About St. Joseph.Holy Family Catholic Community. · Wayland, New York
Holy Family Catholic Community is a multi-site Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Rochester that brings together four historic worship sites across northern Steuben County and southern Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York: St. Joseph Church in Wayland, St. Mary Church in Dansville, St. Pius V Church in Cohocton, and Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Perkinsville. Formed in 2004 as a consolidated parish, Holy Family is served today by Rev. John G. Gathenya as pastor and Rev. Michael Twardzik as parochial vicar, and operates from a central parish office at 206 Fremont Street in Wayland. Its mission is rooted in the Great Commandment — to love God and neighbor — and its vision centers on being a Eucharistic parish family that serves, hopes, knows the faith, and cares for the wider community.
- Established
- 2004 (parish consolidated; St. Joseph worship site founded 1881; Sacred Heart 1838; St. Mary 1845; St. Pius V 1861)
- Patron
- Holy Family (of Jesus, Mary and Joseph); the individual worship sites are also named for St. Joseph, St. Mary, St. Pius V, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. John G. Gathenya
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Holy Family Catholic Community welcomes families and individuals across the Finger Lakes region into a single, multi-site parish with daily and weekend Mass, school-age faith formation, Confirmation preparation, RCIA/Adult Faith Enrichment, a Teenage Advisory Council, Youth Care and Young Adult Life ministry, and a full range of liturgical, social and outreach activities. With four historic worship sites — St. Joseph (Wayland), St. Mary (Dansville), St. Pius V (Cohocton) and Sacred Heart of Jesus (Perkinsville) — parishioners can worship close to home while sharing one faith family, one parish council structure, and one pastor. It is a community shaped by the Great Commandment: to love God, love neighbor, and serve those in need.
Mass times at St. Joseph.Holy Family Catholic Community.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — please call the parish office at 585-728-2228
Our Parish — Who We Are
Holy Family Catholic Community is a multi-site Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Rochester, bringing together four historic worship sites: St. Joseph (Wayland), St. Mary (Dansville), St. Pius V (Cohocton), and Sacred Heart of Jesus (Perkinsville). The parish office is located at 206 Fremont Street, Wayland, NY 14572. The parish's stated vision is to be a Eucharistic family that serves, hopes, knows the faith, lives by truth and love, and engages, supports and cares for the community and the world beyond. Its mission is to live the Great Commandment of Jesus — to love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind, and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37–38).
- Vision: Nourished by the Eucharist, our Parish family serves the needs of others, provides hope, knows our Faith, lives by truth and love, and engages, supports and cares for our community and the world beyond.
- Mission: To live the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37–38).
- Parish Office: 206 Fremont Street, Wayland, NY 14572 — Phone 585-728-2228 — Email [email protected]
- Four worship sites: St. Joseph (Wayland), St. Mary (Dansville), St. Pius V (Cohocton), Sacred Heart of Jesus (Perkinsville)
History of the Parish and Its Four Churches
Holy Family Catholic Community was formed in 2004 through the consolidation of four once-independent parishes under the Diocese of Rochester. Each worship site carries a long local history. St. Joseph in Wayland (1881), Sacred Heart of Jesus in Perkinsville (1838), St. Mary in Dansville (1845), and St. Pius V in Cohocton (1861) together represent more than 180 years of Catholic life in the region. Between 2004 and 2010 the eighteen churches of the Rochester Diocese's West Deanery reorganized into two clusters and four consolidated parishes.
- St. Joseph, Wayland — established 1881; current building at 206 Fremont St. is the only church in parish history.
- Sacred Heart of Jesus, Perkinsville — founded 1838; earliest Masses in a log cabin, new facility 1850; current church dedicated 1884.
- St. Mary, Dansville — first church on Franklin Street 1845 for mostly German-immigrant faithful; current church at 40 Elizabeth St. about 70 years later.
- St. Pius V, Cohocton — first church 1861 (then Liberty, NY); rebuilt in 1918 after a fire destroyed the original.
- 2004 — parishes consolidated into Holy Family Catholic Community.
- Father Stephen Karani served as pastor for about 18 years and as Dean of the West Deanery.
Pastoral Team and Clergy
The parish is currently served by Rev. John G. Gathenya as pastor and Rev. Michael Twardzik as parochial vicar, with the central parish office in Wayland. Father Gathenya was appointed to Holy Family Catholic Community on June 29, 2021, after serving at St. Alphonsus and Holy Family in Auburn. He was ordained on October 18, 1986, the feast of St. Luke, for the Diocese of Nakuru, Kenya, and is now incardinated in the Diocese of Rochester.
