About St. Michael. Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community. · Penn Yan, New York
Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community is a multi-site Roman Catholic parish in the Finger Lakes region of New York, formed in 2008 through the merger of historic parishes serving Penn Yan, Naples, Prattsburgh, Stanley, Dundee, and Rushville. Its principal church is St. Michael's in Penn Yan, the first Catholic church in Yates County, founded in 1850 by Irish immigrants and rebuilt in its current form in the early 1900s. The community is part of the Diocese of Rochester and operates St. Michael's School (preschool through fifth grade), a parish cemetery, and a family-style Faith Formation program. Father Leo Reinhardt serves as pastor, with a ministerial team that includes two permanent deacons and a religious education coordinator.
- Established
- 1850
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Father Leo Reinhardt
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Lakes is a thriving Finger Lakes Catholic community that welcomes families, young adults, and seniors into an intergenerational parish rooted in 19th-century Irish Catholic heritage. Members enjoy weekend Masses at three worship sites, daily Mass and Communion services, a well-established Catholic elementary school, family-style Faith Formation with Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, sacramental preparation for youth and adults, perpetual Adoration opportunities, and active Catholic Ministries Appeal–funded outreach. With two permanent deacons, a senior-status priest, and a committed lay staff, the parish offers stability and warm pastoral care across the lake region.
Mass times at St. Michael. Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00–5:20 pm at St. Michael's
- By appointment — call Father Leo at 607-279-3750
Adoration times
- Wednesday 11:30 am–12:00 noon at St. Michael's (before noon Mass; check bulletin)
- Thursday 8:30–9:30 am Holy Hour at St. Michael's
Parish History
St. Michael's Parish traces its roots to 1850, when Irish Catholic immigrants in the village of Penn Yan built the first Catholic church in Yates County on land donated by Abraham Wagner. The founders — led by Irish-born meatcutter Thomas Hendricks and his large family — worshipped alongside neighbors on Keuka Street until the original frame church was enlarged in 1863. Around 1901, construction began on the present church building, completed in 1902. In 2008, St. Michael's merged with nearby parishes to form the multi-site Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community, which today serves Penn Yan, Dundee, Naples, Prattsburgh, Rushville, and Stanley across Ontario and Steuben Counties.
- 1850: St. Michael's founded in Penn Yan; first Catholic church in Yates County
- 1860: Father Patrick McKenna, Irish-born, serves as parish priest
- 1883: Parish school added at St. Michael's
- 1901–1902: Current St. Michael's church building constructed
- 1955: Parish school enlarged
- 2008: Merger creates Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community
Worship Sites
Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community is a multi-site parish with three primary worship sites spread across the Finger Lakes, plus St. Theresa's in Stanley. Each site has a distinct character and history while sharing one pastoral team.
- St. Michael's Church — 312 Liberty St., Penn Yan, NY 14527
- St. Januarius' Church — 180 N. Main St., Naples, NY 14512 (founded 1876; current church construction began 1965; renovated 2011)
- St. Patrick's Church — 47 N. Main St., Prattsburgh, NY 14873 (founded 1868 as a mission of St. Gabriel, Hammondsport; still worships in its original frame church)
- St. Theresa's Church — Stanley, NY (roots go back to 1875 when Irish railroad workers gathered for Mass; church laid cornerstone 1876; renovated in the 1960s and 1970s)
St. Michael's School
Located at 214 Keuka Street, Penn Yan, St. Michael's School is the parish's Catholic elementary school serving preschool through fifth grade. Originally added to the parish in 1883 and enlarged in 1955, it continues to provide faith-based education under the leadership of Principal Tracy Marchionda. The school maintains a Facebook presence at facebook.com/stmichaelschool/.
- Preschool through Grade 5
- Principal: Tracy Marchionda
- Phone: 315-536-6112
- Fax: 315-531-8115
- 210 Keuka Street, Penn Yan, NY 14527
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at Our Lady of the Lakes is intentionally intergenerational and family-style: monthly community gatherings supplement weekly at-home learning using the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, so parents and children grow in faith side-by-side. Programs are in conformity with the Diocese of Rochester and USCCB mandates, built around the four pillars of the faith and fourteen catechetical themes. The program runs September through June, ending each May.
- Family Faith Formation (preschool–elementary)
- Middle & High School youth ministry (Edge and LifeTeen)
- Confirmation preparation — Summer Intensive, 2-year program, grades 8+
- RCIA / Order of Christian Initiation for Adults and Children
- Gather Our Children (Liturgy of the Word, ages 2–7)
- Youth Ministry Access (virtual and in-person lessons)
- Pflaum Gospel Weeklies for parish subscription learning
Confirmation & Sacramental Preparation
Confirmation at Our Lady of the Lakes is reserved for students in eighth grade or higher and follows a two-year preparation period. The Summer Intensive uses a diocesan-approved curriculum over 5–10 days at 5.5 hours per day, after which students complete monthly assignments and service hours. Reception of the Sacrament typically occurs in the fall after the second summer. Preparation for Baptism, First Communion, and other sacraments is handled outside of regular Faith Formation classes.
Parish Staff & Ministerial Team
Our Lady of the Lakes is served by a pastoral team led by Father Leo Reinhardt, two permanent deacons, and a religious education coordinator. A regional finance manager, two secretaries, a maintenance supervisor, and a cemetery administrator complete the support staff. The community welcomes all volunteers — who must complete Creating A Safe Environment (CASE) training, retaken every three years.
- Father Leo Reinhardt — Pastor
- Rev. Jack O'Connor — Senior Status
- Deacon Tim Hebding — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Roger Loucks — Permanent Deacon
- Patty Larzelere — Religious Education Coordinator
- Daniel Hoffard — Regional Finance Manager
- Connie Murphy — Parish Administrative Assistant
- Patsy Lentz — Secretary, Saint Januarius
- Bill Gerhardt — Maintenance Supervisor
- Bonnie Basler — Cemetery Administrator
Contact, Offices & Cemetery
The main Parish Center is at 210 Keuka Street, Penn Yan, with office hours 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Monday through Friday. A second office in Naples (180 N. Main St., phone 585-374-2414) handles inquiries for St. Januarius and St. Patrick. The parish cemetery is administered from the Parish Center; contact Bonnie Basler for cemetery inquiries.
- Parish Center (Penn Yan): 210 Keuka St., 315-536-7459, Fax 315-536-3817
- Naples Office: 180 N. Main St., 585-374-2414
- Anointing of the Sick / Funeral line: 1-607-279-3750
Getting Involved
Parishioners are encouraged to share their time and talents in liturgical, catechetical, and evangelical ministries. All volunteers must complete Creating A Safe Environment (CASE) training, retaken every three years, in line with diocesan safe-environment policies.
- Evangelical & Catechetical Formation Committee
- Lectors, altar servers, ushers, music ministers, Eucharistic ministers
- Children's Liturgy of the Word leaders (CASE-trained)
- Faith Formation catechists and family-group volunteers
- Coffee hours, receptions, and fundraising efforts
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Patrick McKenna
Parish priest in 1860; Irish-born. First resident pastor of St. Michael's Penn Yan.