About St. John-Transfiguration Parish @ St. John the Baptist · Rome, New York
St. John the Baptist is a historic Italian-heritage Catholic parish in Rome, New York, founded in 1909 by Italian immigrant families and now serving the city for more than a century. The parish worships at 210 E. Dominick Street in a church designed by Syracuse architect Frank W. Brodrick and dedicated in 1954. Since 2011 it has been linked with — and on May 6, 2025 formally canonically merged with — the former Transfiguration of Our Lord parish (the Transfiguration church has since been relegated to profane use and is being redeveloped by ICAN for transitional housing). The current parish is led by Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio, a Rome native and parish 'priest-son,' and remains a friendly, active community that welcomes everyone while continuing to celebrate its Italian Catholic roots.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a parish that still feels like a family: a 100-plus-year-old Italian Catholic community that 'cherishes our church, our priest, our members, and above all, our relationship with God.' It offers the full sacramental life — daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confessions, and a Perpetual Adoration Chapel shared with Transfiguration — along with a deep bench of ministries for every stage of life, including RCIA, Faith Formation, Youth Ministry and Confirmation, a Marian Guild, Men's Club, Bereavement Support, Praise & Worship nights, a Parish Safety team, and an active Parish Outreach serving the Rome Rescue Mission, the Lucy House, Connected Community Schools, Feed our Vets, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Joining means rooting yourself in a living piece of Rome's immigrant heritage while helping sustain a welcoming parish that serves its wider community in concrete ways.
Mass times at St. John-Transfiguration Parish @ St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sunday through Saturday, at Transfiguration of Our Lord / St. John the Baptist
Parish History
St. John the Baptist was organized on August 5, 1909 by Italian Catholic families in Rome, NY, and has served the city for more than a century. The first Masses were said in the Ferlo Block; the parish then built a basement church on River Street (dedicated November 30, 1911) before constructing its current church on East Dominick Street, dedicated in 1954. Long-time pastor Father Joseph Panesi (1917–1944) oversaw the parish's major growth, the acquisition of its famous Italian bronze bell, and the arrival of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate sisters. Father Victor Ciciarelli led the campaign to build the present church, dedicated in 1954. Since 2011 the parish has shared pastoral leadership with the former Transfiguration of Our Lord parish, and in 2025 the two were formally merged under the name of St. John the Baptist.
- Founded 1909 — parish incorporated August 5, 1909; Bishop Patrick Ludden approved
- First pastor: Rev. Vincenzo Giorgio (1910)
- Bell: 3,000-lb bronze, cast in Valduggia, Italy (1921)
- St. John the Baptist Cemetery dedicated 1928 on Lower East Dominick Street
- Sisters of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate served 1935–2009
- Current church designed by Frank W. Brodrick of Syracuse, cornerstone 1953, dedicated May 23, 1954
- Revere-copper roof — a nod to the site's former Rome Brass and Copper Company plant
- Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio, current pastor since 2011
Parish Staff
Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio is pastor of St. John the Baptist, Transfiguration (in merger), St. Leo and St. Ann's Parishes. He is assisted by Deacon Michael Gudaitis and a lay staff that includes an Administrator, Administrative Assistant, Faith Formation Director, Youth Ministry/Confirmation Coordinator, Director of Music, Parish Facilities Manager, Maintenance team, and four sacristans.
- Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio — Pastor
- Deacon Michael Gudaitis
- Barbara Vota — Administrator
- Lori De Souza — Admin. Assistant
- Robin Calandra — Coordinator, Youth Ministry and Confirmation
- Ann Marie Hunzinger — Director of Faith Formation
- Anthony Stavola — Director of Music
- Thomas Carinci — Parish Facilities Manager
- Karen Fatiuk — Maintenance
- Sacristans: Benjamin Clark, Jack Marriott, A.J. Fiorini, Christian Bevilacqua
Parish Ministries
St. John the Baptist/Transfiguration offers a wide range of ministries and is 'always looking for volunteers.' Pastoral care ministries include R.C.I.A., Bereavement Support, Praise & Worship, Adoration, and a Parish Life Committee. Outreach ministries partner with the Rome Rescue Mission, the Lucy House, Connected Community Schools, Feed our Vets, Sleep in Heavenly Peace and others. The parish also runs a monthly Food Distribution, a Marian Guild, a Men's Club, a Parish Safety Team, and Faith Formation and Youth Ministry/Confirmation programs.
- R.C.I.A. — Bernadette Kapps, 315-337-5439
- Parish Life — Mary Ann Giardino (315-271-6211) & Sharon Puma (315-336-3170)
- Parish Outreach — Diane Maggio, 315-336-8753
- Marian Guild — Kathy Loreto, 315-337-6812
- Bereavement Support Group — Carm Zmudosky (315-271-5637), Linda Iannotti (315-271-9537)
- Parish Safety Team — Cheryl Haritatos (315-271-6211), Jake DiBari (315-271-7090)
- Food Distribution — 2nd Friday, 2:00 PM (Bouck Street entrance)
- Men's Club — Saturdays 8:30 AM in the Social Hall
- Praise & Worship — 3rd Monday, 6:30 PM at St. John's
- Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith Formation is led by Ann Marie Hunzinger, while Robin Calandra coordinates Youth Ministry and Confirmation. Adult initiation is offered through the parish R.C.I.A., which meets Thursdays at 6:30 PM in the basement rectory conference room and welcomes unbaptized adults, baptized Christians from other denominations, Catholics seeking First Communion and/or Confirmation, and anyone wanting deeper formation.
