Our Lady of Mercy

Eastern Greece experienced rapid population expansion during the 1950s, driven largely by Eastman Kodak Co.'s growing presence in the area. To serve the rising number of Catholic families, Bishop James Kearney created a new parish and appointed Fr. Michael O'Brien, formerly of St. Monica's in the city, as founding Pastor. The parish took the name Our Lady of Mercy to honor the Sisters of Mercy, who were marking their centennial in Rochester the year the parish was established. Boundaries were drawn to include 250 families from Holy Cross, 250 from Mother of Sorrows, and 200 from St. Charles Borromeo. In May 1957, six acres were purchased at the corner of Denise and Armstrong for the new parish.

The inaugural Mass took place on September 24, 1957—the feast of Our Lady of Mercy—at the former Lake Theater on Lake Avenue (now home to Charlotte Appliance). Worship continued at this location for a year while the school and church were under construction. Legal incorporation occurred on October 4, 1957. Tragedy struck early the following year when Fr. O'Brien suffered a fatal heart attack at a school registration event on March 23, 1958. Fr. John Whalen was named Pastor on April 1st. School construction started in May 1958 and proceeded in phases over several years, with the Sisters of Mercy staffing the school from 1958 until its 1980 closure.

Christmas Day 1958 marked the first Mass celebrated on the new Our Lady of Mercy campus, held in the school basement. Worship continued there until a temporary church could be built. That construction began in 1961, producing a worship space attached to the school gymnasium and divided from it by a retractable wall. Completed and ready for worship in 1962, this "temporary church" at a cost of $165,000 ended up serving the community for approximately 31 years, as the expense of operating the parish school repeatedly delayed plans for a permanent church.

The parish purchased a temporary rectory at 617 Denise Rd and a convent at 603 Denise Rd. Both properties were eventually sold once permanent facilities were built on the parish grounds.

In the mid-1990s, the parish launched a fundraising campaign for a permanent 600-seat church to replace the temporary structure. LaBella Associates designed the building, which cost $1,700,000. Groundbreaking occurred in August 2001. Bp. Matthew Clark dedicated the new Our Lady of Mercy church on June 16, 2002; it was built where the temporary church had stood. At that time, registered families numbered 769, down from approximately 900 just a few years prior. Attendance continued declining through the 2000s, and the Eastern Greece/Charlotte planning group began discussing closure. In June 2008, the parish entered a cluster with nearby Holy Name of Jesus, sharing a Pastor. The Greece/Charlotte planning group recommended in 2009 that Mercy be closed and sold. Bp. Clark issued the corresponding decree, and a final Mass was celebrated on June 30, 2010. The former cluster partner, Holy Name of Jesus, is now also scheduled for closure.