On a quiet stretch of Ohio Avenue in Medford, New York, St. Sylvester Roman Catholic Church serves a Long Island parish that calls itself "a community praying, growing, serving and welcoming in Jesus Christ." A member of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the parish gathers hundreds of families each week for Mass in English and Vietnamese, walks children and adults through the sacraments, and reaches beyond the parish grounds to neighbors in need through Clare House and a thrift shop.
Mass in English and Vietnamese
The parish weekend schedule opens with the Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM and continues on Sunday with three morning Masses at 7:30, 9:00, and 11:00 AM. A Vietnamese Mass is celebrated at 3:00 PM on Sunday, reflecting the diversity of the surrounding area. Weekday Mass is offered Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8:30 AM, with no Mass on Wednesday or Saturday morning.
The Sunday 11:00 AM Mass is the setting for Children's Liturgy on the second and fourth Sundays of the month from October through April, giving younger children an age-appropriate experience of the liturgy while the rest of the assembly worships together. The parish also livestreams the 5:00 PM Saturday and 11:00 AM Sunday Masses, with recordings archived on its YouTube channel. Faith Formation students who are homebound because of illness or injury may use the livestream for their Mass Reflection Forms.
Confession and the Seven Sacraments
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated on Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:30 PM, half an hour before the Vigil Mass, or by appointment. The parish also prepares people for and celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Baptisms are scheduled on predetermined dates, with parents required to attend a Baptism class generally offered on the first Monday of the month. Arrangements are made through the Baptism Coordinator at 631-475-4506 extension 102. Godparents must be practicing, confirmed Catholics at least sixteen years old, and proof of Baptism and Confirmation is required; a baptized member of another Christian tradition may serve as a Christian Witness.
First Communion and Confirmation preparation are integrated into the parish Faith Formation program. The parish also celebrates Anointing the Sick and supports men who may be discerning a call to Holy Orders.
Faith Formation from Level 1 through Confirmation
The Faith Formation Office, led by Michael Lofaro, walks children from first grade through high school along an eight-level path. The program is open to children in first grade through high school, to young adults seeking sacraments, and to those wanting to become Catholic. Catechists - parish volunteers - teach Levels 1 through 8 in the parish center.
Level 1 is a Parent and Child formation year, meeting once a month on Saturdays from 9:00 to 10:15 AM. The opening session is held in the church; the remaining five meetings take place in the parish center, where parents gather separately for a presentation while their children are in class. The year ends with a prayer service and bagel breakfast that all the families help to make happen.
Levels 2 through 6 meet every other week at the parish so that parents with children of different ages only need to come once. Sessions run Tuesday and Thursday from 4:45 to 6:00 PM, or Wednesday from 5:15 to 6:30 PM. Home-Taught options for Levels 3, 4, and 5 meet once a month on Saturday mornings for a lesson and activity, with the remaining work done at home. Level 7, the immediate preparation for Confirmation, gathers Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 PM and on Wednesday evenings. Level 8 completes Confirmation preparation and celebrates the sacrament in the fall.
Children in Levels 2 through 7 also complete monthly Mass Reflection Forms and, together with their parents, are encouraged to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once during the formation year.
Children with special needs are welcomed through an Individualized Faith Formation program designed for those diagnosed with Autism, ADD or ADHD, reading disabilities, cognitive speech delays, ODD or other behavioral concerns, sensory processing disorder, or other health impairments. Volunteers with training and experience work with the parish to place each child in the class that will be most beneficial.
Becoming Catholic and Adult Faith Formation
For adults, the parish offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), formerly known as RCIA. OCIA welcomes non-baptized adults, baptized Christians from other traditions seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, and Catholics who have not yet received the sacraments of initiation. The process leads to the celebration of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, followed by a period of mystagogy. Separate tracks prepare adults for Confirmation only or for Confirmation with Eucharist.
