St. Christopher

Ven. Bp. Fulton J. Sheen assigned Fr. Elmer McDonald on June 22, 1968 to lead a new parish being formed in North Chili. The community acquired fifteen acres at the corner of Union St. and King Rd. Following Fr. McDonald's appointment, Masses were first celebrated in parishioner homes starting July 1, 1968. By August 4th, regular worship services moved to the North Chili medical building, with parish trustees elected several days afterward.

The parish received its official name honoring St. Christopher on Aug. 30, 1968. The young community soon organized fundraising events, parish picnics, and religious education classes conducted in the United Free Methodist Church school building.

Rectory construction finished in June 1969. A groundbreaking ceremony for the church followed on Oct. 26, 1969, attended by Bp. Joseph Hogan and 600 parishioners. Building work commenced the next month. By January 1971, the distinctive church structure was complete and its cornerstone set in place. St. Christopher's celebrated its first Mass in the new building on January 30th. The church initially functioned as a multi-purpose facility—Masses, educational programs, and parish activities all shared the same space, which is why chairs rather than pews were used in the nave.

Bp. Hogan formally dedicated St. Christopher Church on June 20, 1971. Several ordinations took place at the parish during the 1970s: Fr. Zimmerman in 1972, Fr. Weiss in 1973, and Fr. Spilly in 1976. A parish center was completed on May 15, 1976, providing dedicated space for activities beyond worship. The parish launched a tithing program in 1978 and pursued various charitable initiatives.

In 1983, parish leaders undertook long-range planning that called for renovating the church to serve primarily as a worship space rather than a multi-purpose venue. Renovation work began in July 1985, concluding on May 4, 1986 when Bp. Clark rededicated the building.

A grotto featuring a St. Christopher statue was installed facing Union St. in August 1996. Stained glass windows were added along the upper north wall of the church in March 1997. Fr. Robert Guadio currently leads St. Christopher, having served as Pastor since February 2004.