At 121 N. Fitzhugh Street in Rochester, Spiritus Christi Church is an independent Catholic community known for inclusive worship, racial justice, education, and a wide network of practical ministries. Its Sunday and weekday Masses, formation for children and youth, mental health and recovery support, and long-running relationships with communities in Haiti and Mexico all reflect the church's aim to be 'the continuing presence of Jesus in the 21st century.'
What Independent Catholic Means Here
Spiritus Christi describes itself as a progressive Catholic church and sometimes as an independent Catholic church. It is not a Roman Catholic parish. The church uses 'Catholic' in the universal sense of all-encompassing and welcoming of all, and traces the word to the first thousand years of church history. Its identity is summarized by Jesus' words, 'No one who comes to me will I ever reject.'
- People of all gender identities can be ordained as priests.
- LGBTQ+ people and divorced people without annulments can be married.
- Everyone can receive Communion.
- Everyone can participate fully, whether baptized or not, affiliated with another faith tradition, or affiliated with no tradition.
Its mission is outward-facing. The church describes itself as anti-racist and committed to dismantling white privilege, reducing its carbon footprint, and recognizing the spirituality of the laity in the workplace, home, and neighborhood. Most of its resources are directed toward people who are not members: immigrants, public-school children who need reading assistance, people leaving prison, uninsured people seeking mental health care, people recovering from addiction, and partners in Haiti and Mexico.
The Eucharist is described as the church's most important gathering, intended to equip people to change the world afterward. Spiritus Christi offers the full set of sacraments, including baptisms, First Communion, reconciliation, confirmation, marriage preparation, weddings, and funerals, without charge.
Homilies, Hospitality, and Hymns Shape the Liturgy
Spiritus Christi organizes its worship around three priorities: Homilies, Hospitality, and Hymns. Its diverse preachers look to Scripture for inspiration, while the hospitality ministry actively welcomes parishioners, visitors, and people who feel like outsiders. Musicians and singers contribute Gospel, Contemporary, and Traditional music, giving the liturgies variety without moving away from the Catholic form of Mass.
Two weekly music groups, the Spiritus Mass Choir and the Thursday Night Mass music group, are supported by several smaller ensembles. Music Ministry is described as a central part of the community's worship. Each Mass has its own character, but the shared atmosphere is one of welcome, love, hospitality, and active participation in the Eucharist.
Mass at Spiritus Christi, Hochstein, and Immanuel
Spiritus Christi follows a full weekly rhythm of worship across three Rochester gathering places:
- Sunday: 7:30 a.m. Mass at Spiritus Christi and 9:30 a.m. Mass at the Hochstein School of Music.
- Monday: 12:10 p.m. Mass at Spiritus Christi.
- Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. meditation and prayer, followed by the 12:10 p.m. Ecumenical Mass at Immanuel Baptist Church and a community meal.
- Wednesday: 12:10 p.m. Mass at Spiritus Christi.
- Thursday: 7:00 p.m. Mass at Spiritus Christi.
- Friday: 12:10 p.m. Mass at Spiritus Christi.
- Saturday: 5:00 p.m. Mass at Spiritus Christi.
The Sunday 9:30 Mass, the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12:10 Masses, the Thursday 7:00 Mass, and the Tuesday prayer and Ecumenical Mass are livestreamed through the parish's livestream. The Tuesday gathering has been part of Spiritus Christ's life since 1999, when Catholics and Baptists began celebrating the Eucharist together at Immanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Avenue.
Spiritus Christi also celebrates Mass in the Park five times each year at 6:00 p.m., followed by a potluck meal. Winter Masses are held at Buckland Lodge off Westfall Road in Brighton, while summer Masses are held at the outdoor Sycamore Shelter in Ellison Park. The church provides hot dogs, and those gathering bring a dish to share.
Accessibility, Parking, and a Welcoming First Visit
Both the Spiritus Christi building at 121 N. Fitzhugh Street and the Hochstein location at 50 Plymouth Avenue are wheelchair accessible, and both sanctuaries have hearing loops. The Sunday 9:30 Mass at Hochstein is ASL interpreted. For the Spiritus Christi sanctuary, free parking is available in the City Hall lot across the street on weekdays after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends. Hochstein offers free parking in its own lot and in the lot across the street.
