About St. Mary of the Assumption · Binghamton, New York
St. Mary of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic parish in Binghamton, New York, in the Diocese of Syracuse. Since 1967 it has been joined with the Church of St. Paul in a two-church collaborative that shares one pastor and one parish staff. The parish is best known for its deep Italian-American Catholic heritage — most famously its annual Feast of the Assumption celebration, a weekend bazaar of pizza fritte, homemade meatballs, gnocchi, pasta fagioli, cannoli and live music that has been drawing the community together for more than a century. St. Mary's offers Sunday Mass in both English and the Traditional Latin form, a K-10 faith formation program, RCIA for adults, and a regular schedule of weekday Masses between the two churches.
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under her title of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Arthur Krawczenko
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Assumption offers a strong sense of community rooted in more than a century of Italian-American Catholic tradition. Worshippers can attend a Traditional Latin Mass at 2:00 PM on Sundays alongside three English Masses split between St. Mary's and the partner Church of St. Paul, with daily 12:10 PM Masses on Wednesdays and Fridays at St. Mary's. The parish runs K-10 faith formation, RCIA for adults, and First Friday/Saturday devotionals, while the famous annual Feast of the Assumption bazaar every August makes it a gathering place for the wider Binghamton community.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sacrament of Reconciliation is available — see the parish's Reconciliation page or weekly bulletin for current scheduled times.
- Available upon request before or after weekday Masses.
Adoration times
- First Friday Mass at 5:30 PM (monthly), followed by 30 minutes of Adoration and a potluck at 6:30 PM — Reconciliation is also available.
- Check the weekly bulletin to confirm Adoration times, especially during Lent and Advent.
About St. Mary of the Assumption & St. Paul Parish
St. Mary of the Assumption and the Church of St. Paul are a single Catholic parish in Binghamton, New York, formed from the 1967 merger of two older parishes whose histories trace back to 1887 and 1913 respectively. Today they share one pastor — Rev. Arthur Krawczenko — and one parish staff, while continuing to celebrate Mass at both church buildings. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Syracuse and serves an active community rooted in Italian-American Catholic devotion to the Blessed Mother.
- St. Mary of the Assumption — 37 Fayette Street, Binghamton, NY 13901
- Church of St. Paul — 15 Doubleday Street, Binghamton, NY 13901
- St. Mary's Recreation Center — 152-156 Hawley Street, Binghamton, NY
- St. Paul's Parish Center — 25 Doubleday Street, Binghamton, NY
- Samaritan House — 11 Fayette Street, Binghamton, NY
History & Italian-American Heritage
GCatholic records the parish's two founding communities at 1887 and 1913, joined into a single parish in 1967. St. Mary of the Assumption's most visible living tradition is the annual Feast Days weekend centered on the August 15 Solemnity of the Assumption. As The Catholic Sun and Press & Sun-Bulletin reported, the bazaar stretches back more than a century: documented at 100 years in 2013 and 105 years by 2019. Volunteer cooks prepare pizza fritte, hand-rolled meatballs, gnocchi, pasta fagioli, eggplant parm and cannoli by the hundreds in the Italian Cafe and under big tents on Hawley Street.
- Parish histories: 1887 & 1913; merged in 1967
- Annual Feast of the Assumption bazaar — past 100+ years
- Mass of the Assumption, street procession and ice cream social as part of the Feast Days weekend
- Hundreds of homemade cannoli made each year by parish volunteers
- Three parishioners — Dan Svoboda, Frank Giustiniani, Renee Cramer — led the revival of the bazaar after its 100th anniversary
Clergy, Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Arthur Krawczenko, who succeeded the recently retired Father Jon K. Werner. The wider staff includes a pastoral assistant, parish office secretary, director of faith formation, business administrator, maintenance supervisor, and trustees from each of the two churches. The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM–3:30 PM and Friday 9:00 AM–12:00 PM.
- Pastor: Rev. Arthur Krawczenko — St. Mary's (607) 723-5383 / St. Paul's (607) 722-6492
- Pastoral Assistant: Sr. Lucia Mugambi
- Parish Office Secretary: Mary Savelli ([email protected])
- Director of Faith Formation & Safe Environment Site Coordinator: Donna Di Stefano ([email protected])
- Business Administrator: Deborah E. Brown ([email protected])
- Maintenance Supervisor: Joe Buchinsky
- Trustees, St. Mary of the Assumption: Barbara Fiala, Dan Svoboda
- Trustees, Church of St. Paul: Jennifer Sullivan, Chris Dziedzic
Faith Formation & RCIA
St. Mary of the Assumption offers a K-10 faith formation program and a separate RCIA track for adults. Families register their children online each academic year, and the program prepares them for the sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Holy Eucharist. Adult inquirers seeking to become Catholic are invited to contact St. Paul's Parish Office to begin the RCIA process.
- K-10 Faith Formation registration (annual)
- Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Eucharist
- RCIA — Faith Inquiry for Adults; contact St. Paul's Parish Office to begin
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation, marriage and anointing. Couples planning a wedding are asked to contact the priest at least six months in advance; a Catholic Wedding must take place in a Catholic Church. Reconciliation is available in scheduled times and upon request, and First Friday/Saturday devotional practices are supported by the parish.
- Baptism — prepared through Faith Formation
- First Reconciliation (Eucharist preparation)
- First Holy Communion
- Marriage — at least six months of preparation
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites available by request
- Reconciliation — by appointment or at scheduled times
Annual Feast of the Assumption Celebration
Each August around the Solemnity of the Assumption, the parish hosts its signature three-day Feast Days celebration on Hawley Street. The weekend begins with a Mass of the Assumption, continues with a street procession, and concludes with an ice cream social. Italian flags line the streets, and volunteers run a full Italian Cafe tent with cannoli and other homemade desserts, alongside Italian-American staples under the big tent — a tradition that brings together parishioners and visitors from across the region.
- Three-day annual celebration in honor of the Blessed Mother
- Mass of the Assumption and street procession
- Homemade pizza fritte, meatballs, gnocchi, pasta fagioli, eggplant parm
- Italian Cafe tent with cannoli and pastries
- Live music in the Italian Cafe and under the big tent
- Traditionally draws more than 2,000 attendees over the weekend
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jon K. Werner
Retired pastor who welcomed Bishop Douglas J. Lucia's first Mass in the Southern Tier at St. Mary's; presided over the parish through many years of the Feast Days tradition before being succeeded by Father Krawczenko.