St. Ambrose

St. Ambrose Church was established as the 31st parish in the Diocese of Rochester on November 12, 1921, to serve the growing population in the northeast section of Irondequoit. Father Walter B. McCarthy was appointed the first pastor and served until his death in 1936.

The year 1922 was a banner year for construction. St. Ambrose School, conducted by the Sisters of St. Joseph, opened its doors to its first students that September. A combination church and school building was also constructed, housing eight classrooms, a church seating six hundred, and a large hall for parish activities. The original rectory at 34 Empire Boulevard was built the same year. According to the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Ambrose was at that time one of the most flourishing of city parishes.

As the parish continued to grow, a fund drive was conducted in 1957 to build a larger church. The present church building was dedicated on October 2, 1960. The parish returned to a completed worship space on December 7, 2000—the Feast of St. Ambrose—after renovations, with Bishop Matthew H. Clark presiding at the Rededication Liturgy on February 18, 2001. Today, St. Ambrose is part of the Peace of Christ Parish, continuing to serve the Irondequoit community.