Reaching for the half-centry milestone, a community pauses. This Faith Community of St. Rita Parish takes time out to look at a bit of history. Our looking back becomes an exercise in the drawing of mental pictures. These pictures can fill the albums of our memories...

Image "West" Webster 48 years ago. Surburbia in Monroe County was just beginning to blossom. Some of us remember when Maple Drive was called "Cemetery Road". With the onrush of "city folk" came not only a change for "Cemetery Road", but also a transformation of much of the land as the early settlers had known it. Interesting how the farm-like atmosphere that still clings in places is held more and more precious in this ecology-mineded era of the 1990's.

Memory Lane has much to offer as we take a look back. Consider the Martin Farm where St. Rita's grounds now stand. Still standing is the "Barn", which is as popular today as it was when the parish began. The "Barn" lends itself to our ecology-conscious era even as we consider the other buildings which have impacted upon our 23-acre terrain. Since 1950, the former farm land has become the scene for a rectory, a school, a convent, a beautiful permanent church building, and a new Parish Center. The school building, with its echoes of young voices, houses out two strong educational arms - St. Rita School and our Religious Education Program.

Our brief historic search reminds us of our "inherited" first church building - the wood frame structure from West Irondequoit. Yes, it was the former St. Margaret Mary building that was transported across the bay in 1950. It was that quaint and homey structure where Father Francis Kleehammer presided over his fledgling flock. Appointed by Bishop James E. Kearney to establish St. Rita's in 1950, Father Kleehammer went about his task with truly priestly zeal. He had, together with his easy friendliness, a determination to build something which would endure well into the future...

In a very real sense, we are that future. What our early parishioners pictured as the future has now become the present. Alive Christians know the importance of the present moment. We don't linger too long down "memory lane". However, our loving look back helps us look ahead. And in this spirit the present moment becomes joyful, even in the midst of dramatic change.

Here at St. Rita's, as elsewhere, change in the Vatican II era has become a given. Beginning in the early 1960's, the result of the Council unfolded. With this unfolding, life in the Church took on a new thrust. It was really a case of "Back to the Future". This is because what the Council did was to bring us back to our early Christian roots. In grasping with new energy the meaning of these roots, we began to understand more clearly some basic truths. Suddenly, the ideas of WORD, WORSHIP, and WITNESS took on new life! St. Rita's became the scene for such realities as Prayer and Bible groups, liturgy committees, multiple ministries, food collections, outreach to "soup kitchens" of depressed areas, and even a pilot project for God's people in need called "Witnessing with the Poor". And so, on and on our story goes...

Yes, the 23-acre parcel of land purchased in 1950 has been the scene of much activity. But what of the mind and heart of our God who dwells in light inaccessible? How does our story measure up to His plan? We shall know that answer only in eternal life. For now, we savor the memories of those who have come and gone through the years. We read of the priests and deacons who have served here. We recall the Sisters of Mercy who have graced our lives. We cherish God's own people who serve on over 42 committees and organizations or who are simply "out there" Sunday after Sunday, worshipping their Lord, together.

And so, we conclude now. Beyond a certain point no historian of a parish can hope to go. Space limitations make it impossible for us to write anything more than a brief log of our story. The God whom we love and serve knows the total picture of our lives together. Those among us who, themselves, wish to know the full story must wait until eternity. Then they can find it written in the Book of Life.

Priests who have served at St. Rita Parish

Founding Pastor - Father Francis A. Kleehammer
Co-Pastors - Father James C. Burke - Father John T. Reif
Pastor - Father John T. Reif
Present Pastor - Rev. Charles Latus

Associate Pastors

Fathers: Richard O'Connell
John Connolly
Thomas Watts
Francis Erb
Thomas Burr
James Wolfe
Gary Schummer
Raymond Fleming
John Zimmerman
Frank DiSano
Donald E. McCarthy, CSB (Parochial Vicar)

Weekend Assistants

Monsignor Francis Burns (1964-1984)
Members of the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers) - 1950's, '60's and '70's
Father Raymond Fleming
Father Bernard Nowak

Principals of St. Rita School - Sisters of Mercy

Sister Mary Ellen Kinsella,
Sister Maurice Pearson
Sister Vincent Rignwood
Sister Rita Heberle
Sister Katherine Ann Rappl

Deacons at St. Rita's

Richard Mahany
Gregory Doyle
Charles Kohlmeier
Stanley Douglas

Parish Demographic Information:

At St. Rita Church we have 2,008 families registered

In 1997, there were:

• 107 Baptisms
• 105 Confirmations
• 125 First Eucharist
• 34 Marriages
• 65 Burials

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