About Us

On this page Mission History Timeline Staff Advisory Committee Program Co-sponsors

 
Mission

Since 1985, the Downtown Community Forum (DCF) has contributed to the development of a better-informed citizenry by showcasing the diversity of opinion within the Rochester community. DCF gatherings provide an opportunity to explore important issues and exchange ideas in an ecumenical, nonpartisan, democratic, and value-centered setting.

Financial support for these programs comes from the people of St. Mary's Church, individuals, corporations, and the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

St. Mary's Church is located near the intersection of South Avenue and Woodbury Boulevard. It is diagonally across from GEVA Theater, behind Washington Square Park and next to the new Blue Cross/Blue Shield building. The Dugan Center, where many of our programs are held, has its own entrance on the side of the building closest to the Bausch & Lomb headquarters complex. When programs are in session, a sign directs you to the Dugan Center entrance.

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History

Although St. Mary's Church is situated on historic Washington Square Park, miles from the closest residential area, it draws parishioners from more than 60 different zip codes around Monroe County.

In the early 1800s, Court House Square (as it was then called) was the center of the burgeoning Village of Rochester. It continues to be a center of free speech and a rallying point for protests and labor movements.

With this historical perspective in mind, the church decided to mark its 150th anniversary in 1984 by holding a series of highly relevant, non-partisan lectures and panel discussions in conjunction with the sesquicentennial of the City of Rochester.

After the year-long program ended, a number of enthusiastic individuals approached the church about extending its informal lunchtime discussions throughout the year.

The grassroots interest in the lectures helped St. Mary's Church leaders answer a question that had been plaguing them for many years: How do we best serve the needs of our community while maintaining a strong connection with our own parishioners?

They commissioned Sister Joan Sobala, then a senior pastoral associate at the Church, to meet with other urban ministries to learn how they were organizing their outreach efforts. By the Fall of 1985, Sister Sobala recommended that the ongoing lectures and panel discussions be formalized into the St. Mary's Community Forum.

The community-wide response was extremely positive and the Forum quickly became an important Rochester resource. In 1986, the parish decided to change the name of the program to the Downtown Community Forum.

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Historical Timeline

1985	St. Mary's Church joins with the City of Rochester to celebrate their sesquicentennial anniversaries.
1985	St. Mary's Community Forum is started. First Luncheon Lecture is held.
1986	St. Mary's Community Forums becomes the Downtown Community Forum (DCF).
1988	Jewish-Christian Dialogue begins.
1989	The Women's Spirituality group begins.
1990	The DCF adds an Advisory Committee drawn from a cross-section of the Rochester Community.
1991	Downtown Community Forum received the first annual Human Relations Awards from the Coalition for Downtown Rochester.
1991	Downtown Community Forum cited for its creative approach to social ministry in Church magazine, a publication of the National Pastoral Life Institute in New York City.
1991	DCF/National Health Education Consortium Conference Day begins.
1992	Coping with Grief During the Holidays program begins.
1995	The Downtown Community Forum celebrates its 10th year of service to the community.
1996	Betsy Glavin joins as DCF Program Coordinator.
1997	The E. Garrett Cleary Lecture Series begins.
1999	DCF wins the Coalition for Downtown Rochester's annual Excellence in Urban Initiatives award.
2000	DCF celebrates 15th Anniversary of service to the community.

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Staff
Monica Mattioli, Executive Director
Charlene Richenole, Program Manager

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Advisory Committee

Larry Belle, Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology

Dr. Steven L. Bovee, Roberts Wesleyan College

Agatha Crumb, Founding DCF advisory committee member (1985)

Owen Crumb, Founding DCF advisory committee member (1985)

Father William Donnelly, Pastor, St. Mary's Church

Paul Ericson, Editor, Rochester Business Journal

Virginia Fifield, Native American/Mohawk & Moving Beyond Racism

Catherine Frangenberg, Community Volunteer

Sgt. Carlos Garcia, Rochester Police Department

Joan Hensler, Former City Councilperson and St. Mary's Parish

Chris Hildebrant, Center for Disability Rights.

Art Maurer, United Neighborhood Center of Greater Rochester

Doris Morgan, Community Activist & Volunteer

Joseph Nairn, Finger Lakes Community College

Peter Siegrist, Architect, Landmark Society of Western New York

Anne-Marie Brogan, Pastoral Administrator St. Mary's

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Program Co-sponsors

Alternatives for Battered Women

American Association of University Women (AAUW)

Center for Governmental Research

Church Women United

City of Rochester

City Newspaper

Colgate Divinity School

Common Good Planning Center

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Diocese of Rochester

Empire State College

Foodlink

Gannett Lecture Series

Geva Theater

Greater Rochester Council of Churches

Industrial Management Council

Jewish Community Center

Judicial Process Commission

Landmark Fellows & Society

Leadership Rochester

League of Women Voters

Memorial Art Gallery

Metropolitan Forum

County of Monroe

Monroe County Bar Association

Monroe County Legal Assistance Corporation

Office of the Mayor

Parents and Friends of Gay and Lesbian People (PFLAG)

Rochester Area Community Foundation

Rochester Community Savings Bank/Charter One

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester Rail Transit Committee

St. Bernard's Institute

Susan B. Anthony University Center at the University of Rochester

Women's Interfaith Coalition

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