About St. Mary of Lourdes (OL of Lourdes Worship site, Bemus Point) · Bemus Point, New York
St. Mary of Lourdes Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Buffalo serving the southern Chautauqua County villages of Bemus Point and Mayville, New York, on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. The parish unites two historic worship sites — Our Lady of Lourdes Church at 41 Main Street in Bemus Point (founded 1948 as an independent parish) and St. Mary Church at 24 East Chautauqua Street in Mayville (built in 1926 with windows and a statue donated by Venerable Nelson Baker). The two communities merged in 2008 under the name St. Mary of Lourdes, and today the parish is part of Family #5 of the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal initiative — the Chautauqua Family of Catholic Churches — together with Christ Our Hope in French Creek and St. Dominic in Westfield. Weekend Masses are offered at both the Bemus Point and Mayville sites, and the parish also helps staff the Catholic House at Chautauqua Institution during the summer season.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes (Bemus Point worship site); Blessed Virgin Mary under title of Our Lady of Victory (Mayville worship site, as originally conceived by Venerable Nelson Baker)
- Rector
- Rev. David E. Tourville
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Mary of Lourdes offers a rare combination: two historic lakeside worship communities — a summer chapel-built parish in Bemus Point (est. 1948) and a 1926 Nelson Baker-era church in Mayville — joined into one family of faith. Parishioners can worship in either village, send their children to religious education under Kathy Nicastro, take part in a Children's Rosary prayer group (one of the few in the region), receive weekday adoration on Friday mornings at Bemus Point, and join the wider Chautauqua Family of Catholic Churches for adult faith formation and fellowship across southern Chautauqua County. For summer residents at Chautauqua Lake or visitors to the Chautauqua Institution, the parish is a friendly and accessible home.
Mass times at St. Mary of Lourdes (OL of Lourdes Worship site, Bemus Point)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Bemus Point: By appointment only
- Mayville: By appointment / upon request
- Confession is always available upon request if scheduled times do not work
Adoration times
- Friday 11:00–11:45 AM (Bemus Point)
About St. Mary of Lourdes Parish
St. Mary of Lourdes Parish serves the lakeside Catholic communities of Bemus Point and Mayville in southern Chautauqua County, New York. The parish was formed in 2008 when Our Lady of Lourdes in Bemus Point merged with St. Mary in Mayville under the Diocese of Buffalo's Journey in Faith and Grace initiative. Both historic churches remain in active use as worship sites, and today the parish is part of Family #5 (the Chautauqua Family of Catholic Churches) of the Road to Renewal.
- Parish Office: 41 Main St., PO Box 500, Bemus Point, NY 14712
- Phone: (716) 386-2400
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Buffalo
History
Catholic life on Chautauqua Lake grew up in two distinct waves. In Mayville, St. Mary Church was constructed in 1926 under the guidance of Venerable Nelson Baker, then Vicar General of the Diocese of Buffalo; Baker arranged for the same craftsman who worked on Our Lady of Victory Basilica to design St. Mary's stained-glass windows and personally donated the statue of Our Lady of Victory at the side altar and the Our Lady of Victory window above the main entrance. Eight years later, in 1940, a small St. Elizabeth chapel was built in Bemus Point to serve summer Catholic residents on the lake. That chapel became the seed of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, formally established as an independent parish in 1948. The two communities remained separate for sixty years before joining in 2008 under the combined name St. Mary of Lourdes.
- 1926 — St. Mary Church built in Mayville with Venerable Nelson Baker's involvement
- 1940 — St. Elizabeth chapel built in Bemus Point for summer lake residents
- 1948 — Our Lady of Lourdes established as an independent Bemus Point parish
- 2008 — Journey in Faith and Grace merger forms St. Mary of Lourdes Parish
- 2022+ — Parish joins Family #5 under the Road to Renewal
The Mayville Worship Site (St. Mary Church)
St. Mary Church at 24 East Chautauqua Street (Route 430) in Mayville is the older of the two worship sites, built in 1926. Its stained glass was created by the same craftsman responsible for the windows of Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna, and Venerable Nelson Baker donated the Our Lady of Victory statue and entrance window. The wooden altar is carved with the mysteries of the Rosary, which are also depicted in the stained glass. Sunday Mass is offered at 8:45 a.m., with Thursday noon weekday Mass.
- Address: 24 East Chautauqua St., Mayville, NY 14757
- Sunday Mass: 8:45 AM
- Thursday Weekday Mass: 12:00 PM (noon)
- Confessions: Upon request / by appointment
- Children's Rosary prayer group meets here
The Bemus Point Worship Site (Our Lady of Lourdes)
Our Lady of Lourdes Church sits at 41 Main Street in the village of Bemus Point, on the north shore of Chautauqua Lake. It grew out of the 1940 St. Elizabeth chapel and was established as its own parish in 1948. Today it hosts the Vigil Mass on Saturdays at 4:00 PM, Sunday Mass at 9:15 AM, and noon Mass on Wednesdays and Fridays, followed by Eucharistic Adoration on Friday mornings from 11:00 to 11:45 AM.
