About St. Mary · Auburn, New York
St. Mary's Parish (historically St. Mary of the Assumption) is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Auburn, New York, serving the western side of the city west of State Street and the Owasco River. Founded on August 15, 1868 — the Feast of the Assumption — by the newly created Diocese of Rochester, it is the mother parish in a regional cluster that today includes Ss. Mary and Martha Parish and Our Lady of the Snow Parish. The parish worships in a striking Gothic Revival stone church built between 1870 and 1877, a building celebrated for its 65-foot-high ceiling, its 1890 pipe organ still in use, and its three-bell chime installed in 1926. St. Mary's is led by Rev. Frank E. Lioi, Pastor and Dean of the East Region of the Diocese of Rochester, with a parochial vicar, a deacon, and a full staff of faith-formation, music, and administrative ministers.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. Mary of the Assumption (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Frank E. Lioi (Pastor and Dean of the East Region)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Mary's is the historic mother church of Catholic life in western Auburn and Northern Cayuga County — a parish with continuous worship since 1868, celebrated by livestream and on local ARMA-TV every Sunday. Belonging here means joining a community that worships in a stunning Gothic Revival stone church with an 1890 pipe organ and a 1926 three-bell chime, served by a full team of clergy, deacons, faith-formation staff, and parish musicians. It is also a gateway into a broader regional Catholic family — Ss. Mary and Martha Parish, Our Lady of the Snow Parish, and Good Shepherd Catholic Community share faith formation, sacramental preparation, RCIA, youth ministry, and outreach — so every parishioner is plugged into a network of parishes, not just one building.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at 4:00 PM (in church)
Adoration times
- Church is open for private prayer every day from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
History of St. Mary's Parish
St. Mary's Parish in Auburn was founded on August 15, 1868, the Feast of the Assumption, as one of the first acts of Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid after the Vatican created the Diocese of Rochester on January 24, 1868. The new parish was carved out of Holy Family parish, west of State Street and the Owasco River. The first pastor, Rev. Thomas A. Maher, celebrated Mass at a rented house on State Street, then in Tallman Hall and Brown's Commercial College, before building the temporary 'Shanty Church.' His successor, Dr. Miles J. Loughlin, designed and oversaw construction of the present Gothic Revival stone church, dedicated in 1877. A parish history has been compiled by the parish archivist and is available on the parish website. The parish marked its 150th anniversary on August 15, 2018.
- Founded August 15, 1868 (Feast of the Assumption)
- First Mass celebrated at 34 State Street by Rev. Thomas A. Maher
- Temporary 'Shanty Church' built 1869 on the Button property at Clark and Green
- Stone church cornerstone laid September 18, 1870
- Stone church dedicated April 29, 1877 (cost $79,350.40)
- Bell tower and three bells installed 1926
- 150th anniversary celebrated August 15, 2018
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Mary's is served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, two deacons, and a full team of lay staff handling faith formation, music, sacraments, finances, archives, facilities, and administration. The parish shares clerical and administrative staff with its cluster partners Ss. Mary and Martha and Our Lady of the Snow.
- Rev. Frank E. Lioi — Pastor; Dean of the East Region
- Rev. Joseph J. Martuscello — Parochial Vicar; Youth Ministry
- Deacon Dennis R. Donahue — New Evangelization Coordinator
- Deacon Gary DiLallo — Baptismal Preparation
- Jon Robson — Faith Formation / Sacramental Preparation
- Carlo Stebbings — Director of Religious Education
- Ashley Reilly — Youth & Young Adults
- Chelsea Bosnar, DMA — Music Director
- Diane Gove — Pastoral Minister; Wedding Coordinator
- Kathy Lipfert — Funeral Preparations
- Shawn Gillen-Caryl — Regional Finance Director
- Sr. Anne Marie Saphara — Archivist
- Donna Malinowski — Office Staff
- Delia Westmiller — Office Staff; Sacramental records for Sts. Mary and Martha and Our Lady of the Snow
- Greg Lawson — Facilities
- Dan Preuss — Facilities
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation at St. Mary's, Ss. Mary and Martha, Our Lady of the Snow, and Good Shepherd Catholic Community is organized around four movements: Contact, Encounter, Engage, and Witness — a model the parish describes as 'Dynamic, Authentically Catholic, and Christ Centered.' Programs serve students Pre-K through High School, families, and adults, with dedicated preparation tracks for First Penance, First Communion, and Confirmation (two-year program).
