St. Pius the Fifth.Holy Family Catholic Community.

Our Parish

Holy Family Catholic Community (HFCC) is a single multi-site Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Rochester that worships at four churches across Steuben County and northern Livingston County: St. Pius V in Cohocton (35 Maple Ave.), Sacred Heart of Jesus in Perkinsville (11118 Chapel St.), St. Joseph in Wayland (206 Fremont St.), and St. Mary in Dansville (40 Elizabeth St.). The four churches were first clustered in 1998 and formally merged into one parish in 2004; the parish office and mailing address are at 206 Fremont Street, Wayland, NY 14572. The community identifies itself by the tagline 'Sacred Heart | St. Joseph | St. Pius V | St. Mary' across its website and bulletins.

History of St. Pius V, Cohocton

Catholic life in Cohocton began informally in 1860 with Masses in a private home; a frame church on Hill Street opened in 1861, was named St. Pius V by Bishop Joseph Timon of Buffalo in 1863, and received an addition in 1883. The original building was lost to a fire on January 15, 1918, during a blizzard, and a new brick church at 35 Maple Avenue was begun that May, with the cornerstone laid by Bishop Thomas F. Hickey on July 7, 1918, and the building dedicated on October 27, 1918. Bishop Salvatore R. Matano led the centennial Mass on July 8, 2018, blessing the same cornerstone before processing into the church; a time capsule opened earlier that June yielded 1918-era parish records, a prayer card for Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid, and a Cohocton Valley Times-Index newspaper reporting on the fire.

• 1860 — First Masses celebrated in a Cohocton home
• 1861 — First church opened on Hill Street
• 1863 — Named St. Pius V by Bishop Joseph Timon of Buffalo
• 1883 — Addition built onto the Hill Street church
• 1896 — Parish joined the (newly formed) Diocese of Rochester
• Jan. 15, 1918 — Original church destroyed by fire during a blizzard
• May 1918 — Groundbreaking at 35 Maple Avenue
• July 7, 1918 — Cornerstone laid by Bishop Thomas F. Hickey
• Oct. 27, 1918 — Brick church dedicated
• 1998 — Clustered with Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, and St. Mary
• 2004 — Four sites united as one parish (Holy Family Catholic Community)
• July 8, 2018 — Bishop Matano presides at centennial Mass; cornerstone time capsule opened earlier in June

Pastoral Team

Holy Family Catholic Community is led by Pastor Rev. John G. Gathenya, who was appointed to the parish on June 29, 2021, and who, in his welcome letter, specifically thanked his predecessor Fr. Stephen Karani for the 18 years of priestly service and legacy he left the community. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Michael Twardzik, and the parish office can be reached at 585-728-2228 or [email protected].

• Rev. John G. Gathenya — Pastor (since June 29, 2021)
• Rev. Michael Twardzik — Parochial Vicar
• Parish office: 585-728-2228 · [email protected]

Livestream & Online

Masses are livestreamed via the parish Facebook group and the Holy Family Catholic Community website (hfccwny.org), so parishioners who cannot attend in person can still participate. The parish also publishes a Weekly Bulletin online and offers Online Giving through its website.

• Livestream via Facebook: facebook.com/groups/195969637194691
• Livestream via website: hfccwny.org
• YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCa2H6I8h7X4YaUL0CbQP9Jw
• Weekly Bulletin posted on the parish website
• Online Giving available through the parish website

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Faith Formation at Holy Family Catholic Community is offered to all youth ages 3 through 18 and follows the Diocese of Rochester policy of at least 30 hours of formation per school year. The program combines classroom sessions, service projects, and family activities, and includes sacramental preparation tracks for First Eucharist, First Reconciliation, and Confirmation. On Faith Formation Sundays, the parish intentionally creates a 'Family Mass' experience, with homilies pitched to children's spiritual needs and opportunities for children and parents to serve as greeters, lectors, altar servers, and ushers.

• Pre-K through Grade 8 Faith Formation (ages 3–18)
• Sacramental Preparation: First Eucharist, First Reconciliation, Confirmation
• Family Mass Sundays with child-friendly homilies
• Activity Nights / Retreats rotating across all four churches
• Family Zone Newsletter from the Diocese of Rochester Evangelization and Catechesis office
• Parish FF Newsletters published monthly

Ministries

The parish organizes its lay life around seven major ministry areas that span governance, worship, formation, youth, and social life. These include leadership councils and committees, Community Building and Evangelization, Liturgy and Worship, RCIA and Adult Faith Enrichment, Youth Care and Young Adult Life, the Teenage Advisory Council, and Social Events.

• Parish Leadership: Councils and Committees
• Community Building / Evangelization
• Liturgy and Worship
• RCIA / Adult Faith Enrichment
• Youth Care / Young Adults
• Teenage Advisory Council
• Social Events
• Creating a Safe Environment

Parish Life & Calendar

Beyond Mass, the parish calendar is full of recurring community and devotional events: Adoration, Bible Study, Adult Faith Formation, Children's Faith Formation, the Cohocton Food Pantry, Food Truck/Pantry events, Council/Committee Meetings, Confirmation Class, Golden Agers gatherings, Parish Life meetings, Reconciliation, Soup Suppers, and Stations of the Cross. Events are hosted at a variety of parish venues including St. Pius V Church, St. Joseph Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Mary Church, St. Mary Annex, Sturmer Hall, and the Community Center.

• Adoration
• Bible Study
• Adult Faith Formation
• Children's Faith Formation
• Cohocton Food Pantry
• Golden Agers
• Soup Supper
• Stations of the Cross
• Confirmation Class
• Council / Committee Meetings
• Parish Life meetings
• Venues: St. Pius V Church, St. Joseph Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Mary Church, St. Mary Annex, Sturmer Hall, Community Center, St. Joseph Church Parking Lot

Sacraments

Holy Family Catholic Community prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation and supports them through the sacraments of healing and vocation. Children prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, teens prepare for Confirmation, and adults enter the Church or complete initiation through RCIA. Couples seeking marriage and families seeking Baptism are invited to contact the parish office at 585-728-2228.

• Baptism — contact parish office
• First Reconciliation — preparation program
• First Eucharist — preparation program
• Confirmation — preparation program (Confirmation Class on calendar)
• RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
• Marriage — contact parish office

Getting Involved & Contact

Parishioners are encouraged to register, participate in a ministry or council, and support the parish through Online Giving and the weekly bulletin. The parish office is reachable by phone at 585-728-2228 and by email at [email protected]; the mailing address is 206 Fremont Street, Wayland, NY 14572.

• Parish registration form available on the website
• Online Giving via the parish website
• Weekly Bulletin posted on the website
• Parish office phone: 585-728-2228
• Parish email: [email protected]
• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/195969637194691
• YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCa2H6I8h7X4YaUL0CbQP9Jw