As Brockport’s Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, the parish also will say goodbye to its pastor of nine years.
Father Joseph P. McCaffrey, who has led the parish since 2014, will assume senior status in late June.
A priest of the Diocese of Rochester for 46 years, Father McCaffrey was born in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md., followed by St. John Fisher College (now St. John Fisher University) and St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester. He was ordained by Bishop Joseph L. Hogan March 25, 1977, at St. Mary of the Lake Church in Ontario.
Following ordination, Father McCaffrey was an assistant pastor at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1977-1980), and associate pastor at St. Patrick, Elmira (1980-82); St. Lawrence, Greece (1982-83); and St. Mary, Dansville (1983-84). Also during this time, he served as a part-time chaplain at Craig Developmental Center in Sonyea.
Father McCaffrey’s first pastorate was at St. John the Evangelist, Newark Valley, and St. Francis of Assisi, Catatonk, in 1984. He also was pastor at Church of the Holy Cross, Dryden/Freeville (1993-94) and St. Anthony and St. Patrick, Elmira (1994-2000). In 2000, he served as prison chaplain at Auburn and Butler correctional facilities. In 2004, he served as sacramental minister at St. Mary, Waterloo. He then became pastor of Catholic Community of the Blessed Trinity in Wolcott, Red Creek and Fair Haven in 2007.
In 2014, he returned to Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which had been his first assignment following ordination.
“I enjoyed my last nine years at Brockport,” Father McCaffrey remarked. “The people there were very supportive.”
Father McCaffrey said the parish is planning a party to celebrate its 175th anniversary May 27. While Father McCaffrey said he is unsure of what’s next for him in his priestly ministry, he plans to take a group of travelers to Ireland in October.
Tags: Holy Orders, Monroe County West
