History

St. Gabriel's Parish was established in 1843 after the Irish and German families had begun to settle in Hammondsport. Up to that time only occasional Masses were celebrated by missionary priests from Java Center, Wyoming County, Dansville, Penn Yan, Corning and Bath. In 1847 St. Gabriel's Parish purchased the Presbyterian Church on Church and Pulteney Streets. Then in 1886 a new frame church was constructed on the corner of Church and Shethar Streets. This church was destroyed by fire in 1909, and the present masonry building was erected the same year. Although St. Gabriel's Church has withstood many tragedies, including the Finger Lakes Flood of 1935, the spirit of the early St. Gabriel's Parish carries on today.
1830	Catholic families from Ireland and Germany began to arrive in Hammondsport; other Catholic families settled in Prattsburgh. Reverend Patrick Bradley, Auburn, N.Y. was the first visiting priest.
1843	St. Gabriel's Parish was officially established.
1850	St. Patrick's Church in Prattsburgh became a mission church of St. Gabriel's. Reverend J. A. Mullen became the first resident pastor in Hammondsport.
1886	A new frame church was erected for $4600 on Church and Shethar Streets under the direction of Reverend George W. Alger.
1901	The parochial residence was damaged by fire (possibly by arson), and work on the new present rectory was begun immediately.
1909	St. Gabriel's Church was ravaged by fire on Easter Monday while Reverend James Kennedy was pastor. The present masonry church was constructed in the same year for about $18,500 and was formally blessed by Bishop Hickey.
1935	The Finger Lakes Flood wrecked massive damage on St. Gabriel's Church. Reverend Patrick Kelly was marooned on the second floor of the rectory and was not rescued until the next morning.
1959	Reverend Earl Tobin celebrated his 25th ordination to the priesthood, the first and only priest to do so in the history of the Hammondsport parish.
1965	St. Gabriel's was redecorated and the sanctuary remodeled under the guidance of Reverend Edward Tolster and the William J. Woerner firm.
1994	Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester installed Sister Anne Michelle McGill, SSJ, as pastoral administrator, the first permanent pastoral administrator in the history of the Rochester diocese. Reverend Robert Hammond from St. Mary's in Bath was assigned as the sacramental minister at St. Gabriel's.
1999	Reverend Richard Shatzel from St. Mary's in Bath was assigned as sacramental minister for St. Gabriel's to replace the Reverend Robert Hammond.
1999	Sister Anne Michelle, pastoral administrator of St. Gabriel's Church, celebrated her 50^th year as a Sister of St. Joseph.
2000	St. Gabriel's Church joined with St. Catherine's of Addison, St. Joseph's of Campbell, St. Mary's of Bath and St. Stanislaus' of Bradford to form the Central Steuben Catholic Parishes.
2002	A new sacramental minister is named to the parish, Father Pius Pathmarajah.
2004	The Reverend Francis J. Erb is assigned as sacramental minister to Saint Gabriel's.
2006	Maureen O'Neill is installed as pastoral administrator by Bishop Matthew Clark and the Reverend Peter Anglaaere is assigned as our sacramental minister.
2008	The Reverend James Jaeger is assigned as our sacramental minister.

	St. Gabriel's Church
	78 Shethar Street
	P.O. Box 367
	Hammondsport, New York 14840