The year was 1851. Reverend Bernard O’Reilly, who was the rector of St. Patrick’s Church in Rochester, paid a visit to the Town of Ogden. During this visit, local resident James McDermott requested that a priest come to the area to serve the needs of the Catholic community.
Shortly after, Father Michael Welch celebrated weekly mass in a wagon shop located at Ogden Center. Subsequently, the Town of Ogden purchased a building and renovated it for use as the town hall. Visiting priests said Sunday Mass in this hall until 1857 when a small wooden church was founded just outside of the Village of Spencerport. The community quickly outgrew this small chapel as the area became more populated.
Village trustee and parishioner William Kinney donated land and in 1867 the cornerstone was laid for a new church. On October 7 of that same year, the parish was officially established.
Fast-forward a century and five decades and St. John the Evangelist Church (St. John’s) in Spencerport is celebrating the sesquicentennial of the founding parish.
Many changes have occurred at St. John’s over the last 150 years; 27 priests have served this parish. Some as visiting priests who administered sacraments; some as pastors. The parish has grown immensely; over 1,100 families now consider St. John’s their faith community. A parish school opened in 1927 and after more than 80 years, it closed in 2008. While much has changed, what has remained the same is the dedication of the parishioners.
Reverend John Loncle (Father John) has served as the pastor of St. John’s since 2012. He’s quick to point out how warmly he was received upon his arrival in Spencerport.
“I was so impressed by the friendliness of people of our parish and their willingness to serve and help others,” Father Loncle said. “I felt welcomed right from the beginning. I think this is a trademark of our community.”
Like in most church communities, parishioners are a support to a pastor. Father John notes how when the idea of a celebration for the 150th anniversary was presented, many people came to a meeting to discuss ideas for a celebration.
“We had a meeting where anyone from the parish was invited to come and share their ideas and we brainstormed these ideas of what people would like to do. After a review of all the suggestions, we developed a calendar of activities that began on Easter Sunday,” Father said. “Sub-committees were then formed to organize each event and/or activity.”
The activities planned include A Prayer and A Penny where parishioners were encouraged to offer 150 prayers of thanks across 50 days from Easter until Pentecost and collect 150 pennies to be donated to the House of Mercy. A photo of parishioners taken via drone is scheduled for Sunday, June 11 at 12:45 p.m. on the lawn between the school building and the canal.
Celebratory Masses will be held on the anniversary weekend, October 7 and 8, along with a Gala Banquet on October 8. A concert with contemporary Christian musician Chris Wilson will take place on Friday, December 8.
A community event is planned for Sunday, June 25 that will include a food truck rodeo featuring five area food vendors, bounce houses, live music and the Wegmans Zoo mobile. The food truck vendors include Abbott’s, Barton’s Parkside Hots, Kettle Korn, Munchies & Sips and Chef’s Catering. This community picnic is free and will take place from 12:30 until 5:30 p.m. in a tent located in the parking lot across from St. John’s church. The only cost to attendees is for food from the vendors. Parking will be available in the Spencerport Firemen’s Field, which is adjacent to St. John’s.
Cheryl Rozzi has been a member of St. John’s for 21 years. She serves on the 150th Anniversary Celebration Committee and chairs the Food Truck Rodeo and Community Picnic. She explained why the committee opened this event to the public.
“St. John’s has always been an integral part of the community of Spencerport and Ogden. By opening the food truck rodeo to the whole community, we are welcoming everyone to experience the friendliness and loving nature of the family of St. John’s, whether they worship here or not,” Rozzi said. “St. John’s is part of Spencerport, and Spencerport is part of St. John’s.”
Father John echoes Rozzi’s thoughts and invites the public to attend this parish and community event.
“We are inviting the community to the Food Truck Rodeo and Picnic as a way to honor the Town of Ogden’s bicentennial and the Village of Spencerport’s sesquicentennial. This year marks significant dates in our histories. We are extending the celebration and recognizing that the village and town are part of our celebration,” Father said. “We have a mutually supportive relationship with the village, town and surrounding areas. We want to recognize, support and honor those connections.”
An anniversary book of parish memories and commemorative ornament are also in the works and will be available in late 2017.
St. John the Evangelist Church is located at 55 Martha Street at the corner of Martha and Amity Streets in the Village of Spencerport. Any questions about these events can be directed to St. John’s Parish Office at 352-5481.
