Alabama-Basom Methodist Church, 1392 Lewiston Road, Alabama. Join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. This week our sermon title is "Heavenly Power", led by Eric Phelps (CLM).  

Ascension Parish - Roman Catholic Church, 135 Swan St., Batavia. We are open for Mass in the Church on Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We hope to see you there! 

Assemblies of God-New Covenant Chapel, 6690 Oak Orchard Rd., Elba.14058. We welcome all seeking a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through His finished work on The Cross with The Power of The Holy Spirit. John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you want a small, close-knit church family and a place to make a difference, please join us. Worship Service is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Bible Study Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m. Contact us at (585)-757-6651 (585)-969-1528 or visit us on Youtube.

Batavia Assembly of God, 24 North Spruce St, Batavia. Join us for coffee in our café before our Sunday morning service that begins at 10:30 a.m. We offer "Movement Kids" (age 4 - grade 5) at 10:30 a.m. and "MVMT YTH" (grades 6-12) meet on Sunday nights at 7 p.m.

Batavia First Baptist Church, 306 E. Main St., Pastor David Weidman, where "Christ the Center, Love for All" is very evident to all who enter. We invite you to our Full Gospel Sunday services at 10 a.m.; The Thrift Shoppe is open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., come and browse in our beautifully renovated space. Donations are accepted during business hours. You can also enjoy a light lunch at Lydia's Kitchen while you shop. Questions? Email: firstbaptist2002@yahoo.com. Call us at (585)343-9002.

Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia, invites you to join us for in-person worship on Sundays at 9 a.m. (Arise-relaxed with band music) or 10:45 a.m. (Sanctuary -liturgical and organ) or on Livestream via Facebook Live for both times at: https://fpcbatavia.org/  or https://www.facebook.com/fpcbatavia/videos/.

Batavia First United Methodist Church, 8221 Lewiston Road, Batavia. Our mission & vision statement:  “To be disciples, we must listen, learn, lead, and love our way to God.” Reverend Wayne Mort leads our worship service every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in the church sanctuary. Childcare is offered for children birth-3 years old and Sunday school is offered for children ages 4-14 years old. You can also find the service on Facebook. We invite you to learn more about Batavia First UMC by visiting our website at www.BataviaFirstumc.com.

Byron Presbyterian Church, 6293 W. Main St., Byron. Pastor: Rev. Michael Fry. Musical Director: Laurence Tallman. Service and Sunday School at 9:45 A.M. Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-21 and Romans 8:22-27. Message: “Buckets and Buckets”. Children’s Day/Pentecost Sunday – This will be action packed. Kids performing. Choir sings. Youth will help with the service. Bibles presented. Cradle roll. Ice Cream! Our buckets will overflow!! All are welcome.

Calvary Baptist Church of Le Roy, 8703 Lake Street Road, Le Roy.  If you do not already have a church that you attend regularly, we would like to invite you to give Calvary Baptist Church a try.  It would be a pleasure to have you join us for worship and fellowship on a Sunday morning or at one of our other mid-week events. As a multi-generational congregation that enjoys our time together, our Sunday worship service typically includes singing a mix of both traditional and contemporary songs and hymns, a children’s message, and a sermon from the Word of God. Our Sunday worship service begins at 10:15 a.m.

City Church, 210 E. Main St., Batavia, invites you for our Sunday morning services at 8:30 and 10 a.m. with Kids ministry at 10 a.m. and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to join us for worship and a message. We believe in doing life together and would love to do life with YOU!  You can also connect with us online at www.thecitychurch.com, through our Facebook page, The City Church, or our YouTube channel.  We do life together.

Corfu United Presbyterian Church 63 Alleghany Road, Corfu. Corfu United Presbyterian Church welcomes all visitors to come to worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. in person or via our Facebook livestream led by Pastor Evan Wildhack. Our mission at CUPC is to connect with Christ, connect with others, and connect others with Christ. Weekly Bible study is held on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. CUPC's food pantry is open on the third Saturday of the month from 9 - 10 a.m. Contact the church office by phone at (585) 599-6414 or via email at office@corfuchurch.org Office hours are Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cornerstone Church of East Pembroke, part of American Baptist Churches USA, 2583 Main Road, East Pembroke. Our Sunday service is at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Glenn Bloom preaching. Bible Study is every Wednesday at 10 a.m. We are a small church and welcome new members. (585) 762-8721

Darien Disciples Church, 1951 Broadway (Route 20), worship at 9 a.m. on Sundays. Prayer requests to Jerry at: jeromedmorrison@yahoo.com.

