Brockport - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church was established in 1848 in Brockport, a village along the Erie Canal in western Monroe County. For its first eight years, the small Catholic community was served as a mission by various priests traveling from Rochester and other established parishes.

Father Edward McGowan became the first resident pastor in 1856, giving the parish stable leadership during its formative years. But it was Father Richard J. Story who truly built the parish—his pastorate from 1863 to 1914 spanned an remarkable 51 years, covering the entire span from the Civil War through the beginning of World War I. Under his guidance, the parish grew from a small mission to an established community.

The present church building, an impressive structure on Brockport's Main Street, was completed in October 1926 under Monsignor Michael J. Krieg. The church's prominent location reflects the central role Catholics played in the life of this Erie Canal village.

Today, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary continues as an active independent parish, one of the few in the Diocese of Rochester not part of a larger cluster. The parish serves the Brockport community, including the faculty and students of SUNY Brockport, carrying forward nearly 175 years of Catholic presence in western Monroe County.