About St. Philomena · Franklinville, New York
St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church is a Catholic parish in the village of Franklinville, in rural Cattaraugus County, western New York. It is one of three worship sites of the 'Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills,' a Family of Parishes (#25) in the Diocese of Buffalo that also includes Holy Name of Mary in Ellicottville and Our Lady of Peace in Salamanca. The parish's current redwood-and-steel church was built on Plymouth Avenue in 1964 and houses stained-glass windows, Stations of the Cross, and the patroness statue created by Buffalo sculptor Larry Griffis Jr., who also created Griffis Sculpture Park in nearby East Otto/Ashford Hollow.
- Established
- 1873 (per Diocese of Buffalo); original church building dated 1875 in parish histories; GCatholic records the parish under 1906.
- Patron
- St. Philomena
- Rector
- Rev. Charles E. Johnson (Parish Administrator for Family #25 — Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills, which includes St. Philomena)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Parishioners at St. Philomena worship in a striking 1964 contemporary church whose stained glass, Stations of the Cross, and patroness statue are the work of one of western New York's most distinctive sculptors, and gather afterward in the historic 1875 parish hall on Mill Street — the same lot that hosted the original Catholic congregation in Franklinville. Joining St. Philomena means becoming part of the close-knit 'Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills' family, sharing weekly Mass and faith-formation ministry with the Catholics of Ellicottville and Salamanca while still keeping the small, personal character of a village parish in rural Cattaraugus County.
Mass times at St. Philomena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (per diocesan directory)
- Sunday 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM (per Discover Mass listing)
- Upon request and after Mass (per catholicmasstime.org)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Adoration)
Parish Identity & Family of Parishes
St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church is one worship site within Family of Parishes #25, 'Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills,' in the Diocese of Buffalo. The family groups St. Philomena (Franklinville) with Holy Name of Mary (Ellicottville) and Our Lady of Peace (Salamanca), sharing clergy, faith formation, music ministry, and administrative staff across Cattaraugus County. A single website — tcsfh.org — publishes the unified bulletin and the rotating Mass schedule that rotates Sunday Mass among the three worship sites.
- Family: Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills (Family #25, Diocese of Buffalo)
- Parish Administrator: Rev. Charles E. Johnson
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jan Trela
- Deacons: Michael L. Anderson; Mark Hooper
- St. Philomena Worship Site Administrative Assistant: Brandy Pierce
- St. Philomena Worship Site Director of Faith Formation: Carla Hutchins
History
Catholic life in Franklinville dates to 1873–1875, when the original St. Philomena's was built on the lot adjoining the Free Methodist Church — the same Mill Street lot where the parish hall still stands. As the congregation grew, a contemporary new church was built on Plymouth Avenue and put into use by Christmas 1964, with formal dedication on May 16, 1965, under the resident pastor Rev. Henry J. Romanowski. After his death in 1985, Fr. Romanowski was interred in the flowerbed by the patroness statue in front of the church. In 2007 the parish absorbed neighboring Holy Family of Machias, whose statues now occupy a consecrated chapel just inside the narthex. The Diocese of Buffalo's 175th-anniversary pilgrimage guidebook lists the parish establishment date as 1873.
- 1873 / 1875: Original frame church built on Mill Street ($2,300 cost per local history)
- 1964: New contemporary church in use by Christmas on Plymouth Avenue
- May 16, 1965: Formal dedication
- 1985: Death of founding pastor of the present church, Rev. Henry J. Romanowski
- 2007: Merger with Holy Family R.C. Church, Machias; consecration of Holy Family memorial chapel by Fr. Joseph Zalacca
Architecture, Art & the Griffis Connection
The present building is a mid-century-modern church framed in steel arches and paneled in redwood, with a large mullioned stained-glass cross spanning its facade. The interior stained-glass windows, the Stations of the Cross, and the suspended crucifix above the altar — winner of the 1964 Canisius College liturgical exhibit — were all created by Buffalo artist Larry Griffis Jr., who also created Griffis Sculpture Park at Ashford Hollow in nearby East Otto. The outdoor patroness statue in the front circle is welded low-alloy steel with a limited-oxidation finish. A separate brick rectory sits to the left of the church, and the 1875-era parish hall on Mill Street continues to host parish functions.
- Steel-arch frame, redwood paneling
- Mullioned stained-glass cross facade
- Stained-glass windows, Stations of the Cross, altar crucifix — Larry Griffis Jr.
- Welded low-alloy steel St. Philomena statue in front circular drive
- Brick rectory (left of church); historic 1875 parish hall on Mill Street
Faith Formation & Parish Life
Faith Formation (Religious Education) at St. Philomena is led by Director of Faith Formation Carla Hutchins, working in coordination with the family-wide program that also serves Holy Name of Mary and Our Lady of Peace. The historic 1875 parish hall on Mill Street continues to host parish events, functions, and parties. Each week's combined bulletin for the three parishes — including prayers, novena intentions, and announcements — is published at tcsfh.org/bulletins.
- Director of Faith Formation: Carla Hutchins
- Religious Education Office phone: see weekly bulletin
- Parish hall (Mill Street) — events, functions, parties
- Family-wide bulletin for all three parishes at tcsfh.org/bulletins
Visit, Contact & Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors will find St. Philomena at 26 Plymouth Avenue, Franklinville, NY 14737, at the end of Plymouth Avenue in the village. The front circular drive (with the St. Philomena statue at its center) provides easy drop-off and parking, and the rectory sits to the left of the church. The parish can be reached by phone at (716) 676-3629 or by email at [email protected]. The parish shares its mailing and billing with the Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills family hub centered in Ellicottville.
- Address: 26 Plymouth Avenue, Franklinville, NY 14737-1020
- Phone: 716-676-3629
- Email: [email protected]
- Family website: http://www.tcsfh.org/
- Parish website: https://www.spvm14737.org/
- Find the church at the end of Plymouth Avenue (circular drive / statue circle)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Henry J. RomanowskiOn staff at the dedication of the present church in 1964–1965; died 1985
Resident priest during construction and dedication of the 1964 Plymouth Avenue church; buried in the flowerbed by the St. Philomena statue in front of the church.
- Rev. Joseph ZalaccaAfter 2007
Parish administrator at the time of the 2007 merger with Holy Family, Machias; consecrated the Holy Family memorial chapel just left of the narthex.
- Rev. Charles E. Johnson Jr.Assigned to Family #25 by Dec 13, 2024; continuing as of April 2026 diocesan directory
Current Parish Administrator for the Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills family.