Discovery Chapel, 315 West Main Street, Batavia. Pastor Ingrim Green's services are on Sundays at 10 a.m. "Let's Talk Real Talk the Gospel For Real Life." Visit our website letstalkrealtalk.org for more information.

East Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5735 Ellicott Street Road, East Bethany. Our Sunday morning worship service is held at 10:30 a.m. and is led by Rev. Dr. Shiela McCullough. Visitors are always welcome. You can find out more information on our Facebook page or by emailing us at ebpresbyterian@gmail.com.

Elba First Baptist Church, 31 S. Main St., Elba, is open for the main service in person at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. For more information about our church go to www.fbcelba.net. The pastor is Michael Davis. Email: office@fbcelba.net / Phone (585) 757-2722

Emmanuel Baptist Church, 190 Oak St., Batavia. We would love to have you join us for our regular Sunday worship at 11 a.m. this weekend! We will be trekking through the book of Acts and learning about the reaction to the disciples suddenly speaking every language in the city square. There is also a bible study at 9:45 a.m. with free coffee. Also don't forget that we have free spots available in our community garden. Come learn and grow with us!

EverPresent Church, 4 Batavia City Centre, Batavia(off of Bank Street). We welcome you to come to experience the Holy Spirit in a fresh way. Jesus wants to set you free from your bondages. Wednesday Service at 6 p.m. & Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m., Toddlers dismissed at 10:15 a.m., Children's Church dismissed after 2nd Worship Song. For more info visit www.everpresentchurch.com. 

Grace Baptist Church, 238 Vine St., Batavia. Sunday Morning Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. Grace Kids for ages nursery – 5th grade meets during the 9:30 hour. The service is live-streamed at www.gracebatavia.org. or view it on our Facebook page: Grace Baptist. Kid Zone & Grace Student Ministries meet on Sunday evenings from 6-7:30 p.m. Visit our website or our Facebook page for other events happening throughout the year. 

Indian Falls Methodist Church, 7908 Alleghany Road, Corfu. We have our worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings, led by Rev. Karen L. McCaffery.  This week's message is "The Faithful". To view our services online please go to our website https://indianfallsgmc.com/ for a link for Live Streaming. We offer Sunday School for all ages after the Worship Service at 11:30 a.m. Our Youth Group meets on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month from 6:30 - 8 p.m.  We offer a FREE Community Dinner on Thursday, May 23 at 6 p.m.

Le Roy First Presbyterian Church, 7 Clay St., Le Roy. Sunday morning in-person worship at 10 a.m. followed by coffee fellowship. We are an open and accepting church of all people.

Morganville United Church of Christ, 8466 Morganville Rd, Stafford. Enjoy this beautiful spring day with drive into the country to our God is still speaking" church, at 10 a.m. Sunday as Reverend James Morasco shares his sermon “Happy Birthday.”  Coffee hour with fellowship will follow our service. Friend us on Facebook! or better yet, visit us this Sunday as the coffee will be brewing.

North Darien Bible Church, 9768 Simonds Road, Corfu. We are open! Sunday worship service begins at 10 a.m. Children's Church classes are available for children ages birth through sixth grade, including a classroom for children with special needs. For more information, visit our website. You can also watch LIVE on our Facebook or YouTube channel. Join us from 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of every month for our free community closet, full of clothing, coats, and shoes for all. (585) 547-9646.

Northgate Free Methodist Church, 8160 Bank Street Road (North Campus), Batavia. This past year has presented us with many challenges, and many opportunities to show the power, love and grace of Jesus!  This weekend in our Summit service we are going to take a look at some of the ways we have responded to those challenges and how God has been faithful to us through it all.  Please join us for this time of celebration and vision-casting and if you are a member, remember to vote for our Administrative Team and Nominating Team. Services are Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 & 11 a.m. For more information about Northgate Free Methodist Church and to watch our services online go to northgatefmc.com or facebook.com/northgatefmc. 

