Our History

For more than 175 years, Catholics in Hornell and the surrounding Southern Tier have gathered to pray, serve, and raise their families in the faith. What began with a single Mass in a farmhouse in 1843 is today Our Lady of the Valley Parish — two historic churches, one community, in the Diocese of Rochester.

Catholic missionary activity in the Hornellsville area began in the 1840s, when Redemptorist priests rode circuit to minister to the Irish immigrant laborers building the railroads of western New York. In 1843, Father Benedict Bayer celebrated the first Mass in the area in the home of Thomas Doorley, near Webb's Crossing — a farmhouse that would be remembered as the cradle of the parish.

Doorley became the first subscriber to the church building fund in 1849, mortgaging his farm to help put a roof over the altar. That same year — after the Diocese of Buffalo was established in 1847 and Bishop John Timon appointed Reverend Michael O'Brien as first pastor — the parish was formally organized and a first church was built at the northwest corner of Cass and Buffalo Streets.

Regular weekly Sunday Masses began in 1851 under Reverend Daniel Delacy Moore. That date is the one the parish counts from, which is why 2026 marks the 175th anniversary.

By 1860 the congregation had outgrown its first home. Father Michael Creedon arrived as pastor and set about building a church to match the parish's growth. The cornerstone was laid in 1868, and on April 11, 1869, the present Church of St. Ann was dedicated. The building is designed in the French Gothic Revival style — soaring pointed arches, a steep slate roof, a bell tower rising above Erie Avenue. A major addition was completed in 1889, giving the church its current footprint. The sanctuary still houses its original 1870s pipe organ.

Father Creedon also founded St. Ann School in 1863 — the beginning of Catholic education in Hornell. A larger school building opened in 1890 with capacity for roughly 300 students; a wing was added in 1962. The school served generations of families until it closed for financial reasons in 2012. The parish responded by opening St. Ann's Academy in 2013, continuing the educational mission in a new form.

In 1897 the parish was transferred from the Diocese of Buffalo to the newly expanded Diocese of Rochester, where it has remained ever since.

As Hornell's railroad economy flourished, so did the parish. Between 1910 and 1912, parishioners built the St. Ann's Federation Building — a community center with an auditorium and dance hall designed by architect Otis Dockstader in the Neoclassical style. The building, which still stands near the church, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

In 1998, St. Ann's was clustered with three neighboring parishes: St. Mary in Rexville, St. Ignatius Loyola in Hornell, and St. Joachim in Canisteo. In 2004, those four communities were reorganized into a single parish — Our Lady of the Valley. St. Joachim and St. Ignatius Loyola were later closed; the parish today encompasses the historic churches of St. Ann in Hornell and St. Mary in Rexville. A perpetual adoration chapel has operated on the St. Ann's campus since 2001.

In April 2004, a fire — caused by an improperly discarded charcoal incense briquet after Benediction — damaged the sacristy and left smoke damage throughout the church. Masses were temporarily relocated while cleanup proceeded; the historic organ was carefully disassembled and cleaned by hand. In the early 2020s a further round of exterior restoration — brick repointing and steeple work — addressed moisture issues and preserved the building for the next generation.

The parish observed a year-long 175th Jubilee, culminating on July 26, 2026 — the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne — with a Mass celebrated by Bishop John S. Bonnici of the Diocese of Rochester.

Jubilee events included:

• A prayer service near Webb's Crossing on the ground where the first Mass was celebrated in 1843.
• A gathering at the corner of Cass and Buffalo Streets, where the first church building stood from 1849.
• Guided tours of the church, a sand sculpture of the church façade, and a time capsule to be opened by a future generation.
• Legislative resolutions from the New York State Senate and Assembly honoring the parish's 175 years of service.

Today, Our Lady of the Valley reports about 600 active members. The Church of St. Ann at 27 Erie Avenue and St. Mary's in Rexville continue a story that is older than the Diocese of Rochester itself — and, God willing, far from finished.

Sources: Hornell Sun — "St. Ann's Church and School: A Pillar of Faith and Community in Hornell"; Catholic Courier; Evening Tribune; WENY — "Saint Ann's Church in Hornell Celebrates Jubilee"; NYS Senate archives; National Register of Historic Places (Federation Building, listed 2001).

Historic photographs can be added to any section via the admin editor. The parish archives, public-domain postcards, and Diocese of Rochester records are all good sources.