- Pre-K through High School religious education
- First Penance and First Communion preparation
- Confirmation Year 1 and Confirmation Year 2
- RCIA / RCIC (for adults and children)
- Young Adult Ministry
- Adult Faith Formation
- Director of Religious Education: Carlo Stebbings
- Faith Formation Office: Jon Robson (315-252-3439); Sr. Anne Saphara, Administrative Assistant
Liturgy, Music, and the Historic Church Building
St. Mary's worships in one of Auburn's architectural treasures — a French Gothic Revival stone church 135 feet long with a 65-foot ceiling, built 1870–1877 by parish building pastor Dr. Miles J. Loughlin. Its original pipe organ dates from 1890 and remains in use; the parish's three-bell chime, hung in 1926, rings in the chord of E-flat major. The parish's Music Director, Chelsea Bosnar (DMA), leads the parish's liturgical music program.
- Gothic Revival stone church designed by Brooklyn architect P. C. Kiely
- Church dedicated April 29, 1877
- Pipe organ installed 1890 — still in use
- Three bells installed October 3, 1926
- Music Director: Chelsea Bosnar, DMA
Parish Life and Outreach
Beyond worship and formation, St. Mary's supports an active parish life centered on the parish church and shared regionally with its cluster partners. The Knights of Columbus Fr. Albert Shamon Assembly meets at St. Mary's on the first Tuesday of every month, and the parish maintains a wedding-coordination ministry, funeral-preparation ministry, baptismal-preparation ministry, and a parish archive (kept by Sr. Anne Marie Saphara). The parish also partners with two regional Catholic schools — St. Albert the Great Academy (PreK–6) and Tyburn Academy (Grades 7–12) — for Catholic education.
- Knights of Columbus Fr. Albert Shamon Assembly — first Tuesday of the month at St. Mary's
- Wedding Coordinator: Diane Gove
- Funeral Preparations: Kathy Lipfert
- Baptismal Preparation: Deacon Gary DiLallo and Diane Gove
- Parish Archive: Sr. Anne Marie Saphara
- Partner schools: St. Albert the Great Academy (PreK–6) and Tyburn Academy (7–12)
- Electronic Giving program
- Safe Environment / Creating a Safe Environment program
Becoming a Parishioner
The parish invites new members to formally register as parishioners. A registration form can be downloaded from the parish website and returned to the parish office at 299 Clark Street. Joining St. Mary's gives a household access to sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage), parish school partnerships, faith formation, and the broader life of the regional Catholic cluster across Auburn and Northern Cayuga County.
- Registration form available to download on stmaryauburn.org
- Parish office open Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Office address: 299 Clark Street, Auburn, NY 13021
Contact and Practical Information
Parish office hours, contact information, and emergency sacramental lines are published on the parish's Contact page. Always call a priest in cases of serious illness or danger of death; the parish asks families to contact them before hospitalization if possible.
- Parish Office: 299 Clark Street, Auburn, NY 13021
- Office phone: (315) 252-7593
- Priest emergency line (serious illness / danger of death): (315) 252-9545
- General email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas A. Maher1868–1869
First pastor; arrived August 1868, celebrated first Masses at 34 State St., then Tallman Hall; built the 'Shanty Church' on the Button property.
- Dr. Miles J. Loughlin, D.D.1869–1877
Second pastor; hired architect P. C. Kiely; cornerstone of the present stone church laid September 18, 1870; church dedicated April 29, 1877.
- Rev. William E. Mulheron1877–1913
Appointed by Bishop McQuaid on September 7, 1877; long-tenured third pastor.
- Rev. William F. Payne1913–1925
Fourth pastor; oversaw early planning for the bell tower.
- Rev. John J. McGrath1925–1932
Fifth pastor; bell tower built during his pastorate; three-bell chime installed and blessed by Bishop Thomas Hickey in 1926.
- Rev. Msgr. William E. Cowen1932–1961
Sixth pastor.
- Rev. Msgr. James D. Cuffney1961–1979
Seventh pastor.
- Rev. Edward A. Zimmer1979–1992
Eighth pastor.
- Rev. Robert J. Schrader1992–2004
Ninth pastor.
- Rev. Frank E. Lioi2004–present
Tenth and current pastor; also Dean of the East Region; reached his twentieth anniversary as pastor in June 2024.