A first-time visitor is encouraged to begin with Mass. New parishioners are also invited to a monthly meeting led by a pastor and members of the Hospitality Team, where they can learn about the church's history, values, and ministries. A Connect Card gives the hospitality team a way to welcome visitors and help them find ministries or small groups that fit their interests. The church office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The parish's hospitality extends beyond the building. Beginning with daily online worship during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Spiritus Christi developed a global congregation that now includes people attending from California, Texas, Florida, Romania, Austria, Brazil, and other places.
A Community Born in 1999
Spiritus Christi officially began on Valentine's Day in 1999. Eleven hundred people attended Masses that first weekend. Most had belonged to Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Rochester, where they had felt unwelcome after Vatican restrictions the previous year. The Vatican had objected to three practices: women's prominent role on the altar during liturgies, celebration of marriage equality, and an invitation for everyone to participate in Communion. The Diocese of Rochester, under pressure from Rome, dismissed the parish leaders and ended those inclusive practices.
The affected members and former staff formed Spiritus Christi, 'Spirit of Christ,' as a resurrection of Corpus Christi, 'Body of Christ.' It became an independent Catholic church. Mary Ramerman became its first pastor and, two years later, was ordained a Catholic priest in a historic ceremony at the Eastman Theatre attended by 3,000 people from around the world.
The congregation first made its home at Salem United Church of Christ at 60 Bittner Street. In 2003, it moved to 121 N. Fitzhugh Street, the former home of Downtown United Presbyterian Church. The Tuesday Ecumenical Mass with Immanuel Baptist Church continued from the beginning and remains a visible expression of Spiritus Christ's commitment to crossing denominational boundaries.
After Rev. Mary Ramerman led the church for twenty years, Rev. Myra Brown became pastor in 2018. Brown's work has placed racial justice at the center of the parish's life, including the creation of the Spiritus Anti-Racism Coalition and its work on a local Civil Rights Heritage Site.
Religious Education from Pre-K Through Sixth Grade
Spiritus Christi's Religious Education program welcomes children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Weekly Sunday morning classes combine Scripture lessons, singing, dancing, discussion, service projects, yoga, and meditation. The aim is to help children understand Jesus' command to love others unconditionally and to practice discipleship through service and everyday choices.
Children and families also take part in social gatherings, family liturgies, retreats, Camp Spiritus, and the Nativity Play. The sacramental sequence continues in age-specific classes: Baptism is offered at any age, First Communion for children in second grade or older, reconciliation for children in fourth grade or older, and confirmation for teenagers in ninth grade or older.
The program is designed not only as classroom instruction but as an introduction to the whole church. Children encounter Scripture, music, movement, creative activity, service, and the wider faith community in settings where they are described as safe, loved, and at home.
Youth and Young Adult Ministry
The Youth Ministry welcomes students in grades seven through twelve. Its 'THREE S' approach integrates Spirituality, Service, and Social connection. Meeting themes include finding God in everyday life, peer pressure, self-image, forgiveness, compassion, moral decisions, belonging, loss, racism, and social justice. Meetings generally occur on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the youth room beneath the main church, with social events and community service offered at other times as well.
Teens may also join a week-long summer mission trip in a different northeastern city each year. The trip centers on community service, teamwork, leadership, and the experience of working alongside people in another community.
The Young Adult Ministry serves people in their twenties and thirties through an inclusive combination of spirituality, service, and social life. Projects have included work with Habitat for Humanity and service at the Nielsen House. The ministry's focus is helping participants deepen their relationships with themselves, one another, and the wider world.
Adult Faith Formation and Small Christian Communities
Spiritus Christi treats faith formation as a lifelong process. Its Adult Enrichment Program combines Bible study, reflection, prayer, movement, artistic expression, guest speakers, and small-group experience. Some Small Christian Communities meet after Mass for brunch, others gather monthly in homes, and still others organize service projects. A virtual community called Across the Meets? No, Across the Miles meets on the third Monday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time, with participants focusing on the Sunday Gospel and its connection to their lives.
