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Our History

Mary Magdalene Church was founded June 17, 2009 by Rev. Denise Donato and a board of six trustees.

Denise was ordained a deacon in April, 2002 and was ordained to the priesthood on Feb. 22, 2003.

In 2008, Rev. Denise began to feel like God was calling her beyond her work at Spiritus Christi Church, to something new. In October, this call became much more specific. She felt God calling her to begin a new community. Over the next several months this call became stronger and more defined. She became aware that many people were yearning for a new experience of church, however for any number of reasons, many of them would never go downtown to Spiritus Christi Church.

She realized there was a need for an inclusive Catholic church closer to her home in Fairport and she felt God calling her to be the one to bring that to fruition. This call was affirmed over and over again.

Mary Magdalene Church is a small but very vibrant church community. Our congregation is diverse with regard to age, sexuality, marital and economic status. Our parishioners range from babies to mid-eighties. In addition to our sanctuary, we have a small chapel with crosses on the wall to remember the children that parishioners have lost through the years. We are active in the East Rochester Association of Churches and have an active children’s ministry. Join us at 10:00 on Sunday mornings for homilies that you will find relatable, for an inclusive church community, for joyful celebrations with moments of quiet reflection, for a community that reaches out to support one another and our neighbors, and a for Eucharistic table where everyone is welcome!

The Story of Our
Pastor Emeritus: Bishop Denise

Bishop Denise Donato is an ordained Catholic Priest with  more than 20 years experience in parish ministry. She has a Masters of Divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, and a Masters of Social Work degree from Syracuse University. She was ordained a priest in 2003 at Spiritus Christi Church. Bishop Peter Hickman of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, the People of Spiritus Christi Church, Inter-Faith Ministers and Lay Leaders of Catholic Reform Movements participated in her ordination.

In addition to her work in ministry, Bishop Denise is an experienced mental health therapist and has prepared hundreds of couples for marriage. She has extensive experience working with the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered community.

In October of 2017, Bishop Denise was nominated to be an Auxiliary Bishop for the ECC; she was consecrated in February of 2018. She serves as the Auxiliary Bishop of the ECC and she is the founding pastor and pastor emeritus of Mary Magdalene Church in East Rochester, NY.

Bishop Denise and her husband Phil live in Fairport, and they have three adult children and six grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Read more about Bishop Denise's journey here!

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