Christ the King

Christ the King Parish was established in 1955 by Bishop James E. Kearney, who recognized that Irondequoit was transforming from a quiet farming community into a thriving suburban bedroom community. To accommodate the growing Catholic population, Bishop Kearney created Christ the King by redrawing the parish lines of four existing Irondequoit parishes: St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Margaret Mary, St. Salome, and St. Cecilia.

Monsignor Charles J. Mahoney was appointed the first pastor on June 28, 1955, serving until his death in 1961. The founding members faced the challenge of convincing Catholics from the four surrounding parishes to switch allegiance to the new church. Although there was initial resistance, Christ the King gradually gained acceptance. The present church building was dedicated on April 21, 1957.

In 1976, the Congregation of St. Basil (the Basilians) assumed pastoral leadership of Christ the King. Father Thomas B. Mailloux, CSB, an Eastman School of Music graduate, encouraged the church to install a new organ and add stained-glass windows. The Basilians served the parish for over four decades until 2019. Today, Christ the King is part of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, which also includes St. Cecilia and St. Margaret Mary churches in Irondequoit.