Oakfield-Alabama Baptist Church, 2210 Judge Road., Oakfield. Join us for Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m., followed by our worship service at 11 a.m. every Sunday! Visit our website (www.oabchurch.com) for additional information about our church, our beliefs, upcoming activities, and past messages. Men’s and Ladies’ Bible studies also meet on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. on the church grounds. We look forward to worshiping and fellowshipping with you! Questions? Email Pastor Matt Ervin at mervin@tyndale.edu.

Oakfield Community Bible Church, 82 North Main St. Oakfield. This Weeks 05-19-2024 “Oakfield Community Bible Church” Sunday Worship Service is at 11:15 a.m., with Praise & Worship Music by Keith Burroughs & Andrew Lacey.  The morning message by Pastor, Timothy Young; entitled: “God's Armor: Part 4”.  With Scripture:  Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV). Our Adult Sunday School is at 10 a.m., along with “Sunday School through Age-16”. There will be a Time of “Fellowship Together” following our Worship Service! Bible Study held on Thursday Morning’s at 10 a.m. Come out and Join Us. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Our Lady of Mercy (44 Lake St. LeRoy) & St. Brigid (18 Gibson St. Bergen) parishes; Parish Office - 44 Lake Street, Le Roy. Weekend Masses Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (livestreamed); Sunday at 7:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m. (livestreamed), and 5:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Mercy. Also, Sunday at 9 a.m. at St. Brigid. Daily Masses Monday-Friday at 7:30 a.m. (livestreamed) and Saturday at 9 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy and Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at St. Brigid. View on YouTube and Facebook. Please visit the parish website (https://www.ourladyofmercyleroy.org/).

Resurrection Parish (St. Mary and St. Joseph churches in Batavia). St. Joseph’s Church masses are on Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at noon. Confessions are held at St. Joe's on Saturdays from 3 - 3:30 p.m. St. Mary's Church mass is on Sundays at 7:30 a.m. Vigil & Holy Days to be announced.

St. James Episcopal Church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia. Join us on Sundays at 9 a.m. on zoom, 10 a.m. in the church building, and on Facebook Live. Links and the bulletin can be found on our website: https://www.sjecbataviany.org/

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1 E. Main St., Le Roy, is open for in-person services at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. Communion will be offered to people in their seats and will only include bread. We welcome you to join us -- either in person or online. For more information, visit our website.

St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, 18 W. Main St., Corfu. Weekend Masses are celebrated: Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Corfu Church Site; and at 9 a.m. Sunday at the East Pembroke Church site, 8656 Church St., East Pembroke. Weekday Masses are celebrated on: Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in East Pembroke and Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Corfu followed by Adoration. Corfu Masses are also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. All information is on the church website and on Facebook. Email: stmaxkolbe09@gmail.com (585)-599-4833.

St. Padre Pio Parish, St. Cecilia, 56 Maple Ave., Oakfield Mass is celebrated on Sundays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. OR Our Lady of Fatima Church, 65 S. Main St., Elba, Mass is celebrated on Saturdays at 5:45 p.m. and Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6188 Main Road, Stafford. In-person service, including Holy Communion, is at 9 a.m. Sunday mornings. All  Are Welcome. 

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Batavia, 31 Washington Ave, Batavia. This coming Sunday (May 19) we will celebrate The Day of Pentecost. Our Bell Choir will play Celebration No. 1 as a prelude for the Pentecost Celebration. The sermon theme: “The Holy Spirit Tool Kit” is based on the scripture from Acts 2 and John 16:13-14. Adult Bible Class meets at 8:30am and will continue with their study on Revelations. Our service begins at 10 a.m. or can be viewed 'live' on Facebook. Our Youth class meets at 9:30 a.m. Sunday School children will attend the service through the children's sermon and will then go to their Sunday school rooms for their studies. Communion is part of the service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. Our Quilters group meets on Tuesdays 9-11 a.m. God continues to bless us richly as we focus on Him and His plans for our congregation and community.

The Church In Alexander, 10540 Main St., Alexander. Join us for Sunday Worship at 10 a.m. weekly. For more information please visit our website at www.thechurchinalexander.com. We offer a Free Food Pantry for people in our community, please call ahead if you need items from our pantry. For more information on Programs and services please contact us at (585)591-1765 or by email at thechurchinalexander@gmail.com. Church office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:15 - 11:15 a.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church, 75 Main St. in Attica, worships together at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. All are welcome! Contact Frank White at uncleferter@msn.com for a ZOOM link or for prayer requests.

