Saint Mary's - Rochester, NY - Roman Catholic Churches on Waymarking.com

A catholic church serving an urban community with a social justice message. This congregation has a long and interesting history, starting when a group of catholics purchased an unused Methodist church where the Convention Center now stands. (visit link) The history continues to the establishment of a College of Sacred Heart very close to this location on the corner of South Avene and Court Street.

The cornerstone of the church was laid on 1853 for the new St Mary's Church and completed in 1858. In 1957 a convent was built north of the church to house the Sisters of Mercy. They opened a school, a soup kitchen, a women's shelter and an employment office. In 1864 the Sisters of St Joesph opened an orphanage, and in 1942 the St. Mary's orphanage merged with St Joseph's orphanage to become St. Joseph's Villa.

The shape of the building changed in stages between 1891 and 1916. The bell tower that had been planned in 1850 was finally added in 1940.

In 1953, the Austin organ was installed at a cost of $50,000

As with so many churches, fire afflicted this parish on Easter Sunday, 1971. The most recent refurbishment occured in 1992.

In 1984, as part of the 150th anniversary celebration, a time capsule was placed, to be opened in 2034 AD. In 2009, they celebrated their 175th anniversary.

Type of Church: Church Status of Building: Actively in use for worship Date of organization: 01/01/1833 Date of building construction: 01/01/1834 Dominant Architectural Style: mid-19th century revival Diocese: Rochester Address/Location: 15 St Marys Place Rochester, NY USA 14607 Relvant Web Site: [Web Link] Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Not listed Archdiocese: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/07/2013 stinger503 visited it