- Address: 41 Main St., Bemus Point, NY 14712
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 9:15 AM
- Weekday Masses: Wednesday and Friday at 12:00 PM (noon)
- Adoration: Friday 11:00–11:45 AM
- Confessions: By appointment
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is currently served by Rev. David E. Tourville as Pastor and Rev. Romulo T. Montero as Parochial Vicar, covering the six worship sites of Family #5. Permanent Deacons Dan Quagliana and Dave Armstrong assist, with Doris Pappalardo as Business Manager, Kathy Nicastro as Director of Religious Education, and Fran Michalak as Music Director.
- Rev. David E. Tourville — Pastor
- Rev. Romulo T. Montero — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Dan Quagliana — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Dave Armstrong — Permanent Deacon
- Doris Pappalardo — Business Manager
- Kathy Nicastro — Director of Religious Education
- Fran Michalak — Music Director
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children of the parish is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Kathy Nicastro, who serves both the Bemus Point and Mayville worship sites. In addition to classroom religious education, the parish hosts a Children's Rosary prayer group at the Mayville church — a regional rarity — led by parishioner Jon Schmitz and visited in 2017 by the Children's Rosary organization from Connecticut.
- Director of Religious Education: Kathy Nicastro
- Children's Rosary prayer group (Mayville)
- Lay-led Disciple Maker Index survey participation
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at both worship sites is led by Music Director Fran Michalak. The Mayville church's sanctuary is especially rich in devotional imagery — its stained glass depicts the mysteries of the Rosary, and the wooden altar is carved with their names — giving the liturgy a Marian character that complements the parish's Lourdes patronage at the Bemus Point site.
- Music Director: Fran Michalak
- Mysteries of the Rosary carved into the Mayville altar
- Mysteries of the Rosary depicted in Mayville stained glass
Sacraments & Devotions
The Sacrament of Penance is available by appointment at both worship sites, and Friday morning Eucharistic Adoration is offered in Bemus Point before the noon weekday Mass. The parish hosts a Children's Rosary prayer group at the Mayville site and welcomes requests for additional devotional opportunities through the parish office.
- Reconciliation: by appointment (Bemus Point and Mayville)
- Eucharistic Adoration: Friday 11:00–11:45 AM (Bemus Point)
- Children's Rosary prayer group (Mayville)
- Holy Day Masses: refer to bulletin
Chautauqua Family of Catholic Churches (Family #5)
St. Mary of Lourdes is one of three parishes — alongside Christ Our Hope in French Creek and St. Dominic in Westfield — that together form Family #5 of the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal. The middle of Chautauqua County once had six independent parishes; due to a shortage of priests, those six worship sites now operate as three parishes served by two priests. Parishioner Jim Wehrfritz represents the Bemus Point worship site, and Ann Akin represents the Mayville site, in the family's lay-led renewal efforts.
- Family #5 includes St. Mary of Lourdes (Bemus Point and Mayville), Christ Our Hope (French Creek), and St. Dominic (Westfield)
- Family website: cfofcc.net
- Six worship sites currently served by two priests
- Active lay participation in the Disciple Maker Index survey and Road to Renewal planning
Visiting & Summer Ministry
Because the parish sits on Chautauqua Lake, summer is a major season of ministry. In addition to regular weekend and weekday Masses, the parish helps staff the Catholic House at Chautauqua Institution during its nine-week summer season (beginning the last weekend in June). The Catholic House hosts Saturday evening Mass at 5:00 PM in the Hall of Philosophy, Sunday Mass at 9:15 AM in the Hall of Christ and 12:15 PM in the Hall of Philosophy, and weekday Masses Monday through Friday at 8:45 AM and 12:10 PM in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. The parish welcomes visitors and summer residents throughout the season.
- Catholic House at Chautauqua Institution — summer only (nine-week season)
- Phone: (716) 357-4646
- Spiritual Director: Rev. David Tourville
- Saturday 5:00 PM (Hall of Philosophy), Sunday 9:15 AM (Hall of Christ) and 12:15 PM (Hall of Philosophy)
- Weekdays Mon.–Fri. 8:45 AM and 12:10 PM (Chapel of the Good Shepherd)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Todd Remick
Served as pastor before being reassigned to Jamestown following the death of Fr. Dennis Mende
- Rev. David E. Tourville2022–present
Current pastor; covers the six worship sites of Family #5 with Fr. Romulo Montero