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"Spiritual Connections" -- The Batavian will post updates to connect people with their places of worship, religious services, fellowship opportunities, and/or spiritual advisors, etc. There is no charge for this service.

If you have information to announce, please email: news@thebatavian.com

20 Ellicott Avenue, Batavia - Open House: Saturday (5/18) 1-3pm, Sunday (5/19) 12-2pm. Step into this exquisite Victorian residence on the beloved Ellicott Ave. A spacious kitchen with Corian countertops, a farmhouse sink, and a central island welcome you upon entry. Adjacent to the kitchen, discover a versatile space suitable for a bedroom or office. Next, find a charming full bath, featuring a claw foot tub. The spacious living room provides access to the enchanting wrap-around porch, perfect for serene evenings. Ascend to the 2nd floor and be greeted by a magnificent wooden foyer with leaded stained-glass windows. The sizable primary bedroom boasts an attached sleeping porch. Explore further to uncover a kitchen reminiscent of the home's past life as a triplex. For investors, you’ll find this property can easily be converted back. Continuing on, you’ll find a 2nd floor bathroom, featuring a newly tiled shower, a luxurious jacuzzi tub, and ample space to indulge in self-care. Laundry becomes a breeze with abundant storage and amenities. Finally, on the 3rd floor, discover two generously sized rooms, brimming with potential and awaiting your creative touch! Viewings start 5-16 (10am) offers due on 5-22 by 5pm. 

In a unanimous vote, the board passed a resolution that calls for payment of up to $500 in local training stipends for certain firefighter training for Town of Batavia firefighters.

“It’s long overdue and we’re very supportive of volunteer fire service,” Batavia Town Supervisor Greg Post said. “We’re pleased to pass this resolution as quickly as we were able to.”

In March, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the start of the statewide program, stating that the goal is to strengthen and stabilize New York’s volunteer fire service. She said that $10

The Genesee County Health Department receives funding from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to carry out the Healthy Neighborhoods Program (HNP). Residents in the Town and City of Batavia are eligible to participate. 

The program offers free home evaluations for asthma triggers, indoor air quality, lead-based paint hazards, fire risks, and other health hazards. At the home evaluations, residents are educated on asthma management, childhood lead poisoning prevention, carbon monoxide poisoning, radon gas, fire safety and prevention, and other home safety issues. Safety and cleaning supplies are also available to eligible participants.

Staff from the program are going door to door in the City of Batavia to raise awareness about the program and look for participants. At the homes we visit, we leave a door hanger or flyer with contact information for the Health Department.

During the spring we are focusing on Ward 1 (north of East Main Street from Vine Street to the eastern edge of the City) and Ward 6 (south of East Main Street from Liberty Street to the eastern edge of the City). We will be covering other areas of the City later in the year.

Information on the streets we are visiting each week will be posted on the Health Department’s Facebook and Instagram account under GOHealthNY.

Go to https://bit.ly/HealthyNeighbors to request a home visit from the Healthy Neighborhoods Program for yourself or to refer someone to the program. Once the Health Department receives the request, a staff member will reach out to schedule a home evaluation. 

For more information, call Healthy Neighborhoods Program staff at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 or visit www.GOHealthNY.org.

Bryce Bordonaro, a Le Roy High School graduate and son of the late Deputy Frank Bordonaro, graduated on Wednesday from the New York State Police Academy.

Bordonaro begins field training in Lockport on Friday.

Frank Bordonaro, 44, suffered a line-of-duty death in July 2014. Within a 24-hour period, the 19-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office was the responding officer to a fatal accident involving a pea harvester and a major house fire on North Road in Le Roy.  He died of an apparent heart attack at home after ending his last duty shift.

Special meeting to discuss budget transfers and healthcare payments or in lieu of. This meeting will be held on Monday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at the Byron Town Hall

A special meeting is to conduct business regarding Budget Modifications, Announcement of CFA application round open, and discussion of the continuation of the scheduled 2nd monthly meetings/workshop" Byron Forward". This meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at the Byron Town Hall.

To all motorists, businesses, and property owners along Batavia-Bethany Townline Rd in the Town of Batavia:

Batavia-Bethany Townline Road will be paved on May 21 and 22 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

The roadway will be closed to all through traffic on Batavia-Bethany Townline Road between Shepard Road and Bethany Center Road while paving operations occur. Through traffic is advised to seek alternate routes.

