St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi Church has one of the most unique origins in the Diocese of Rochester—it began as a movie theater. In 1929, Bishop John Francis O'Hern converted the theater on Whitney Street into a chapel to serve the Italian immigrant community in southwest Rochester. The chapel was dedicated on August 15, 1929, with Father Adolph L. Gabbani serving as the first pastor.

The chapel achieved full parish status in 1935 under Monsignor Joseph A. Cirrincione, who would become one of the most influential figures in the parish's history. Monsignor Cirrincione served St. Francis of Assisi for an extraordinary 42 years, first as administrator and then as pastor until his retirement in 1977. Under his leadership, the parish became a beloved spiritual home for generations of Italian-American families in the Genesee Valley area.

The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts (SS.CC.) served the parish briefly in the mid-1990s before withdrawing from Rochester in 1996. Father Paul J. Tomasso led the parish during its final years before it closed on August 15, 2000—exactly 71 years after its dedication as a chapel. The timing was fitting: the parish opened and closed on the Feast of the Assumption, a holy day of special significance in Italian Catholic tradition.