Churches of Rochester
Mother of Sorrows

Mother of Sorrows

Active

Greece, Monroe County

Our Mother of Sorrows holds a unique place in Rochester Catholic history as the first rural Catholic church in New York State. In 1829, a small Irish Catholic community at Paddy Hill in the Town of Greece began construction of a church, which was dedicated as St. Ambrose on February 5, 1832, by Father Frances O'Donoghue. In September 1860, a new brick building was constructed and the parish was renamed Our Mother of Sorrows.

The parish earned the title "Mother of Parishes" as five churches were established from its territory: Holy Cross (1863), St. John the Evangelist (1865), Our Lady of Mercy (1957), St. Lawrence (1959), and St. Mark (1964).

The parish centennial on June 8, 1930, was a major celebration, with Bishop O'Hern celebrating Mass in the church while approximately 5,000 people attended Mass in the cemetery south of the church. Governor and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt came to participate in the festivities. The Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in 1946 to staff the parish school, and the present church was built and dedicated by Bishop Fulton Sheen on September 22, 1968.

Local historians believe the original Paddy Hill church may have been connected to the Underground Railroad, with a tunnel possibly running from houses across Latta Road to the church basement, though documentation is limited. Today, Our Mother of Sorrows continues to serve the Greece community, sharing a pastor with Holy Cross parish in Charlotte.

Exterior Photographs

Exterior. Front of the church. Front of the church. Crucifix atop church front. Our Lady of Fatima shrine. Statue of Our Lady that was once where the Fatima shrine presently stands. Cornerstone. Back of the church. Crests. Crests. Crest. Crest. Church sign. Sign for former school. Former school. Front of former school. Cornerstone on school building. Former convent.

Former church

Original church seen from across the street. Side of original church. Back of original church. Right side of original church, and cemetery.

Interior Photographs

Interior view. View from the back right corner. View from the right side. View from the front right corner. View from the back left corner. View from the left side. View from the front left corner. The church seen from the sanctuary. Right side. Back of the church. Left side and choir seating. Front of the church. Sanctuary seen from angle. Altar and painting. Mother of Sorrows painting, from old church. Altar. Pulpit. Tabernacle. Processional crucifix. Credence table. Former ambry. Ambry. Baptismal font. Crucifix. Statue of Our Lady. Crest on the ceiling. Confessional. Cross atop main entrance. Painting of the Ascension, from old church. Painting of the Nativity, from old church. Wood cross on the floor leading into the church. Gathering space behind the sanctuary.

Titles for Mary along the walls

Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows

Crests on the walls

Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows

Stations of the Cross

Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows

Stained Glass

Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows

Chapel

View of the chapel. From back left corner. From back right corner. Left side. Seating. Sanctuary. Sanctuary seen from angle. Tabernacle and crucifix. Crucifix. Infant of Prague statue. Our Lady of Fatima statue. Holy family statue. Sacred heart statue.

Chapel - Stations of the Cross

Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows Mother of Sorrows

Historical Photographs

Original church building named "St. Ambrose", used between 1829?-1859. Source: Albert R. Stone collection Mother of Sorrows campus in 1947. Note the open farmland surrounding the church and buildings. Photograph of second church, 1920s. This church was built in 1859 and used through the late 1960s. Postcard of second church. Source: Rochester Public Library local history division 100th anniversary celebration, 1929. Interior of second church, 1930. Source: Albert R. Stone collection Exterior of church, 1939. Source: Catholic Courier Golden Jubilee Edition: 1889-1939 Exterior of former church, undated. Wedding inside second church, Apr. 11, 1953. Interior of former church, undated. Groundbreaking for present church. +Ven. Abp. Sheen with two Mother of Sorrows priests, presumably for the dedication of the new church. Interior of present church sometime shortly after construction in 1968. Mass in the present church, 1970. Interior after 2002 rennovation. Interior during the 2004 rennovation.