About St. Vincent de Paul Parish - St. Leo Church · Niagara Falls, New York
St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Niagara Falls, New York is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Buffalo that worships at two sites — St. Leo Church (2748 Military Road) and Prince of Peace Church (1055 Military Road). The combined community was formed in 2008 under the Diocese's Journey in Faith and Grace initiative, uniting the historic St. Leo and Prince of Peace parishes. The parish is named for St. Vincent de Paul and its members run a robust Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference that serves those in need in the Niagara Falls area. As of 2023, the parish is part of the larger Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes, sharing clergy and ministries with neighboring Catholic communities.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- St. Leo (the Great); the parish is also dedicated to St. Vincent de Paul
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. (Father) Bob Hughson (Canonical Administrator as of recent years)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Vincent de Paul Parish is a two-campus Catholic family where the historic St. Leo worship site on Military Road and the larger Prince of Peace site come together to share sacraments, formation, and outreach. Parishes worship in English, offer weekday Masses, Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration (First Fridays in the Prince of Peace Chapel), and the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday afternoons. The active St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Tree of Life Little Free Food Pantry, a Parish Nurse Health Care Ministry, bereavement support, prayer chains, and a Faith Formation/Confirmation program for youth give parishioners concrete ways to live the Gospel and serve neighbors in need across the Niagara Falls community.
Mass times at St. Vincent de Paul Parish - St. Leo Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM (St. Leo Worship Site)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (Prince of Peace site)
Adoration times
- First Friday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon (Prince of Peace Chapel)
About St. Vincent de Paul Parish — Two Worship Sites, One Family
St. Vincent de Paul Parish serves the Catholic community of the Town of Niagara and surrounding Niagara Falls area from two historic worship sites: St. Leo Church (2748 Military Road) and Prince of Peace Church (1055 Military Road). Formed in 2008, the parish is part of the Diocese of Buffalo and now belongs to the broader Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes. The parish honors St. Vincent de Paul as its patron and continues his legacy of service through an active St. Vincent de Paul Society conference.
- St. Leo Worship Site — 2748 Military Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14304
- Prince of Peace Worship Site — 1055 Military Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14304
- Parish Office / Ministry Center — 1040 Cayuga Drive, Niagara Falls, NY 14304
- Pastor: Father Bob Hughson; Parochial Vicar: Father Mario Racho
History of St. Leo and the Parish
St. Leo began as a mission church planted by Msgr. William F. Carey to serve Catholics in the rapidly growing Town of Niagara. Construction began in September 1955, the first Mass was celebrated on June 10, 1956, and St. Leo became an independent parish in 1957. After half a century as a standalone parish, it was merged with Prince of Peace in 2008 under the Diocese of Buffalo's Journey in Faith and Grace, which reduced the diocese's 275 parishes to 198 worship sites.
- 1955 — Construction begins on St. Leo on Military Road near Porter Road
- 1956 — First Mass celebrated at St. Leo, June 10
- 1957 — St. Leo becomes an independent parish
- July 1, 2008 — Merger of Prince of Peace and St. Leo into St. Vincent de Paul Parish under Journey in Faith and Grace
- 2023 — Parish becomes part of the Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes under the Road to Renewal
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. Vincent de Paul Parish lives out its patron's legacy of charity through a strong St. Vincent de Paul Society conference, a free food pantry, and a Parish Nurse Health Care Ministry that partners with Rite Aid for flu shots. Bereavement support, prayer chains, and youth faith formation give parishioners many ways to walk alongside their neighbors.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society Conference — Barb Skowronski (President), Shirley Stringaro (Pantry Manager); phone 716-731-9072 / 716-957-7146; email [email protected]
- Tree of Life Little Free Food Pantry at the Prince of Peace site
- Parish Nurse Health Care Ministry — health screenings, flu shot clinics with Rite Aid
- Bereavement: Coping With Loss support group at the St. Leo Ministry Center; contact Maria at (716) 297-1816
- Prayer Chain — Donna (716) 579-0319, Pat
Faith Formation and Youth
The parish Faith Formation program offers religious education for children and Confirmation preparation for youth. Ninth-grade Confirmation candidates built and stocked the Tree of Life Little Free Food Pantry outside the Prince of Peace Worship Site, which was blessed on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, 2021. Service projects such as the food pantry continue as an ongoing Confirmation-class effort.
- Faith Formation classes for K–8 and Confirmation prep
- Tree of Life Little Free Food Pantry built by the 2020–21 Confirmation class with teachers Brian and Jennifer Cramer and Mark Chudy
- Students invoked Venerable Nelson Baker, servant of those in need in Western New York
- Pantry blessed by Father Bob Hughson on April 11, 2021
Sacraments at the Parish
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Catholics seeking Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation, or the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) are encouraged to contact the parish office at (716) 283-2715 or the Niagara Falls Family of Parishes office at (716) 898-0919 x 108.
- Baptism — call parish office
- Marriage — call parish office to schedule preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — arranged through the parish office
- RCIA — provided through the Family of Parishes
- First Communion and Confirmation — through Faith Formation
Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes
In 2023, St. Vincent de Paul Parish joined with neighboring parishes in Niagara Falls to form the Niagara Falls Roman Catholic Family of Parishes under the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal. The family shares clergy, staff, and ministries across worship sites, allowing the church to sustain vibrant sacramental and pastoral life throughout the region.
- St. Vincent de Paul Parish (Prince of Peace and St. Leo worship sites)
- St. John de LaSalle Parish
- St. Joseph Parish
- St. Mary of the Cataract Parish
- Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph Parish
Getting Involved and Contact
New parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish encourages participation in Mass, the sacraments, devotions, and any of its many ministries. Those seeking assistance — whether through the food pantry, the Parish Nurse, bereavement support, or prayer — can call the main office or the Family of Parishes main line at extension 108.
- Parish Office: (716) 283-2715 — 2748 Military Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14304
- Family of Parishes main office: (716) 898-0919, ext. 108 for SVdP Society assistance
- St. Vincent de Paul Society: [email protected]
- Bereavement: Maria Stevenson (716) 297-1816
- Visit the parish website at http://svdparish.org/