About St. Mary Catholic Church, East Arcade Site · East Arcade, New York
St. Mary Catholic Church, East Arcade Site is one of two worship sites of St. Mary Parish in the village of Arcade, Wyoming County, New York, serving Catholics in the rural tri-county area of Wyoming, Erie, and Cattaraugus counties. The parish was established in 1846 to minister to Irish Potato Famine immigrants who settled in East Arcade, making it one of the oldest Catholic communities in the Diocese of Buffalo and predating the diocese itself by a year. Today St. Mary's is part of the Cattaraugus Creek Catholic Community (Family #33), clustered with St. Jude in Sardinia, St. Aloysius in Springville, and St. John the Baptist in West Valley under Pastor Rev. Daniel J. Fawls. The East Arcade site is best known today for surviving a 2025 diocesan decree to close it: parishioners appealed to the Vatican, and the Dicastery for Clergy overturned Bishop Michael W. Fisher's order, ruling the bishop had not shown 'grave cause,' allowing the church to remain open.
- Established
- 1846
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel J. Fawls
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Mary's East Arcade is a small, historic rural Catholic community where Mass is celebrated every Saturday evening and parishioners know one another by name. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass across its two worship sites, Eucharistic Adoration twice a week, a Rosary prayed a half hour before every Mass, and a working Religious Education program for families. It is also part of a larger Family of Parishes that sponsors retreats, a Catholic Women's Conference, a women's book club, a men's fellowship called 'Men of the Challenge,' Cursillo, and outreach to the poor through CRS Rice Bowl — giving a small-town parish a much wider Catholic life.
Mass times at St. Mary Catholic Church, East Arcade Site
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions are heard at St. Aloysius, Springville (the parish directs people to view St. Aloysius's schedule for the current confession times).
Adoration times
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — every Thursday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Arcade Worship Site (please check bulletin to confirm).
Welcome & About St. Mary's
St. Mary's, Arcade/East Arcade is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Buffalo that ministers to the Tri-County Area spanning Wyoming, Erie, and Cattaraugus Counties in western New York. The parish's mission statement describes it as 'a place to meet Jesus in His Good News and Sacraments, in each other, and in welcoming the seeker.' A welcome message from the (now retired) pastor, Rev. Joseph A. Gullo, invites visitors to join the parish community and its ministries.
- Roman Catholic parish in Arcade, NY
- Two worship sites: Arcade (417 W. Main St.) and East Arcade (6785 East Arcade Rd.)
- Ministers to the Tri-County Area of Wyoming, Erie, and Cattaraugus Counties
History of St. Mary's East Arcade
St. Mary's was organized in 1846 to serve Irish Potato Famine immigrants — one year before the Diocese of Buffalo itself was established. A larger church was built in 1892; by 1944 that structure was deemed too large and its materials were used to construct the present, smaller church. The parish celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2021. In 2007 it merged with Ss. Peter & Paul in Arcade and Blessed Sacrament in Delevan as part of the diocese's 'Journey in Faith and Grace' restructuring. In 2025 the diocese attempted to close the East Arcade site under the 'Road to Renewal' program; parishioners appealed to Rome and won.
- Founded 1846
- Larger church built 1892
- Current church built 1944 from salvaged materials
- 175th anniversary celebrated September 26, 2021
- Merged with Ss. Peter & Paul and Blessed Sacrament in 2007
The 2025 Closure Fight & Vatican Appeal
In 2025, Bishop Michael W. Fisher issued a 'Decree Reducing the Church of St. Mary, East Arcade and Its Associated Property to Profane But Not Sordid Use' as part of the Road to Renewal reshaping of Family #33. The decree was announced at Mass the weekend of February 9, 2025. Parishioners filed an appeal with the Vatican's Dicastery for Clergy, which overturned the bishop's order, ruling that the bishop did not demonstrate 'grave cause' for closing the church. As a result, the East Arcade worship site remains open while the broader appeal process continues.
- Decree Reducing issued February 9, 2025
- Road to Renewal Family #33 recommendations
- Appeal filed with the Dicastery for Clergy (Vatican)
- Decree overturned; church remains open
Worship Sites
St. Mary's operates from two worship sites. The Arcade Worship Site, the main parish location at 417 West Main Street, hosts the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and 8:00 a.m. weekday Masses. The East Arcade Worship Site at 6785 East Arcade Road hosts the Saturday Vigil Mass at 7:00 p.m. The parish office and rectory are based in Arcade.
