Features Parish Life

St. Joseph Church, School, Chapel inducted in Sandstone Hall of Fame

wnycatholic December 7, 2022

Albion’s St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, parish school and lyceum, and cemetery chapel were all recently recognized by the Medina Sandstone Society and inducted in their Sandstone Hall of Fame. Two additional inductees, the Medina Canal Culvert and the Ryan Quarry House in Clarendon were also recognized at a ceremony conducted in Medina’s Village Hall.

Medina Sandstone Society Vice President Craig Touhey gives Father Richard Csizmar a copy of the plaque that recognizes the trio of buildings inducted into the hall of fame. The plaque will hang on the Sandstone Wall of Fame, located in Medina’s Village Hall. (Photo courtesy of Holy Family Parish)

Father Richard Csizmar, pastor of Holy Family Parish since 1994, was on hand to receive the award. He thanked the committee for recognizing the three parish buildings. He noted how proud he is of the buildings and the work and care that goes into keeping them in excellent condition. He stated, “These buildings are so valuable, so beautiful and so memorable. They are gifts from God.”

St. Joseph Church was built of locally sourced sandstone and dedicated in 1897. It is a beautiful example of Gothic Revival architecture.

St. Joseph School and Lyceum was built next to the church and dedicated in 1905.

In 1920, St. Joseph’s Cemetery opened on East Avenue. A Romanesque revival sandstone chapel, designed by Pasquale DiLaura, was built as a centerpiece to the cemetery. Every year parishioners gather at the chapel on Memorial Day to celebrate mass with Father Csizmar and remember their loved ones.

St. Joseph merged with St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in 2007 to form Holy Family. The St. Joseph site on South Main

The Sandstone Hall of Fame began in 2013. It recognizes outstanding structures made of Medina Sandstone that are architecturally unique. Age, longevity, and if the structure is still in use are also considered in choosing Hall of Fame recipients.

Since its inception, 35 monuments, churches, homes and public buildings have been inducted into the hall. This is the first time a school/lyceum has been a recipient.

St. Joseph Church joins another striking church in the Buffalo Diocese; St. Louis Church (on Main Street in downtown Buffalo), was inducted to the Sandstone Hall of Fame in 2014.