HISTORY OF ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH MAYVILLE, N.Y.


Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Church is the most recent of all the
churches in the village. Mayville, during its early years, had very few Catholics because people of our faith wanted to settle where there was
a church nearby. However,there was a handful of Catholics and
occasionally a priest from a nearby town would visit.

Bishop Timon offered Mass in Mayville in 1851. It was not until 1882
that regular services were held. At that time, a priest from Westfield came once a month and celebrated mass at the home of Gustave Baumgart. Travel was by horse and buggy or sleigh, and winter storms caused no little discomfort to the faithful Fathers.

The real beginning of a Catholic congregation in Mayville was about 1912 when the Rev. Thomas Harrigan, who was in charge of the mission at Lakewood, made frequent visits here. Little by little, Catholics gathered together and eventually secured a small room in the Swetland Block. mass and services were held each week with Father Harrigan coming from Lakewood by trolley.

Immediately the aim was to someday build a fitting place in which to worship, and with so few members, it seemed an almost impossible task. With perseverance and by holding fund raising projects, they began building a treasury with which to buy a lot on the corner of Morris and Erie Streets.

With this increased activity, the congregation began to grow to the point where the little room they used for worship was. no longer large enough. The services were then moved into the opera house which was in the same building.

In 1923, Mr. and Mrs. Adelbert Swetland donated a lot on East Chautauqua Street for the purpose of building a Catholic Church. Construction on what is now St. Mary's began in April of 1925. The cornerstone was laid by the beloved Monsignor Baker of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna with a large number of priests and a great gathering of people from all over Chautauqua County attending.

The architect was a former Mayville boy, John Francis Hollander, and the cost was $50,000. To raise the funds to build, a novel method was devised to allow everyone to become a part of the building. Books of tickets were printed whereby a person could buy a brick for 10 cents
or 12 for $1.00. Non-Catholics, as well as parishioners, bought many of the bricks.

Father Harrigan traveled around the lake collecting contributions from all who wished to give. Through large donations, windows, statuary, furnishings and an altar were purchased, and the church was completed
in 1926. The dedication took place in August of 1926, and the dream of many years came true for Catholics of the Mayville area.

Georgiana Jewstraw and Paul Kranking were the first couple to be
married in the new church on September 23,1930.

Mayville remained a mission of Sacred Heart Parish of Lakewood until 1944 when it became its own parish.

The Priests of St. Mary's


1911-29 Rev.Thomas Harrigan1929-39 Rev.Timothy Lynch

1939-41 Rev.Charles Rochford1941-42 Rev.William J.Grant
First Administrator

1942-43 Rev. James Navagh1943-1946 Rev. Robert D.Duggan
Rev. David V.Roche
Rev. Francis S.McCormick

1946-47 Rev. John T.Naber1947-48 Rev. Francis T.Jann


Rev. John J. Dempsey   1948-1953 Rev.John Dempsey was the first resident pastor.











Rev. William E. Crotty   1953-1958 Rev. William Crotty














Rev.James M. Daley  1958-1966 Rev. James Daley














Rev.Aloysius Kuntz  1966-1992 Rev. Aloysuis Kuntz














Rev. Gary Szczepankiewicz  1992-1995 Rev. Gary Szczepankiewicz
















1995 Rev. Michael Parker, Administrator




Rev. Raymond A.J.Donohue   1995-2004 Rev. Raymond A.J. Donohue

  Father Ray, shown with his Mother Estelle, immediately attacked the reconstruction of the rectory, and initiated the renovation of the parish house. Major among Father Ray's accomplishments are the complete renovation of the church and the constrution of our Parish Hall.



2004-Present Rev. Bernard U. Nowak