The parish also offers adult continuing education courses in Hebrew Scripture, New Testament, Church, Christology, Liturgy and Sacraments, and Morality, which lead to Basic Certification in Religious Studies from the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Music Ministry and the Choirs
Music at St. Sylvester is led by Therese and Clark Blanton. The Children's Choir is open to all students in grades 2 through 8; no audition is required, only enthusiasm for singing. The Adult Choir sings at the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass and calls for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices to make rich harmony. New members are always welcome, especially altos and men for balance. The Adult Choir has produced multi-part virtual recordings titled "The Cross of Jesus," "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," and "The Word is in Your Heart," which remain available for listening online.
For couples planning a church wedding, the Music Ministry team supplies a list of suggested processional and recessional pieces drawn from works by Purcell, Pachelbel, Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Wagner, and others, and helps the couple select music that is sacred in character rather than secular.
Clare House and Parish Social Ministry
The parish reaches beyond its grounds through Clare House, the parish's outreach center. The goal of Parish Social Ministry is to engage parishioners in social justice and outreach activities that allow them to live out the Gospel call to serve others and to build the Kingdom of God. Clare House offers direct service to neighbors in need and expands the parish's understanding of Catholic Social Teaching through the "See, Judge, Act" method.
Clients receive access to a food pantry, the thrift shop, case management, advocacy, information and referral, and other resources. In-person services at Clare House operate by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and a Bread Ministry is offered on Fridays from 10:00 AM to noon. Staff and volunteers also work to address the structural causes of poverty, asking why people are hungry as well as feeding the hungry. The seven Corporal Works of Mercy - feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead - and the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy shape the ministry's daily life.
The parish thrift shop, located within the parish complex, is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. It offers low-cost clothing and household goods to neighbors and helps fund the wider ministry.
Weddings at St. Sylvester
Couples marrying at St. Sylvester begin planning with the parish at least six months before the wedding, contacting the Parish Center before making any other arrangements. Weddings are scheduled Fridays at 3:00, 4:30, and 6:00 PM and Saturdays at 10:30 AM or 2:30 PM; other days and times may also be available. Either the bride or the groom must be connected to the parish by residence within its boundaries or by having celebrated a sacrament there.
Engaged couples participate in a parish Pre-Cana program. A typical Pre-Cana group gathers four or five engaged couples with two married team couples who present situations and issues from married life, helping the engaged come to a deeper appreciation of their intended spouse through reflection and conversation.
Children from Holy Angels Regional School, the parish's partner elementary school, receive religious instruction in their school but complete their parish sacramental preparation at St. Sylvester.
Stewardship and Getting Involved
St. Sylvester describes itself as a Stewardship parish, believing that the giving of one's time, talent, and treasure in recognition of God's blessings is integral to parish life. With more than fifty ministries run by hundreds of parishioners, the parish invites newcomers to read the Ministry Guide and complete a Time and Talent Response Form. Lori Zito, Director of Parish Ministries and Events, helps those discerning which ministry best fits their gifts.
All parish ministers - including those in law enforcement, health care, and education - complete diocesan background checks and Virtus "Protecting God's Children" training before serving. The stewardship office coordinates this compliance work.
Parishioners can register their families, sign up children for Faith Formation, or enroll in online giving through ParishSOFT (parish code NY285). Online giving can be set up online, by calling the toll-free number 866-930-4774, or by texting ENROLL to 631-201-5922. Funds are drawn automatically from a bank account or a credit or debit card. The parish also invites participation in the diocesan Catholic Ministries Appeal, which supports feeding and clothing the needy, comforting the sick and dying, protecting the dignity of life, religious education, seminarian formation, parish outreach, and youth and young adult ministry across Long Island.
Patron: Pope Saint Sylvester
The parish takes its name from Pope Saint Sylvester I, whose feast day is celebrated on December 31. The prayer to St. Sylvester asks, through his intercession, the grace to run the course of this present life under God's guidance and to attain life without end. A Jubilee Year of St. Francis observance is noted in the parish's ongoing liturgical life, in keeping with the broader Franciscan and diocesan commemorations.
At 68 Ohio Avenue, between weekday mornings and Sunday evenings, between English and Vietnamese, between faith formation classrooms and the food pantry at Clare House, St. Sylvester Roman Catholic Church keeps its promise to be a community that prays, grows, serves, and welcomes in Jesus Christ.