Address: 1760 Norton St, Rochester NY 14605


Brief History

At the turn of the 20th century, Annunciation Church, now part of Cabrini Parish, was a mission church for Rochester’s burgeoning Italian-American community.

Masses for Annunciation’s parishioners were first celebrated in 1914 beginning with the feast of the Annunciation on March 25 of that year. The liturgies took place in a home that still stands adjacent to the current church building at 1754 Norton St.

A basement chapel was built in 1917 to accommodate the growing parish community and served as a mission church for nearby Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish. Because it was mostly underground, the chapel became known as the ‘Catacomb Church’.  Masses were celebrated on the main floor after a wood-frame top was added to the chapel in 1923.

Annunciation evolved from mission to parish status when it was officially incorporated and dedicated in 1946. A school was added in 1958 and served the community until its closing in 1989. In 1967, a new church built across the street from the original mission church building was completed and dedicated in honor of the parish’s 50th anniversary.

Msgr. (Albert) Simonetti’s goal was to build the school and the new church to accommodate everybody. When they built the new church, everybody in the parish, all the families, donated money to build it.

Decades later, declining Mass attendance and the clustering of parishes in the city led the community to sell the building and move back across the street to its original location. They had been using it as a hall. 

The move back to the original building did require some renovations, including the addition of pews that were repurposed from the former Our Lady of Mercy Church in Greece, the pews were too long, so the parish hired Amish woodworkers to saw them in half and manufacture new ends.

Pastors

• Fr. John Killeen, Mar. 25, 1914-1917 [Ministered to Italians in the area]
• Msgr. John M. Ball, 1917-1921
• Fr. Benedict Masselli, 1921-1923
• Fr. George J. Weinmann, 1923-1938
• Fr. Charles J. Azzi, Oct. 1938-1946
• Fr. Francis Cristantielli, 1946-June 26, 1953 [First resident pastor]
• Msgr. Albert L. Simonetti, June 26, 1953-Sep. 1, 1978 [upon retirement, poor health]
• Fr. William J. Graf, Sep. 1, 1978-July 1, 1987
• Robert F. O'Neill, July 1, 1987-Aug. 1988
• Fr. Joseph W. Dailey, Aug. 1988-Oct. 1988 [Temporary administrator]
• Robert F. O'Neill, Oct. 1988-June 23, 1998
• Fr. Sean Garrity CSB, Mar. 19, 1995-June 27, 1995 [Temporary administrator, sabbatical]
• Dennis Sewar, June 23, 1998-2003
• Sr. Marie Susanne Hoffman, 2003?-2004 [Administrator]
• Fr. Michael Mayer, 2004-2010
• Fr. Paul Gitau and Deborah A. Housel, 2010-Sep. 1, 2011 [Co-administrators]
• Deacon David Palma, 2011-July 2012 [Administrator]
• Frs. William F. McGrath and Robert Werth, July 2012-June 25, 2019 [Co-pastorate]
• Fr. William F. McGrath, June 25, 2019-June 29, 2021
• Father Daniel Ruiz-Sierra, June 29,2021 - Present