page_title: Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester / History
caption_attribution_description: English: St. Patrick's Parish was formed in 1823, the first Catholic parish in Rochester. This was the third church building for the parish, which were all located at North Plymouth Avenue and Platt Street. This building was designed by Brooklyn architect Patrick Keely. The cornerstone was laid in 1864. Though uncompleted, the church was opened in 1869 and it was dedicated the following year. In the meantime, Rochester was named a diocese in 1868 and St. Patrick's was named the cathedral. The chancel was expanded and the spire added to the tower in 1898. The Eastman-Kodak Company built its headquarters adjacent to the cathedral in 1914. In time, their campus expanded and the diocese decided to sell the cathedral property to Eastman-Kodak for their continued expansion. The cathedral church was closed and dismantled in 1937. St. Patrick's Parish converted their former social hall into a church and continued in existence until 1976 when it was closed.
context_page_description: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Greater Rochester region of New York State in the United States. The region that the Diocese comprises extends from its northern border on the south shore of Lake Ontario through the Finger Lakes region to its southern border at the New York-Pennsylvania border.
  The Diocese of Rochester comprises 12 counties in New York, with approximately 350,000 Catholics and over 125 faith communities, 22 diocesan elementary schools and 7 independent parochial high schools. The bishop of the diocese is currently Salvatore Ronald Matano. The metropolitan for the diocese is the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, currently Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The cathedral parish for the diocese is Sacred Heart Cathedral.
context_section_description: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester began on March 3, 1868, when Pope Pius IX entrusted eight counties (Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Cayuga, Yates, and Tompkins) within the Diocese of Buffalo to Bernard J. McQuaid, the first bishop of Rochester. The new diocese had about 54,500 Catholics in 35 parish churches and 29 mission churches.
  In 1896, the counties of Schuyler, Tioga, Chemung, and Steuben were added to the Diocese of Rochester from the Diocese of Buffalo, forming the current boundaries.
  The diocese grew as Catholic immigrants came to western New York, peaking in the 1960s. Since then, the Catholic population has stabilized while the numbers of ordained presbyters (priests) and religious sisters has fallen.
  In 1909, there were 121,000 Catholics in 93 parishes, 36 missions and 53 parish schools with 18,000 pupils. There were 164 priests and more than 500 sisters.
  In 1938, there were 223,657 Catholics in 129 parishes, 36 missions and 72 parish schools serving 23,796 pupils. There were 289 active diocesan priests.
  In 1966, there were 361,790 Catholics in 155 parishes, 36 mission churches and 99 elementary parish schools serving 45,540 pupils. There were 371 active diocesan priests and 1,549 sisters.
  In 1978, there were 358,850 Catholics in 161 parishes, 29 mission churches and 75 schools serving 19,526 pupils. There were 311 active diocesan priests and 1,095 women religious.
  In 1992, there were 361,384 Catholics in 162 parishes and 58 elementary schools serving 11,992 pupils. There were 208 active diocesan priests and 842 sisters.
  On September 22, 2017, the Diocese of Rochester inaugurated its sesquicentennial anniversary marked by a solemn Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral. This event marks a year long celebration of the 150 year anniversary and the year of the Eucharist which was proclaimed by Bishop Salvatore Matano on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
caption: St. Patrick's Cathedral in Rochester (1868-1937)
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