- Arcade Worship Site — 417 West Main Street, Arcade, NY 14009
- East Arcade Worship Site — 6785 East Arcade Road, East Arcade, NY 14009
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
The parish publishes its weekend and daily Mass schedules on its website. The Saturday Vigil is celebrated at the East Arcade site at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday Mass is at the Arcade site at 9:00 a.m.; and daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:00 a.m. at the Arcade site. The Rosary is prayed one half-hour before every Mass, and schedules may vary — the parish asks visitors to check the latest bulletin to confirm.
- Saturday Vigil — 7:00 p.m. (East Arcade)
- Sunday — 9:00 a.m. (Arcade)
- Weekday Mass — Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. (Arcade)
- Rosary — 1/2 hour before Mass
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a Religious Education program for children, directed by Theresa O'Neal, with class schedules posted on the parish website. The program prepares students for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation and is a key ministry for parish families.
- Director of Faith Formation: Theresa O'Neal
- Class schedules posted on the Religious Education page
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
Ministries, Groups & Devotions
Beyond Mass and faith formation, St. Mary's participates in a range of ministries organized at the Family of Parishes level. These include Cursillo, a Women's Book Club that meets at St. Aloysius Parish Hall in Springville, the WINE Catholic Women's Conference (Women In the New Evangelization), and a men's fellowship called 'Men of the Challenge' that gathers on the second Saturday of each month. The parish also prays the Stations of the Cross during Lent — Sundays at 1:00 p.m. at the East Arcade site — and participates in the Magnificat Ministry to Women's Breakfast and the diocesan CRS Rice Bowl outreach during Lent.
- Cursillo
- CCCC Women's Book Club
- WINE: Catholic Women's Conference
- Men of the Challenge (2nd Saturday, 8:00–9:15 a.m.)
- Stations of the Cross (Lent, Sundays 1:00 p.m. at East Arcade)
- Magnificat Women's Breakfast
- CRS Rice Bowl
Pastoral Office & Staff
The parish operates a Pastoral Office out of the St. Mary's Parish Rectory in Arcade, staffed by secretary/receptionist Barb Parish. Office hours are Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Arcade; Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at St. Aloysius, Springville; and business-office hours also at St. Aloysius on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- Pastoral Office Secretary: Barb Parish
- Arcade office hours — Mon & Thu, 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- Springville office hours — Tue, 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Clergy & Family of Parishes #33
St. Mary's is pastored as part of the Cattaraugus Creek Catholic Community (Family of Parishes #33) along with St. Jude in Sardinia, St. Aloysius in Springville, and St. John the Baptist in West Valley. The pastor is Rev. Daniel J. Fawls, appointed in February 2023 for a six-year term, assisted by Senior Parochial Vicar Rev. Jozef Dudzik, and permanent Deacons Jeffrey Forster and Richard F. Maciewicz. Rev. Joseph A. Gullo, long-time pastor of St. Mary's, is listed as Pastor (Retired). The Family Hub mailing address is 190 Franklin Street, Springville, NY 14141-1112.
- Pastor: Rev. Daniel J. Fawls
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jozef Dudzik
- Deacon Jeffrey Forster
- Deacon Richard F. Maciewicz
- Retired Pastor: Rev. Joseph A. Gullo
Bulletin & Communications
The parish shares one bulletin across the entire Cattaraugus Creek Catholic Community, hosted on a new Parishes Online page linked from the parish website. Special-event notices, seasonal announcements (Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Tenebrae, the CRS Rice Bowl, Catholic Women's Conference, etc.), and schedule changes are posted both in the bulletin and on the parish website's News & Events pages.
- One shared CCCC bulletin
- Special-event and seasonal announcements posted online
- Schedules occasionally vary — bulletin is the source of truth
Contact & Visiting
New parishioners are invited to register by calling the parish office. The parish telephone is (585) 492-5330 and the email is [email protected]. The official website at saintmaryarcade.org lists the latest Mass and Adoration schedule, the diocesan decree documents, and News & Events announcements going back through the parish's recent history.
- Phone: (585) 492-5330
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: saintmaryarcade.org
- Mailing: 190 Franklin St., Springville, NY 14141-1112
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph A. Gullo ('Fr. Joe')
Long-time pastor who greeted parishioners on the parish website; listed as Pastor (Retired). Led the parish through its 175th anniversary in 2021 and the early stages of the 2025 closure fight.
- Rev. Daniel J. FawlsAppointed February 13, 2023 — six-year term
Appointed by Bishop Michael W. Fisher as pastor of Family of Parishes #33 (Cattaraugus Creek Catholic Community), which includes St. Mary Arcade/East Arcade.