St. Rita

St. Rita Church was established in 1950 to serve the growing Catholic population in Webster, as Rochester's eastern suburbs expanded in the post-World War II era. The parish was named for St. Rita of Cascia, a 15th-century Italian saint known as the "Saint of Impossible Cases."

Father Francis Kleehammer was appointed as the founding pastor and would serve an extraordinary 28 years until his retirement in 1978. Under his leadership, the parish grew from a small suburban startup into an established community. For a few years, the parish experimented with a co-pastorate model, with Fathers John Reif and James Burke serving together from 1978 to 1981. Father Reif then continued as sole pastor for another 17 years until 1998.

The present church building was completed at Easter 1984, providing the growing congregation with a modern worship space after years in the original structure.

Today, St. Rita continues as an active independent parish, one of two Catholic parishes serving the Webster community alongside Holy Trinity. The parish has been served by Father Timothy L. Niven since 2019, carrying forward over 70 years of ministry in this thriving Rochester suburb.