About St. Michael · Warsaw, New York
St. Michael Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Buffalo located at 171 North Main Street in the village of Warsaw, Wyoming County, New York. Founded in 1858 to serve the area's Irish Catholic community, the parish has worshipped for more than 165 years in Warsaw and is part of Family #14, the Eastern Rural RC Community, alongside SS. Joachim and Anne (Attica), St. John Neumann (Strykersville), and Mary Immaculate (East Bethany). The parish operates from the website errcc.org and is known locally for its Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses, its Wednesday evening devotions of Mass followed by Adoration, Rosary and Confession, and a robust outreach program that includes a free community clothing closet and a 24/7 Blessing Box food pantry.
- Established
- 1858
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. F. Patrick Melfi
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Michael offers a welcoming rural Catholic home in the heart of Wyoming County, with weekly Mass on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, weekday Masses on Monday and Wednesday, and a rich Wednesday evening devotion combining Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, and Confession. The parish reaches beyond its walls through a free community clothing closet open twice a month, a quarterly community meal open to anyone, and an outdoor Blessing Box food pantry available 24/7 — concrete signs of the parish's commitment to serving the wider Warsaw community.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
- Wednesday evening (following 5:00/6:00 PM Mass, Adoration and Rosary)
Adoration times
- Wednesday evening (following Mass, before Rosary and Confession)
Parish History
St. Michael Parish was established in 1858 as a Catholic station, mission, and finally parish to minister to the Irish laborers who came to Warsaw during the construction of the Erie Railroad. A printed commemorative book documented the parish's 100th anniversary in 1958. The early brick church used by the parish still stands today, while the present wood-frame American Gothic church was built in 1887–1888 by the contracting firm VanKirk and Oliver during the prosperous 'salt boom' years.
- Founded 1858
- Original brick church still standing
- Current church built 1887–1888 by VanKirk and Oliver
- 100th anniversary celebrated September 28 – October 3, 1958
Architecture & Notable Features
The present St. Michael church is an example of American Gothic architecture executed in wood. In 1903, Father John Rogers purchased a Bavarian Oberammergau apse window depicting St. Michael the Archangel that had been displayed with church art at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition in 1901; this window remains a distinguishing interior feature of the church.
- American Gothic style, wooden construction
- Bavarian Oberammergau apse window of St. Michael the Archangel
- Window originally displayed at the 1901 Buffalo Pan-American Exposition
Clergy & Staff
St. Michael is pastored by Rev. F. Patrick Melfi as part of Family #14 (Eastern Rural RC Community) of the Diocese of Buffalo, with shared parochial vicars Rev. John J. Arogyasami and Rev. George Devanapalle, senior parochial vicar Rev. Jozef Dudzik, and deacons Michael Hahn, Marc Leaderstorf, John Zielinski, Mark Kehl, and Paul Kulczyk serving across the family of parishes.
- Rev. F. Patrick Melfi — Pastor
- Rev. John J. Arogyasami — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. George Devanapalle — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Jozef Dudzik — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Five active deacons across Family #14
Parish Outreach & Charity
Beyond its liturgical life, St. Michael is widely known in the Warsaw community for its charitable outreach. A free clothing closet for the whole family is open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 10 AM to 1 PM. A quarterly community meal is offered free to anyone in the area, with dates and times announced throughout the year. An outdoor Blessing Box food pantry sits outside the church and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing non-perishable food and occasional toiletries as supplies allow.
- Free clothing closet — 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 10 AM–1 PM
- Quarterly community meal (free, open to all)
- Blessing Box outdoor food pantry — available 24/7
- Open to all; no documentation required
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all the usual sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, including Baptism, Marriage, First Eucharist and First Communion preparation, Confirmation preparation, Anointing of the Sick, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The parish office can be reached at (585) 786-2400 for sacramental scheduling and preparation information.
- Baptism
- Marriage preparation
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation (Saturday 3:15 PM and Wednesday evenings)
Family #14 — Eastern Rural RC Community
As part of the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal pastoral planning, St. Michael Warsaw belongs to Family #14 (the Eastern Rural RC Community), which also includes SS. Joachim and Anne (Attica), St. John Neumann (Strykersville), and Mary Immaculate (East Bethany). The family shares pastoral and deacon resources across the four rural parishes, with errcc.org serving as the joint website for the family.
- St. Michael, Warsaw
- SS. Joachim and Anne, Attica
- St. John Neumann, Strykersville
- Mary Immaculate, East Bethany
- Website: errcc.org
Visit & Contact
St. Michael Roman Catholic Church is located at 171 North Main Street, Warsaw, NY 14569, on NY State Route 19 near NY State Route 20A. The building is handicap accessible. The parish office can be reached by phone at (585) 786-2400 or by email at [email protected], and full schedules and news are posted at errcc.org.
- Address: 171 North Main Street, Warsaw, NY 14569
- Phone: (585) 786-2400
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.errcc.org
- On NY-19 near NY-20A
- Handicap accessible
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Rogers
Purchased the Bavarian Oberammergau apse window of St. Michael the Archangel for the parish in 1903