Parish name: Church of the Assumption
Location: Fairport, NY
Date founded: 1860
Diocese: Rochester, NY
Pastor: Father Ed Palumbos
Parishioners: 2,600 families
Website: http://cota.church/
What makes your parish different from other parishes?
We make it our goal to empower people to use their gifts for building up the reign of God, to “equip the saints for ministry,” as St. Paul said. Though in the suburbs, we house homeless families on the premises as part of Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network of 14 faith communities. With that, we administer a Mercy Fund and Fairport Good Neighbor Fund for people who are unable to pay rent, buy prescriptions, get to work, etc. Likewise, we provide food cards daily, not just at holiday times, maintain a great clothing collection, and have CPAs who help people with budgeting when asked. Our parishioners serve in Kenya, Tanzania, Ecuador, and right here at home. In addition, our youth engage in many works of service in the inner city and help at food distribution with food link in our neighborhood.
Parish youth Christmas caroling at a local assisted living facility, Fairport Baptist Home. Image: Courtesy of Lori Coleman
Members of our pastoral team lunch and do scripture study and faith sharing regularly with interfaith clergy, and we promote a consistent ethic of life throughout the year. A large number of our parishioners also participate in parish based Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and we host a JustFAITH group on Catholic Social Teaching, with educational sessions such as God’s Creation Calls for Justice, Prison Reform, Immigration Reform, Living Solidarity: Federal Budget as Moral Document, Peace Initiatives, Exploring Non-violent Peacemaking, Engaging Spirituality, and Good News People: Nurturing Discipleship.
Parishioners reporting on their service at Working Boys Center Family of Families in Quito, Ecuador. Founded by Fr John Halligan SJ, WBC works with volunteers through teaching, tutoring, and building houses to empower whole families to lift themselves out of poverty. Image: Courtesy of Lori Coleman
What’s the most distinguishing characteristic of your church building?
The most distinguishing characteristic of our church building is our baptismal fountain and pool, which are in our baptistery at the entrance to our house of worship. Our skylights and semicircular amphitheater style seating are unique and help to draw us into worship.
What’s the most popular event, ministry, or holiday tradition at your parish?
One very popular event in our parish is the mass each August at our local recreational park. A popular ministry is that of the Rochester Alliance of Communities Transforming Society, where our parishioners serve on its board of directors, as well as the jobs, poverty, criminal justice, and education task forces. Along with our own vacation bible school and music and drama camps, we host a Korean Summer Camp, WIC, and an annual fundraiser for Safe Journey, a ministry for battered women.
Singing praise at vacation bible school. Image: Courtesy of Luisa Sam
If we asked parishioners what they love most about the parish, what would they say?
Parishioners would definitely mention our warm, welcoming atmosphere that is reinforced by our mission statement: “We are an inclusive, welcoming, compassionate community united by a faith that is alive and growing. As sisters and brothers baptized in Christ, our mission is to be Christ for one another, our community, and the world by teaching as Jesus did, loving as Jesus loved, by serving as Jesus served, and seeing in every face the face of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
To see a list of all previously featured parishes, click here.
Image: Courtesy of Lori Coleman
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