About
Us, History, & Facility
Our History
St.
Stephen's is the oldest religious congregational church on Grand Island.
Before a church building was erected, Mass was celebrated in the home of
William Carroll, Sr. It is said that the recently canonized Saint John
Neumann said Mass at the saw mill on Whitehaven. In 1847 a parish was
formed of the towns of Lewiston, Youngstown, and Niagara Falls. Fr.
James Boyle was pastor. He visited Grand Island at irregular intervals.
In 1854 Father Stephen Uhrich became pastor of the church in Tonawanda.
He visited Grand Island for two days. During his visit Father said Mass
at the school house on the land of William Carroll, Sr. During later
visits, Mass was celebrated in the homes of James Byrnes, Joseph Mesmer
and Lorentz Lambrix.
Mass was celebrated out-of-doors on July 4, 1861 on the land of Henry F.
Smith "in a chapel made of green trees and branches, the altar leaning
against the house of Julian Tage." Father announced that Mass would be
said once a month in the home of Joseph Mesmer on Staley Road.
In the fall of 1861 Father Uhrich purchased twenty acres of land on the
southwest corner of Baseline and Whitehaven Roads. Construction of the
church began immediately. The building was made of pine lumber 36 feet
long, 24feet wide and 15 feet high. The men of forty families of the
parish contributed their labor plus the services of their teams and
wagons. The list of donations for the church started at five cents and
ended at one hundred dollars. Four elderly ladies living in the Old
Folks Home in Williamsville gave twenty-five cents each.
The first Mass was sung in the completed church February 16, 1862 on a
"beautiful, bright winter's day, good sleighing sic." The celebrant was
Father William White, newly ordained, assisted by Father Uhrich and
Father Joseph Guillard, an Oblate priest from Buffalo. The sermon was
preached in English, then translated into French and German. The
collection was $17.00. For the next forty years Mass was said once a
month, weather permitting.
The total cost of the church was $673.00. Father Uhrich donated $268.00
for the church. When Bishop Timon came to Grand Island to confer the
Sacrament of Confirmation in October 1863, he noted Father Urich's
generosity by writing in the parish record book, "The faithful of Grand
Island should ever be grateful to the Reverend Uhrich for his past
services and present donation." The first rectory was completed in the
fall of 1906 at a cost of $5,078.27. Father William J. Kuellertz was the
first resident Pastor.
Grand Island was a popular vacation spot until the end of World War I.
To accommodate vacationers, the summer church, "Mary Star of the Sea,"
was built on Ferry Road in 1913.
St. Stephen's Church was enlarged in 1948. The symbols on the side walls
of the Sanctuary were suggested by Msgr. Schwegler:
The stones which were the instruments of the death of Saint Stephen, the
first Christian martyr; The Deacon vestments; The outline of the map of
Grand Island; the Unicorn and the Phoenix as well as other symbols.
The Auditorium Church was erected in 1956. The School and Religious
Education Center and Convent were completed in 1967. The Felician
Sisters moved into the convent in time to start the school year in
September of 1967. By September 1971, all eight grades were in
operation. Kindergarten opened in September of 1980. The basement of the
Old Church was remodeled for a meeting room, and Kindergarten was added
the summer of 1980. Pre K was added in 1981.
In March 1977, a two-week drive for funds to restore the old church
netted $26,000. Money was used to completely refurbish the entire
church. Many people of the parish donated their help in this project,
the fulfillment of a dream. Bishop Edward D. Head, D.D. officiated at
the rededication of the Old Church on December 4, 1977.
In July of 1978, a major drive was begun to pay the existing Parish debt
of $350,000. This appeal for funds was eminently successful, and now the
Parish is debt free. A Planning Committee composed of parishioners, with
the assistance of an Architect and Pastor, put together a Master Plan to
anticipate the future needs of the Parish. Presently, "Phase One" of the
Master Plan was implemented, the Construction of a Parish Center, which
includes a new residence for the priests as well as business offices. In
1981, a building fund program was begun. Again it was an outstanding
success with a pledge of $430,000. Ground breaking was July 11, 1982.
Bishop Edward D. Head, D.D. dedicated the New Parish Center on June 5,
1983.
St. Stephen's Cemetery has been an integral part of our parish for most
of the 121 years of its existence, and is still very much part of our
present growing scene. A new section has been developed and lots are
available. It is a great comfort for our people to honor the memory of
their beloved dead in such close proximity to the Old Church.
In the summer of 1991, 6 classrooms were added to the Parish Educational
Center, including Pre-K, Kindergarten, a science room, and a computer
room. These classrooms are used for academic subjects, religious
education, and adult education.
Groundbreaking for a new church was conducted on September 6,1998.
Completion of the church is expected in the fall of 1999. This will
enable us to convert the current main church back to a full time gym for
the youth of the parish. The Old Church will continue to be used for
special liturgies and other functions.
Facilities
Below are available meeting rooms and activity centers within Parish Property. If you wish to place a reservation, please call 773-7647.
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Church |
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Church/Bride's Room |
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Church/Community Room |
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Church/Daily Mass Chapel |
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Church/Hospitality Room |
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Old Church |
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Old Church Basement |
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Rectory |
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Rectory/Lower Level |
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Classroom |
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Cafetorium |
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Gym |
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School/Office |
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School/Shelter/Pavilion |
Facility Calendar Packet
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Facility Calendar Packet - Incident Report Diocese of Buffalo |
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