- Director of Faith Formation: Ann Marie Hunzinger
- Youth Ministry & Confirmation Coordinator: Robin Calandra
- R.C.I.A. contact: Bernadette Kapps — 315-337-5439
- R.C.I.A. meets Thursdays 6:30 PM, basement rectory conference room
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Confession is offered weekly on Saturday from 3:00 to 3:45 PM. The parish notes that 'the church where you were baptized should have records of your confirmation and marriage, even if the other sacraments took place at a different location,' and sacramental records from Transfiguration have been transferred to St. John the Baptist following the 2025 merger and are to be faithfully preserved.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Holy Communion
- Marriage / Matrimony
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:00–3:45 PM
- Anointing of the Sick
- RCIA for adults
Music & Liturgy
Music at St. John the Baptist is led by Director of Music Anthony Stavola. The parish also features a monthly Praise & Worship night — held on the third Monday at 6:30 PM in the church and led by Ron Madonia and Bruce Clifford — with reflection on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings, meditation, prayer and fellowship.
- Director of Music: Anthony Stavola
- Praise & Worship: 3rd Monday, 6:30 PM
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel available daily 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Parish Outreach & Charity
The Parish Outreach Ministry 'is dedicated to helping people in need, attending to the temporary needs of a person with compassion.' It advocates for and partners with the Rome Rescue Mission, the Lucy House (for victims of domestic violence), Connected Community Schools, Feed our Vets, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. A monthly Food Distribution serves registered and walk-in families from the Bouck Street entrance.
- Rome Rescue Mission
- The Lucy House (domestic violence victims)
- Connected Community Schools
- Feed our Vets
- Sleep in Heavenly Peace
- Food Distribution — 2nd Friday, 2:00 PM (Bouck St. entrance)
St. John's Cemetery
St. John the Baptist Cemetery, located on Lower East Dominick Street in Rome, was dedicated in 1928 by Father Joseph Panesi. It continues under parish care today, with cemetery trustees Marie Rossi and Linda Iannotti and superintendent Richard Zeigler.
- Dedicated 1928 by Father Joseph Panesi
- Location: Lower East Dominick Street, Rome, NY
- Superintendent: Richard Zeigler
- Cemetery Trustees: Marie Rossi, Linda Iannotti
2025 Merger with Transfiguration of Our Lord
On April 24, 2025, Bishop Douglas J. Lucia of the Diocese of Syracuse issued a decree uniting the parish of Transfiguration with St. John the Baptist in an extinctive union-amalgamation effective May 6, 2025. The church of Transfiguration on Ridge Street was reduced to profane but not sordid use; sacred objects were removed for use in other sacred edifices or stored in ecclesiastical custody, with stained glass mostly preserved in place. The former Transfiguration property was subsequently purchased by ICAN for $225,000 and is being redeveloped into a six-unit transitional housing complex for homeless families, with the sanctuary planned for use as a possible warming center or vocational training space.
- Decree issued April 24, 2025 by Bishop Douglas J. Lucia
- Effective May 6, 2025 (Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter)
- Sole church: St. John the Baptist, 210 E. Dominick Street
- Transfiguration church on Ridge Street reduced to profane but not sordid use
- ICAN purchased former Transfiguration property for $225,000 for transitional housing
- Pewes donated to First Presbyterian Church; statues and relics returned to Syracuse Diocese
Getting Involved & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can get involved through the Parish Life Committee, RCIA, Men's Club, Marian Guild, Parish Safety Team, Parish Outreach, Bereavement Support, Praise & Worship, the Food Distribution team, or as sacristans, choir members, or maintenance volunteers. The parish office is open at 210 E. Dominick Street and can be reached by phone at (315) 337-0990 or by email at [email protected].
- Phone: (315) 337-0990
- Fax: 315-336-3841
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 210 E. Dominick Street, Rome, NY 13440
- Handicap accessible
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Vincenzo Giorgio1910–1917
First pastor; shepherded the parish from its 1909 organization, conducting services at the Ferlo Block, 311 E. Dominick St.
- Rev. Joseph Panesi1917–1944
Second pastor; led major growth, acquired the 1921 Italian bronze bell, the 1922 organ, the 1924 annex, dedicated the cemetery in 1928, and brought the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate sisters in 1935.
- Rev. Victor F. Ciciarelli1944–1985
Third pastor; burned the last mortgage on the River Street church in 1944 and began the long campaign for the new church, dedicated 1954.
- Rev. Anthony F. Tosti1985–1991
Fourth pastor; a 'priest-son' of the parish.
- Rev. Anthony LaFache1991–1992
Fifth pastor.
- Rev. Joseph J. Clemente1992–2003
Sixth pastor.
- Rev. John F. Hogan Jr.2003–2011
Seventh pastor; oversaw the parish's 2009 centennial.
- Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio2011–present
Eighth and current pastor; Rome native and parish 'priest-son'; led the 2025 canonical merger with Transfiguration.