- Rev. John G. Gathenya — Pastor (appointed June 29, 2021).
- Rev. Michael Twardzik — Parochial Vicar.
- Former pastor: Rev. Stephen Karani — served Holy Family for approximately 18 years and as Dean of the West Deanery.
- Parish Office: 206 Fremont Street, Wayland, NY 14572 — 585-728-2228.
Worship Sites
Holy Family Catholic Community gathers Catholics at four historic worship sites across two counties. The combined addresses are listed by the Diocese of Rochester for the parish's directory entry.
- St. Joseph Church — 206 Fremont Street, Wayland, NY 14572 (Steuben County)
- St. Mary Church — 40 Elizabeth Street, Dansville, NY 14437 (Livingston County)
- St. Pius V Church — 35 Maple Avenue, Cohocton, NY 14826 (Steuben County)
- Sacred Heart of Jesus — 11118 Chapel Street, Perkinsville, NY (Steuben County)
Sacramental Preparation
The parish prepares parishioners of all ages for the sacraments of Christian initiation and life. Programs listed on the parish website include First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, and RCIA/Adult Faith Enrichment for adults entering the Church. Sacramental preparation is organized alongside the parish's school-age Faith Formation program and family ministry.
- First Reconciliation preparation
- First Eucharist preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- RCIA / Adult Faith Enrichment (for unbaptized adults and Christians entering full communion)
- Registration via the parish website (Parish Registration and Faith Formation Registration forms)
Faith Formation
The parish's Faith Formation program supports school-age religious education and family faith life, with regular newsletters (such as the Family Zone Newsletter and the May 2026 FF Newsletter) and activity nights/retreats. The program is coordinated with sacramental preparation and Confirmation.
- School-Age Faith Formation
- Family Zone Newsletter
- Activity Nights and Retreats
- Confirmation preparation
- Faith Formation Registration (2025–2026)
Ministries and Parish Life
Holy Family Catholic Community organizes its lay life around several ministry clusters, with councils and committees, opportunities for evangelization and community building, liturgical and worship ministries, faith formation for adults and youth, and a calendar of social events. A Teenage Advisory Council and a Youth Care / Young Adult Life ministry serve younger parishioners.
- Parish Leadership: Councils and Committees
- Community Building and Evangelization
- Liturgy and Worship
- RCIA / Adult Faith Enrichment
- Youth Care / Young Adult Life
- Teenage Advisory Council
- Social Events
Parish Registration and Giving
New parishioners are invited to register with the parish through the Parish Registration form on the parish website. Online Giving is offered through the parish site, and a weekly bulletin is published online for current news and announcements.
- Parish Registration form (website)
- Faith Formation Registration 2025–2026
- Online Giving (via hfccwny.org)
- Weekly Bulletin (online)
Contact, News, and Social Media
The parish communicates through its website, weekly bulletin, Facebook group, and YouTube channel. It is also listed in the Diocese of Rochester's Pastoral Services Directory.
- Phone: 585-728-2228 — Fax: 585-728-2232
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195969637194691/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa2H6I8h7X4YaUL0CbQP9Jw
- Diocese of Rochester directory listing: ps.dor.org/directory/holy-family-catholic-community/
Local Catholic Landmarks
Holy Family parishioners have been associated with the Grotto of the Pieta, an outdoor Marian shrine built by parishioner John Landino at 11763 County Road 38, Wayland. The grotto measures 37 feet across and 12 feet high at its center, weighing 125 tons. It was completed in 2019 and blessed by then-pastor Father Stephen Karani on August 16, 2020; a follow-up 'Mary, Miracles and Music' event was held on the site on May 22, 2022.
- Grotto of the Pieta — 11763 County Road 38, Wayland, NY
- Built by parishioner John Landino over six years; completed 2019
- Blessed August 16, 2020 by Father Stephen Karani
- Site of the 'Mary, Miracles and Music' event on May 22, 2022
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stephen Karaniapprox. 2003–2021
Founding-era pastor of the consolidated Holy Family Catholic Community and Dean of the Rochester Diocese's West Deanery; served the parish for roughly 18 years.
- Rev. John G. Gathenyaappointed June 29, 2021
Current pastor. Ordained October 18, 1986 for the Diocese of Nakuru, Kenya; came to the Rochester Diocese; previously served St. Alphonsus and Holy Family parishes in Auburn before appointment to Holy Family Catholic Community in Wayland.