The history of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church can be traced back to the arrival of Ukrainian immigrants to the Rochester area in 1903. As more immigrants arrived, there developedoped a need to provide for the religious and cultural life of the people. In the early years, priests from Auburn, Buffalo, Elmira Heights and Troy, New York would come to Rochester to administer to the spiritual needs of the faithful.

       In 1908, the Benevolent Fraternity of St. Josaphat, a branch of the Ukrainian National Association, was organized. This benevolent society and its membership are the pioneers of organized Ukrainian life in the Rochester area.

       On November 15, 1908 the first official meeting of the Ukrainian Catholic Community took place at St. Stanislaus Church with the serious intent of organizing a parish. At a meeting held on June 28, 1909, 93 parishioners agreed to contribute 3 days salary and on July 5, 1909 the sum of $417.50 was collected to purchase land on Remington Street, where the first St. Josaphat Church was constructed.

       The church on Remington Street soon outgrew itself and in 1914 a church on Hudson Avenue was purchased from the Evangelical Society and became the new St. Josaphat Church. The parish remained on Hudson Avenue for the next 50 years. During that time period, a parish hall was erected, an evening school was organized where religion, Ukrainian reading and writing, Ukrainian church and national songs and Ukrainian history were taught. In 1945 an all day Parochial School was established. In 1957, 9 acres of land and two homes were purchased on East Ridge Road and Stanton Lane in Irondequoit, along with the founding of St. Nicholas Chapel. This property would become the future home of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church.

       The parish moved in 1964 from Hudson Avenue to the East Ridge Road property. Services were held in the school hall until the current church was completed in 1979. St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2009.

        The church still serves as a focal point of both religious and cultural life for the Ukrainian community in Rochester and the surrounding suburbs. Divine Liturgies (Mass) is offered in both Ukrainian and English. The school and the church are used by local Ukrainian organiczations and groups for a variety of events and meetings. The "Mosaic- Ukrainian Heritage Center" is located in the lower level of the church. The "Mosaic" was organized for the purpose of preserving our Ukrainian Heritage. The Heritage Center features various exhibits of art, information on the history of the parish and information about the first Ukrainian pioneers of Rochester.

       The parish holds a number of activities which integrate Ukrainian traditions and strives to present our Ukrainian culture to the community. The largest of these activities is our annual Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Festival. Started in 1973, the Festival is held during the 3rd weekend in August. During the four day Festival, traditional Ukrainian foods are served, Ukrainian arts and crafts are displayed and a variety of artists perform Ukrainian songs and dances in traditional Ukrainian costumes.

       The parish also holds other traditional events such as "Sviachene" which is a gathering of parishioners as one family for Easter Dinner. This event is held the week after Easter. St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church is an Eastern Rite Church. The structure of the Catholic Church consists of Western Rites and Eastern Rites. The Western Rites consist of those traditions whose center was Rome. The Eastern Rites consist of the Christian communities whose centers were Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria. The Rites vary from each other with regards to their Eucharistic Liturgies, fasting regulations, celebration of holy days, art, architecture, etc. All Rites within the Catholic Church are of equal dignity We extend an invitation to all Catholics to visit St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church and attend our Divine Liturgy (Mass).

       In our past, our Church had a special significance and was an important influence in the lives of our first immigrants in the United States of America. These "Pioneers" did not know the language nor the local customs when they first came to America. They had to accept the most menial jobs, their earnings were low and they had neither life nor health insurance. They had to overcome tremendous difficulties, and at times, it seemed that they would lose their battle for a better life in this new world. But they did not lose the battle because they had a firm belief in God and a dose attachment to their Church. From their meager earnings, they gladly contributed a portion to the building of churches, schools, reading rooms and dubs. They knew, that by organizing themselves into church communities, they would be able to withstand hardships and pressures, receive moral and spiritual support and maintain their unique identity and rich heritage. Over the years, the Church gave them hope, courage and the power to rise above all life's difficulties ties.