About St. John the Evangelist · Spencerport, New York
St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish in the Village of Spencerport, Monroe County, New York, part of the Diocese of Rochester. Officially established on October 7, 1867, it traces its origins to 1851 when Catholics in the Town of Ogden began gathering for Mass in a wagon shop. Today the parish serves roughly 1,100 families and is pastored by Rev. Sriram K. Sadhanala (Fr. Sriram), with weekly Sunday Masses at 7:45 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:15 AM, and a biweekly 5:00 PM Mass, plus a Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM. The parish is known for its welcoming community, active faith formation, CYO athletics, year-round Eucharistic Adoration, and an outreach-minded pastoral style under Father Sriram, who has been visibly engaged in Spencerport's Canal Days festival and neighborhood evangelization efforts.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Sriram K. Sadhanala (Fr. Sadhanala Sriram)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist offers a full sacramental life in a mid-sized family parish of about 1,100 households — multiple Sunday Masses, daily Masses several days a week, and a robust confession schedule. Parishioners can grow in prayer through Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration (with Benediction), weekly youth ministry, a relaunched youth group, CYO athletics, Vacation Bible School, and small-group faith sharing. Under Father Sriram the parish has leaned into evangelization, taking the parish out into Spencerport at Canal Days and visiting parishioners in their homes, making it an especially welcoming place to belong, serve, and be prayed for.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
- Friday: 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM
- Or by appointment — call the Parish Office at (585) 352-5481
Adoration times
- Thursday: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM (Benediction at 5:45 PM)
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Benediction at 8:45 PM) — per Diocese of Rochester directory
Parish History
Catholic worship in the Ogden–Spencerport area predates the parish itself by 16 years. In 1851 Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, rector of St. Patrick's in Rochester, visited the Town of Ogden at local resident James McDermott's request, and Fr. Michael Welch soon began celebrating weekly Mass in a wagon shop at Ogden Center. After a small wooden chapel was built in 1857 and quickly outgrown, village trustee and parishioner William Kinney donated land, the cornerstone was laid in 1867, and the parish was officially established on October 7, 1867. The parish marked its sesquicentennial in 2017 with anniversary Masses, a gala banquet, a community Food Truck Rodeo and picnic, and a December 2017 concert by Chris Wilson. Twenty-seven priests have served St. John's over its 150+ years, and more than 1,100 families now consider the parish their faith home.
- 1851 — Rev. Bernard O'Reilly visits Town of Ogden
- Approx. 1851 — Fr. Michael Welch celebrates Mass in a wagon shop at Ogden Center
- 1857 — Small wooden church built just outside Spencerport
- 1867 — Cornerstone laid; parish officially established October 7, 1867
- 1927 — Parish school opens
- 2008 — Parish school closes after more than 80 years
- 2017 — Sesquicentennial celebrated
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Sriram K. Sadhanala and served liturgically by Deacon Alex DeLucenay, MA, PharmD, BCACP. The lay staff coordinates faith formation, finances, music, communications, and athletics, and can be reached through the parish office at (585) 352-5481.
- Rev. Sriram K. Sadhanala — Pastor
- Deacon Alex DeLucenay — Deacon
- Julie Bailey — Faith Formation Coordinator (ext. 204)
- Marisa Stieve — Finance Director
- Kathy Cammilleri — Secretary (ext. 203)
- Christopher Offermann — Organist & Music Coordinator
- Jose Santiago — Webmaster
- Kevin O'Keefe — Athletic Director
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is coordinated by Julie Bailey and serves as the hub for sacramental preparation, ongoing religious education, and family catechesis. The program feeds into parish life through Sunday Mass, First Communion and Confirmation preparation, Vacation Bible School (held in mid-August — the 2024 VBS ran August 12–16), and small-group faith sharing.
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Julie Bailey (ext. 204)
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Vacation Bible School (annual, mid-August)
- Lent Reflections small-group program
- Discipleship Small Groups
Youth, CYO & Athletics
St. John's runs an active youth ministry and a parish-based Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) sports program, both of which have been a focus of recent pastors. CYO games are a visible presence in parish life: Father Miller was known for attending CYO events to pray with players, coaches, and families (Catholic and non-Catholic alike) and to shoot hoops with the kids, and Father Sriram continues that pastoral visibility.
- CYO Athletics — Kevin O'Keefe, Athletic Director
- Youth Group (relaunched in recent years)
- Youth Ministry page linked from the parish website
- Annual parish picnic and youth-family gatherings
Music & Liturgy
Music at St. John's is coordinated by Organist and Music Coordinator Christopher Offermann, who supports the sung liturgy at weekend and daily Masses. The parish uses its YouTube channel to live-stream all Masses so homebound parishioners and traveling families can stay connected to the liturgical life of the parish.
- Christopher Offermann — Organist & Music Coordinator
- Live-stream of all Masses on YouTube
- Special liturgical music for holy days and anniversaries (e.g., 2017 sesquicentennial concert)
Outreach, Evangelization & Community Life
Under Father Sriram, the parish has made evangelization a defining mark. In his first year (2023) he noticed a near-total absence of religious presence at Spencerport's Canal Days festival and organized a hospitality booth that handed out 300 rosaries, 500 bottles of water, holy cards, medals, books, and bulletins — 'to show the face of St. John's and Jesus in the public place.' The parish has since launched a home-visit program in which Father walks neighborhood streets with small groups of parishioners, bringing bulletins, offering blessings, praying with families, and engaging non-Catholic neighbors.
- Annual presence at Spencerport Canal Days
- Parish-wide home visits and blessings by Father Sriram
- Hospitality to non-Catholic neighbors
- Food Truck Rodeo and community picnic (since at least 2017)
Parish Communications & Giving
St. John's communicates with parishioners through a busy multi-channel setup: a weekly bulletin, a parish website, a parish App, an online giving platform, a Facebook page, and a YouTube channel used for live-streamed Masses. The bulletin and website carry the most current event, ministry, and Mass-schedule information.
- Weekly bulletin (linked from parish site)
- Parish App
- Online Giving
- Facebook: facebook.com/StJohnTheEvangelistSpencerport
- YouTube: Live-stream of all Masses
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernard O'Reilly (Rochester)1851
Rector of St. Patrick's, Rochester; visited Town of Ogden and helped plant the mission that became St. John's.
- Father Michael Welch1851 (approx.)
Celebrated the first weekly Masses in a wagon shop at Ogden Center.
- Father Peter Mottolapre-2022
Predecessor to Fr. Miller; launched initiatives that were partly paused by COVID-19.
- Father Millerapprox. 2022–2024
First assignment as a parish leader; emphasized youth, adoration, and discipleship small groups.
- Rev. Sriram K. Sadhanala2023–present
Current pastor; focused on evangelization, home visits, Canal Days presence, and Eucharistic life.