During the 40th Anniversary year we finished a project to scan historical documents and make them available on the website. Please feel free to click on the various links below, all documents are in PDF format.
40th Anniversary History Project – Click on the link to view parts of the 40th Anniversary DVD.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church
In 1975, St. Mary’s Church and Sacred Heart Church were combined to form a new parish at St. Mary’s as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Fr. Kenneth Menge was appointed Pastor on August 2, 1975 and the first Mass of the new parish was on September 14, 1975, the day that our Patron Saint was canonized a Saint by Pope Paul VI. The parish has grown into a strong and vibrant multicultural faith community celebrating it’s 40th year in 2015.
| Patron Saint | Silver Jubilee 2000 |
| Parish Development Fund 1976 | Mass of Thanksgiving |
| Mass of Rededication 1977 | 38th Anniversary YouTube Video |
St. Mary’s Church
St. Mary’s Church, was the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Chautauqua County, NY. St. Mary’s Church, in 1850, was organized mainly for the Irish and German Catholics. Starting in a wooden structure at West Second Street and Plover Street as a mission, Masses were held there until a new permanent brick structure was completed at Washington Avenue, in 1854. The Passionist’s were invited by Bishop Timon of Buffalo to take charge of St. Mary’s and built a Monastery next to the church in 1861. In 1972 they returned the parish to the Diocese of Buffalo.
For one year starting in February of 1904 St. Mary’s Parish published a monthly booklet named “St. Mary’s Record” to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Church, available to parishioners for Ten Cents a copy or one Dollar per year. I hope you enjoy reading these time capsules of the parish and the times.
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February 1904
March 1904
April 1904
May 1904
June 1904
July 1904
August 1904
September 1904
October 1904
November 1904
December 1904
January 1905
March 1905
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Sacred Heart Church
In 1857, the German parishioners met and decided to build a church for themselves. This church was completed in 1858 and dedicated to St. George. In 1876 a new church was completed and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The last Mass said at Sacred Heart Church was on September 7, 1975 and the building was demolished in 1981. The church bells were preserved and remain displayed today at the corner of Main and Ruggles Street. The Tower Cross is located atop a monument in St. Mary’s Cemetery as a sacred symbol of the former Sacred Heart Church.
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