Specific groups include a men's group meeting on the second and fourth Wednesdays, a Unified Mindfulness group on Fridays, and an LGBTQ+ community whose meeting schedule varies. SWIFT, the Spiritus Walking and Wheeling in Faith Together community, brings together people living with chronic illness or disability for monthly fellowship and shared experience. Seasonal programming for Lent and Advent can include Bible studies, talks, and guest presenters.
This formation is intended for daily life as well as worship. Spiritus Christi places particular value on the spirituality of people in their homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods, seeing those settings as places where faith and service meet.
Sacraments for Every Stage of Life
The church makes sacramental preparation part of its wider family and youth formation. Baptism classes for parents are offered monthly. First Communion classes teach children the significance of the Eucharist and the call to love and serve others. Reconciliation classes focus on forgiveness, asking for forgiveness, and understanding both as parts of discipleship. Confirmation preparation for teenagers connects the sacraments with the Holy Spirit and Jesus' message of unconditional love.
Marriage preparation, weddings, funerals, baptisms, First Communion, reconciliation, and confirmation are all offered without charge. This makes the sacraments available not only to active members but also to families preparing for a major moment in a child's or adult's life.
Recovery Housing, Counseling, and Reentry Support
Grace of God Recovery House at 120 Franklin Street is a safe residential home for men recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. It can house up to six men, who remain in a supportive, structured environment until they are ready for a halfway house or independent living. Founded in 1999 by Sister Marjory 'Margie' Henninger as the new church's first ministry, it is directed by Mark Bennett, who came through the program himself. A small staff and volunteers provide support, share their Twelve Step experiences, cook meals, and provide transportation.
Every Wednesday, residents, former residents, staff, and volunteers gather for a 5:30 p.m. dinner and the 6:30 p.m. Sharing for Life meeting. The meeting begins with a candle, reflection on the past week, and attention to the heart and the work of recovery.
The Spiritus Christi Mental Health Center provides no-cost mental health care for people who are under- or uninsured. It is open Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The center also partners with the Rochester Spinal Association to serve gun violence survivors who have sustained spinal cord injuries.
The Spiritus Christi Prison Outreach provides residential wraparound support for people reentering the community from jail, prison, or treatment centers. Its work includes supportive housing and a peer and supporter network that has been active in Monroe County since 1981.
Care for Neighbors, Refugees, and Families
Caring Connection organizes practical support for parishioners facing short-term needs caused by medical issues, difficult circumstances, or loss. Its teams assist with errands, grocery shopping, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, pet care, snow removal, yard work, moving, visits, cards, phone calls, transportation to medical appointments, and resources in the Rochester community. Other teams provide Communion at home for people unable to attend church and offer gatherings and respite for caregivers.
Speaking From the Heart creates a monthly coffee hour where refugees can practice English conversation over snacks and beverages with Americans. The program is open to people of any religious affiliation or none, with goals that include reducing linguistic and social isolation, building friendships across cultural and economic barriers, and creating mutual understanding.
The Adopt-A-Family program helps hundreds of families receive a Thanksgiving meal and presents for their children at Christmas. A Tuesday community meal also gathers people around a shared meal each week. These ministries extend the church's hospitality beyond worship and into daily life.
SPARC and the Work of Racial Justice
The Spiritus Anti-Racism Coalition, or SPARC, brings together parishioners, community activists, young people, and other concerned citizens. Drawing on the thought of figures including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, Audre Lorde, Gandhi, and Rosa Parks, SPARC seeks a socially and racially just Rochester. Its work uses collaboration, mutual respect, and truthful conversation to oppose racism in both the church and society.
SPARC is helping construct the Minister Franklin D. Florence Civil Rights Heritage Site at Baden Park, an outdoor educational place honoring Rochester's civil rights history. A brick walkway recognizes past and present figures in the Black freedom struggle. The coalition's Black Community Focus Fund directs resources toward Black families and communities affected by historical racism as a form of reparation. Annual flag-raising and Juneteenth activities extend this work into public education and commemoration.
