About St. Mark · Rochester, New York
St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church is a parish serving the northwest corner of the Town of Greece, just north of the city of Rochester, New York. Established on June 27, 1964 by Bishop James E. Kearney of the Diocese of Rochester and dedicated to St. Mark the Evangelist, the parish grew out of the lakeside Catholic community that had worshipped for decades at the Star of the Sea chapel on Edgemere Drive. Today St. Mark's is one of seven parishes in the ROC Catholics Northwest collaborative, sharing faith formation, ministries and resources with neighboring Holy Cross, Our Mother of Sorrows, St. Charles Borromeo, St. John the Evangelist, St. Lawrence and St. Leo the Great. Its mission statement — 'Called by God's love to live the life of Jesus in our world' — captures the community's focus on discipleship along the Lake Ontario shore.
- Established
- 1964
- Patron
- St. Mark the Evangelist
- Rector
- Deacon Frank Pettrone (Pastoral Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Mark's offers a deeply rooted lakeside Catholic community in North Greece, with daily and weekend Masses (several livestreamed from Facebook so the homebound can participate), a Saturday Vigil, weekday Rosary before the 8:00 am Mass, and a robust faith-formation program serving children from Pre-K through 7th grade, plus a 6th–12th grade Youth Ministry, a homeschool track and an inter-generational monthly gathering. Add in active music ministry under Andrew Tantalo, a Bereavement Ministry that meets twice a month, Vacation Bible School, fellowship gatherings like 'The Chosen' viewing nights, and the wider support of the seven-parish ROC Catholics Northwest collaborative, and St. Mark's is a warm, family-friendly parish rooted in 60+ years of Greece-Catholic tradition.
Mass times at St. Mark
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (parish website schedule)
- Saturday: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm (Diocese of Rochester directory listing); also by appointment
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church lives by the motto 'Called by God's love to live the life of Jesus in our world.' The parish serves the northwest section of the Town of Greece, NY, a lakeside community north of Rochester bounded roughly by Lake Ontario, Island Cottage/Janes Roads and Manitou/Fayne Beach Roads. As part of the ROC Catholics Northwest family of seven parishes, St. Mark's shares faith formation, school and ministry resources with Holy Cross, Our Mother of Sorrows, St. Charles Borromeo, St. John the Evangelist, St. Lawrence and St. Leo the Great.
- Motto: 'Called by God's love to live the life of Jesus in our world.'
- Member of ROC Catholics Northwest collaborative (7 parishes)
Parish History
Founded June 27, 1964 by Bishop James E. Kearney and led from the start by Father Joseph D. Donovan, the parish first worshipped in the lakeside Star of the Sea chapel (2164 Edgemere Drive) that had served Catholic cottagers since 1907. Ground was broken on Ascension Thursday 1965 for the present church and hall, built by parishioner-builders and ready for a 400-person Midnight Mass that first Christmas. The parish sits on territory historically belonging to Mother of Sorrows and St. Leo's, and traces its deeper roots to the 1907 Star of the Sea chapel and its line of chaplains — especially Monsignor John Francis Goggin (1915–1956) and Monsignor Francis B. Burns (1957–1964).
- Founded June 27, 1964
- First site: Star of the Sea Chapel, 2164 Edgemere Drive
- Church & Hall built 1965 by parishioner contractors (Vasile, McCormick, Cashette)
- First Midnight Mass, Christmas 1965
Clergy & Staff
St. Mark's is currently led by Deacon Frank Pettrone as Pastoral Administrator, with Rev. Louis Sirianni serving as Parochial Vicar and Father James Hewes as Senior Priest. The parish team also includes Deacon Gerard de la Fuente, Music Director Andrew Tantalo, Pastoral Associate Kristine Burgio (Religious Education & Youth Ministry), Catechetical Coordinator Stephanie Oswald, and parish secretaries Joan Wania and Theresa Nicolosi.
- Deacon Frank Pettrone — Pastoral Administrator
- Rev. Louis Sirianni — Parochial Vicar
- Father James Hewes — Senior Priest
- Deacon Gerard de la Fuente — Parish Deacon
- Andrew Tantalo — Director of Music Ministry
- Kristine Burgio — Pastoral Associate (Religious Ed & Youth Ministry)
- Stephanie Oswald — Catechetical Coordinator
- Joan Wania — Parish Secretary
- Theresa Nicolosi — Parish Secretary
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Mark's, coordinated by Pastoral Associate Kristine Burgio and Catechetical Coordinator Stephanie Oswald, gives children the opportunity to learn more about God and grow in their faith. Classes cover the sacraments, prayers, saints and the history of the Catholic Church, alongside sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation, etc.).
- Pre-K through 7th grade classes during the school year
- Two-week Summer Intense Program
- Youth Ministry for grades 6–12
- Home School Program
- Inter-Generational Monthly Program
- Sacrament Registration for 2025–2026 (online form on parish website)
Music Ministry
St. Mark's Music Ministry supports the parish's weekend and daily liturgies, including the livestreamed Sunday 11:00 am and weekday 8:00 am Masses. The director, Andrew Tantalo, coordinates music across the parish's sacramental and devotional life.
- Director: Andrew Tantalo
- Supports Saturday Vigil, Sunday and weekday Masses
- Integral to the livestreamed Masses
Parish Life & Outreach
Beyond liturgy and formation, St. Mark's fosters community through ongoing small-group and fellowship opportunities. The parish calendar regularly features Bereavement Ministry gatherings, 'The Chosen' Season 5 viewing nights, a Vacation Bible School, and collaborative events such as the Notre Dame Retreat House fundraiser — all of which give parishioners of every age a way to grow in faith together.
- Bereavement Ministry (twice-monthly meetings)
- 'The Chosen' Season 5 group-viewing evenings
- Vacation Bible School (with ROC Catholics Northwest)
- Notre Dame Retreat House fundraiser
ROC Catholics Northwest Collaborative
St. Mark's is one of seven parishes that make up ROC Catholics Northwest, a collaborative effort that pools resources for faith formation, schools, ministries and communications across northwest Rochester and Greece. The seven parishes are Holy Cross, Our Mother of Sorrows, St. Charles Borromeo, St. John the Evangelist, St. Lawrence, St. Leo the Great, and St. Mark's.
- Shared faith formation for children, youth and adults
- Eucharistic Adoration (collaborative-wide)
- Partner schools include Holy Cross and St. Lawrence
- Partner secondary schools: Aquinas Institute and Bishop Kearney
- Knights of Columbus, CYO, Bereavement and Social Ministry activities at the collaborative level
Visit, Contact & Giving
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office Monday 8:30 am–noon and 12:30–3:00 pm, and Tuesday through Thursday 8:30–11:30 am; the office is closed on Fridays and national holidays. Online Giving is available through the parish website for one-time or recurring gifts, and the parish bulletin and calendar are published online each week.
- Phone: (585) 227-6824
- Fax: (585) 225-6517
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon 8:30 am–noon, 12:30–3:00 pm; Tue–Thu 8:30–11:30 am; Fri & national holidays closed
- Online Giving through stmarksgreece.com
- Weekly bulletin and calendar posted online
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph D. Donovan1964–founding pastor
Commissioned by Bishop James E. Kearney on June 27, 1964, from Holy Rosary Church, Rochester, to establish the new St. Mark's Parish. Oversaw construction of the Church and Hall in 1965 and the first Midnight Mass that Christmas.