lady of Pompeii
- Holy Thursday — 7:00pm Mass with Adoration until 10:00pm
- Good Friday — 3:00pm Service and 7:00pm Taizé Service
- 14 Stations for Life — 12 noon in the cemetery
- Lenten Bible Study — Thursdays at 7:00pm in the school
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Family Faith Formation (the parish's CCD program) is directed by Debbie Pirog and runs Sunday mornings during the school year, alongside Family Programs and Family Faith sessions for parents and children together. The program prepares children for the sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation, with dedicated First Eucharist classes and a Confirmation retreat and celebration that includes a parish-wide spaghetti dinner.
- Family Faith Formation Director: Debbie Pirog
- Sunday-morning FF Classes and Family Programs
- First Eucharist preparation class and rehearsal
- Confirmation preparation retreat and spaghetti dinner
- Volunteer catechists and family mentors
St. John the Baptist School
The parish school, St. John the Baptist School, sits immediately adjacent to the church at 2028 Sandridge Rd. and serves students in PreK-3 through Grade 8. The school is named in honor of the parish's founder, St. John Neumann, and draws students from multiple public school districts including Clarence, Akron, Lancaster, Depew, Iroquois, Attica, East Aurora, Pembroke, Alexander and Maryvale. The school offers religion, core academics, Spanish, technology, art, music and physical education, with athletics including soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball, cheerleading and track. The school phone is (716) 937-9483 and the principal as of the most recent available record is Mr. Thomas Lyons (Interim).
- Address: 2028 Sandridge Rd., Alden, NY 14004
- Phone: (716) 937-9483
- Grades served: PreK-3 through Grade 8
- Inspired by the spirit of founder St. John Neumann
- Athletics: boys' and girls' soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball, cheerleading, track
- Drawing districts include Clarence, Akron, Lancaster, Depew, Iroquois and more
- Principal: Mr. Thomas Lyons, Interim
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. John's is led by Daniel Stachelski, Director of Music and Liturgy. The parish supports both a traditional Choir and a Folk Group, with the Choir rehearsing Sunday mornings before the 11:00am Mass and the Folk Group meeting on weeknights. School-age musicians also contribute through a School Music Ministry that meets Wednesday afternoons.
- Director of Music and Liturgy: Daniel Stachelski
- Parish Choir — Sunday morning rehearsals
- Folk Group — weekday rehearsals in the faculty room
- School Music Ministry — Wednesday afternoons in the church
Parish Ministries, Groups & Councils
Beyond the sanctuary and school, St. John's runs an unusually broad set of ministries, prayer groups and councils. The Legion of Mary meets Tuesday mornings in the rectory, the Holy Name Society gathers on Sunday mornings, and the Works of Mercy coordinates outreach. Three leadership councils — the Pastoral Council, Finance Committee, and Buildings and Grounds Committee — guide the life of the parish, with an additional Fundraising Committee supporting the school.
- Legion of Mary — Tuesdays 9:00am, rectory
- Holy Name Society — Sunday mornings
- Works of Mercy
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Committee
- Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Fundraising Committee
- Liturgical Ministries — lectors, servers, Eucharistic ministers
Cemetery Ministry
The parish maintains an active cemetery with deep roots in the parish's identity — the first Pieta shrine was built there, and additional land has been acquired several times through the decades (notably under Fr. Alfred Hagemaier in 1942 and Fr. Joseph Hassler in the early 1980s). Each Lent the parish invites the faithful to walk the 14 Stations for Life through the cemetery on Good Friday, and each spring the cemetery is the site of a Cemetery Walk for Peace and an organized Cemetery Clean-Up day. Day-to-day cemetery coordination is handled by Michelle Chrzanowski.
- Cemetery Coordinator: Michelle Chrzanowski (ext. 102)
- Stations of the Cross pamphlets available in the church vestibule
- 14 Stations for Life — Good Friday at 12 noon in the cemetery
- Annual Cemetery Clean-Up and Cemetery Walk for Peace
Sacraments
St. John's regularly celebrates the sacraments of Reconciliation, Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick. First Eucharist and Confirmation are prepared for through the Family Faith Formation program, with scheduled retreats and rehearsals; weddings are celebrated in the church (see the parish calendar for scheduled dates). Confession is available weekly on Saturdays and Mondays as listed above.
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:15–3:45pm and Mondays after 7pm Mass
- Baptism — coordinated through the parish office
- First Eucharist — prepared through Family Faith Formation
- Confirmation — prepared through Family Faith Formation with annual retreat
- Marriage — celebrated in the parish church by arrangement
- Anointing of the Sick — on request through the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Serge de Schoulepnikoff1850
Pastor of Lancaster who organized the new congregation at Alden Center, purchased the land, and oversaw construction of the original frame church
- Venerable L. Nicodemus (N.L.) Neumannfrom March 1854
First resident pastor; first baptism recorded March 5, 1854
- Rev. M. Schinabeck1860
Built the first parochial residence
- Rev. F. X. Koefler1872
Made an addition to the original frame church to accommodate growth
- Rev. Gysen1882
Built a larger school north of the church with Sisters of St. Joseph as teachers
- Rev. Peter Theis1884–1894
Built the present rectory (1889) and began construction of the present brick church (1893)
- Rev. A. Bornefeld (Bornefield)1896–1908
Long-tenured pastor
- Rev. Robert Mockelfrom 1912
Built the large brick school across the street, completed 1914
- Rev. Alfred Hagemaier1942
Purchased additional land for cemetery expansion
- Rev. Bertram Trautmanpost-WWII / early 1950s
Oversaw major school expansion, including 1953 auditorium/classroom addition
- Rev. Norbert Selzer1950s
First assistant pastor at St. John's
- Rev. Irwin Spahnfrom 1959
Guided the parish through Vatican II changes; expanded the Parish Council and CCD program
- Rev. Joseph Hassler1979–1986
Expanded Parish Council representation; enlarged the cemetery again
- Rev. David Griffinfrom 1986
Renovated the church interior, expanded the parking lot, moved offices to first floor of rectory
- Deborah Brownuntil 2021
Pastoral Administrator and Sacramental Minister — one of the first female parish Administrators in the Diocese of Buffalo
- Rev. James Walter
Provided sacramental guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Rev. Daniel Serbickifrom 2021
Became pastor after the unexpected death of Deborah Brown
- Rev. Patryk Sobczykfrom 2021
Parochial vicar under Fr. Daniel Serbicki