Residents and Property owners of Batavia-Bethany Townline Road between Shepard Road and Bethany Center Road will have access to their property but should expect delays.  

Emergency services will be permitted through. All other traffic is asked to seek alternate routes.

This work is weather-dependent. If work is delayed it will be rescheduled for the next available date.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is announcing this year’s Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C. The trip will run from September 19 - 22 and is open to local veterans and their families. Participants will get a tour of the nation’s capital and its numerous monuments and landmarks that honor those who served. 

This year’s trip will feature stops at several notable locations in the D.C. area, including the WWII, Korean, and Vietnam War memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.

“This trip is an excellent opportunity to honor not only our local veterans but also those who served before them,” said Hawley. “I am incredibly excited to host this event for another year. We owe our veterans a deep level of gratitude for all they have sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy in this country, so being able to take them to our nation’s capital to see these historic landmarks is truly an honor.” 

Hawley is asking that participants register by August 16. Due to the many generous donations from the community, local businesses and organizations, we are expecting the cost to be $450-$500 per person with everything included. To register, contact Hawley’s office at 585-589-5780 or email hawleys@nyassembly.gov for more details.

For those who wish to donate to support this event, please make your donation out to American Legion Patriot Trip and send to PO Box 171, Albion.

A measure sponsored by Senator George Borrello that would prohibit the fraud-prone practice of ballot harvesting advanced through the Senate Elections Committee today, marking a first for the election integrity bill.

“Ballot harvesting is a practice that is incredibly vulnerable to abuse and that has been implicated in several known instances of election fraud. New York is one of only a handful of states that has no legal restrictions on this practice, which should concern everyone who feels election integrity is important,” said Senator Borrello.

Ballot harvesting is the practice of permitting any individual to collect and return an unlimited number of mail or absentee ballots without oversight or a documented chain of custody.

Senator Borrello explained that his legislation, S. 1116, would make the practice of ballot harvesting ‘unlawful’ and a class D felony except in cases where the absentee ballot was submitted on behalf of the voter by a family member, a caregiver with notarized consent, or an elections official, postal employee or delivery courier engaged in his or her legal duties.

The bill also specifies that applications for absentee ballots must be submitted by a family member or a person authorized through written, notarized consent to submit the application on the voter’s behalf.  

Senator Borrello noted that a few of the more recent scandals involving ballot harvesting included:

November 2022 - A Staten Island grand jury identified numerous instances of ballot harvesting fraud in a race for City Council, including a ballot submitted on behalf of a deceased person and signature fraud involving dozens of other absentee ballots. The unprecedented 38-page grand jury report released by Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon called for changes in state election law including requiring official government-issued ID to vote.

December 2023 – The Queens District Attorney brought charges against an individual for submitting falsified absentee ballot applications for the Democratic primary election in August 2022. The defendant allegedly visited the Queens County Board of Elections and dropped off 118 absentee ballot applications and picked up the ballots the next day. An investigation later found that the voters listed on the ballot applications had not submitted the forms or authorized the suspect to pick up ballots for them.

January 2023 – A former Rensselaer County election commissioner pleaded guilty to using voters’ personal information to illegally obtain absentee ballots in 2021.

“We’ve made conditions in New York State particularly ripe for election fraud with the recently enacted legislation that allows early voting by mail. This is going to expand the ballot harvesting opportunities in New York’s elections and along with it, the opportunities for bad actors to commit fraud. We can help safeguard this process by enacting my legislation which would end the ballot harvesting free-for-all,” said Sen. Borrello.

“The cornerstone of our representative democracy is that voters have confidence that our elections are fair and secure. Ballot harvesting dangerously undermines that confidence, which is why I will keep advocating for enactment of this measure,” Sen. Borrello said.

Press Release:

Congratulations to the Confirmation candidates of Resurrection, Ascension, and Our Lady of Mercy Parishes who were confirmed land sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit by Bishop Michael Fisher of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo on May 13 at Our Lady of Mercy in Le Roy.

The Code of Canon Law for the Catholic Church summarizes Confirmation as follows:

"The sacrament of confirmation strengthens the baptized and obliges them more firmly to be witnesses of Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith."

Confirmation candidates engaged in a year long preparation program sponsored by, which included studying the teaching of the Catholic Church, reflecting on their baptismal promises, and the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.