About St. Joseph the Carpenter · Campbell, New York
St. Joseph the Carpenter is a Roman Catholic parish church in the small rural community of Campbell, New York (population ~3,800), in Steuben County's Southern Tier. The parish was established in 1871 and named for St. Joseph, foster-father of Jesus and patron of carpenters and workers. Today St. Joseph the Carpenter is one of three worship sites of Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish (formerly the ABC parishes), sharing its pastor, Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor, and deacons with St. Catherine of Siena in Addison and St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr in Bradford. The parish serves approximately 250 families drawn from a roughly ten-mile radius and is part of the Diocese of Rochester.
- Established
- 1871
- Patron
- St. Joseph the Carpenter
- Rector
- Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Joseph the Carpenter offers the warmth of a small rural Catholic parish — about 250 families drawn from a ten-mile radius — where lay people have taken on real leadership over generations in the absence of a resident priest. The parish gathers twice weekly for Mass (Saturday evening and Monday evening), runs an active CCD/youth program, hosts a popular annual fall bazaar supported by weekly ladies' craft classes, and shares faith-formation, RCIA, and sacramental preparation across the Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia multi-site parish. Visitors will find a community proud of its 1871-built church, its long service to Campbell's Catholic families, and its strong ties to the Diocese of Rochester.
Mass times at St. Joseph the Carpenter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 p.m. (as listed by masstime.us)
- As announced and upon request (per Diocese of Rochester pastoral services directory)
History of St. Joseph the Carpenter
Catholic life in Campbell traces back to the 1850s, when Irish immigrant families — many working in the area's tanneries — were visited by priests from Corning who said Mass in their homes. In 1871, Rev. Matthew Darcy of Bath oversaw the building of the present church, constructed by Sam Payne of Bath for $4,000 on a plot owned by John Clawson. The parish became part of the Diocese of Rochester in 1897 and has been a mission parish for most of its life, sharing pastors with Corning, Bath, Bradford and, since 1991, Addison — together known as the ABC parishes.
- 1871 — present church built under Rev. Matthew Darcy
- 1897 — joins the Diocese of Rochester
- 1926 — begins sharing a pastor with St. Stanislaus, Bradford
- 1991 — joins the 'ABC parishes' with Bradford and Addison
- Now one of three worship sites of Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish
The Building and Its Improvements
The 1871-built church has been carefully maintained and expanded over the decades. A new front entrance in the 1960s improved direct access; a 2,000-square-foot hall was added in 1977 as a gift of the Pollio family in memory of their parents Albert and Anne Pollio, founders of the Pollio Dairy in Campbell; the steeple was repaired after a major 1993 lightning strike; new siding was added; air conditioning was installed; and a new adjacent parking lot was created to ease street parking.
- 1960s — new front entrance
- 1977 — 2,000 sq ft hall addition (Pollio family gift)
- 1978 — Bishop Hogan dedicates the new hall
- 1993 — lightning-damaged steeple repaired
- New siding, air conditioning, and adjacent parking lot
Bishop Hogan's Visits (1971 and 1978)
In 1971 Bishop Joseph Hogan celebrated Mass at St. Joseph's to mark the parish's centennial — the first time any bishop had visited the church in its 100-year history. A dinner and reception followed at St. Mary's Hall in Bath. Bishop Hogan returned in May 1978 to dedicate the new church hall.
Father Gerald O'Connor and Father 'K' (1982–2007)
Rev. Gerald O'Connor served as pastor from 1982 until 2007 and was assisted in his retirement from 1991 by Rev. Andrew Kalafsky (Father 'K'), who died in April 2007. Together they cultivated a strong sense of community across Campbell, Addison and Bradford. Father O'Connor died November 20, 2009 at his home in Himrod, New York, at the age of 69.
Father Patrick Connor (2007–present)
Rev. Patrick L. Connor has served as pastor of St. Joseph's since March 2007. A native of Our Lady of Victory parish in Lackawanna, he earned degrees in Communications/Journalism and Religious Studies from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, attended St. Bernard's Seminary and Theological College in Washington, D.C., and was ordained April 8, 1983 by Bishop Matthew Clark. He previously served as Parochial Vicar and Pastor in other Southern Tier parishes and currently also serves as Dean of the South Deanery.
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
The parish maintains a very active CCD program and youth group serving children from Kindergarten through Confirmation. Faith Formation and Sacramental classes meet most Sundays at St. Catherine's Church in Addison beginning September 15, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Families may register or volunteer through Julie Lawson, the Faith Formation contact. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is also offered for adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic faith.
- CCD / Faith Formation K–Confirmation
- Youth group
- RCIA for adults
- Faith Formation contact: Julie Lawson ([email protected])
- Contact: (607) 359-2115
Parish Life and Community
St. Joseph's is a community of about 250 families drawn from a ten-mile radius, and lay leadership has been central to parish life for generations — especially through long stretches without a resident priest. A popular annual fall bazaar, supported by weekly ladies' craft classes, brings the parish together each year and raises funds for the parish.
- Annual fall bazaar
- Weekly ladies' craft classes
- Approximately 250 registered families
- Parishioners drawn from roughly a ten-mile radius
Parish Leadership and Councils
Parish governance is shared between the pastor, parish council, and finance council. The Finance Council representatives for St. Joseph's are Greg Cacase and Matt Wylie, with Michael DelGrosso serving as the Parish Council representative. The parish is staffed jointly with the other sites of Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish under Pastor Patrick Connor and Deacons Douglas Farwell and David LaFortune.
- Finance Council — Greg Cacase, Matt Wylie
- Parish Council Representative — Michael DelGrosso
- Pastor — Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor
- Deacons — Douglas Farwell, David LaFortune
Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish (Multi-Site)
St. Joseph the Carpenter is one of three worship sites of Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish in Steuben County, sharing clergy, faith formation, and pastoral planning with St. Catherine of Siena in Addison and St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr in Bradford. The parish office is located at 51 Maple Street, Addison, NY 14801 (also reachable at 8508 Main Street, Campbell). The shared pastor is Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor, who also serves as Dean of the South Deanery of the Diocese of Rochester.
- St. Catherine of Siena — 51 Maple St., Addison, NY 14801
- St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr — 7646 Whitehead Hill Rd., Bradford, NY 14815
- St. Joseph the Carpenter — 8508 Main St., Campbell, NY 14821
- Shared clergy and faith-formation program
Visiting Campbell
Campbell is a small rural community of about 3,800 people near Interstate 86 in Steuben County, NY, with most residents commuting to Bath or Corning. The church sits on Main Street and now offers an adjacent parking lot to ease street parking. Parishioners come from an average ten-mile radius.
- Population ~3,800
- Near Interstate 86
- Adjacent parking lot available
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas Cunningham1850s
Celebrated Mass in private homes; an early missionary to Irish Catholic immigrant families in Campbell.
- Rev. Peter Coogan1850s
Came from Corning to celebrate Mass in Campbell homes.
- Rev. Matthew Darcyfrom 1871
Pastor of Bath; oversaw construction of the present St. Joseph's Church in Campbell.
- Rev. Gerald O'Connor1982–2007
Long-serving pastor who built community across Campbell, Addison and Bradford (the ABC parishes). Died November 20, 2009 in Himrod, NY.
- Rev. Andrew Kalafsky (Father 'K')1991–April 2007
Assisted Father O'Connor in his retirement; died April 2007.
- Rev. Patrick L. ConnorMarch 2007–present
Succeeding pastor; grew up in Our Lady of Victory parish, Lackawanna; ordained April 8, 1983 by Bishop Matthew Clark; also serves as Dean of the South Deanery.