The church's public statements connect biblical commands for justice and compassion with opposition to mass incarceration, poverty, racism, overpolicing, and police brutality. Solidarity is expressed not only through statements but through direct participation in movements for racial and economic justice.
Mother Earth Community and the Practice of Stewardship
The Mother Earth Community meets on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Meetings move between online and in-person formats, with outdoor gatherings in warmer months. Its mission combines outdoor activity, fellowship, and a deeper awareness of the interdependence of people and the natural world.
Members organize zero-waste events, maintain composting stations, participate in community cleanups, and encourage walking, cycling, tree walks, and other outdoor activities. A community garden at the Nielsen House grows food through a grant-supported partnership. The group also offers practical guidance for more sustainable parish and family gatherings.
Spiritus Christi participates in the Climate Solutions Accelerator and Rochester Area Interfaith Climate Action, connecting its local stewardship work with broader regional climate action. This effort grows out of the conviction that responsibility for the Earth belongs not only to institutions but also to people in ordinary households, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Solidarity With Families in Chiapas
The Chiapas Mission meets monthly to learn about and support families and organizations working for social and economic justice in Chiapas, Mexico. Its work is grounded in more than three decades of relationships, including pilgrimages to the region since 1994. During the Corazón de Chiapas pilgrimage, participants stay in host-family homes in Tuxtla Gutierrez, share stories and daily life, and encounter the gift of God's love within a family network built across cultures.
The Las Becas scholarship program supports children and young adults in public schools and university. It pays for educational needs such as supplies, uniforms, shoes, meals, transportation, and extracurricular activities. Gabi's Light Scholarship remembers Gabriella Orozco Ortega, while the Ramerman Scholarship honors the late Rev. Mary Ramerman and recognizes a commitment to youth ministry.
Spiritus Christi has also built long-term relationships with coffee cooperatives owned by Indigenous farmers in the mountains of southern Chiapas. Their coffee is sold through Equal Exchange and at the church. Other projects have included brick and cement stoves that reduce smoke in family homes, oyster mushroom modules that add a high-protein food, and visits to communities around San Cristobal de las Casas where Indigenous communities sustain Mayan heritage. The mission combines pilgrimage, education, economic partnership, and long-term friendship.
H.O.P.E. in Borgne, Haiti
Spiritus Christi's relationship with Borgne, Haiti, began in 1995 when Joseph Pierre asked the parish to consider outreach to his hometown. Work started with a health clinic in 1996 and expanded into a hospital in 2007. The partnership has supported a grain mill, improved wells, teacher training, water purification systems, composting toilets, transportation for communities, and solar power for the hospital.
The H.O.P.E. project, short for Haiti Outreach Pwoje Espwa, now includes representation from universities, local business leaders, and churches. It operates a regular outpatient clinic and a 24-hour emergency room and organizes free open-door clinics so people can address health concerns without charge. The hospital also provides vaccinations and antiretroviral treatment.
Education and reading are part of the same relationship. Work has included building two library facilities intended to serve local schools, developing health and reading programs for vulnerable girls, and seeking age-appropriate books in Kreyol. Spiritus Christi continues to support H.O.P.E. through fundraising, visits, and sustained partnership with the people of Borgne.
Shared Resources and a Continuing Mission
Spiritus Christi directs a substantial share of its resources beyond the parish itself. Outreach ministries serve people in prison, people recovering from mental illness and addiction, children in city schools, immigrants, and communities in Haiti and Mexico. In-reach ministries support religious education, youth groups, marriage preparation, and care for parishioners who are sick or dying. The church tithes 15 percent of weekend collections to assist people in poverty around the world.
Giving supports one-time and recurring gifts through secure online giving. Weekly or monthly automatic deductions, PayPal, Pushpay, and legacy gifts are also available. The church's shop offers coffee, T-shirts, and books, with coffee from the Chiapas mission among the products available.
At the center of this work is a community that calls itself Catholic in the broadest sense and tries to make Jesus present through welcome, shared Eucharist, justice, education, and service. Spiritus Christi continues that mission as an independent church rooted in Rochester and connected to people across the city and around the world.