It is a place of worship and community, which serves the Near Westside neighborhood with numerous ministries. Lucy's Church strives to live the teachings of Jesus including radical inclusion, care for the marginalized (poor, sick, outcasts), and challenging oppressive systems. Lucy's serves the Near Westside neighborhood with numerous ministries including a food pantry (four days per week), Bread
of Life (a community lunch on Wednesdays), and its Agape Shop (Wednesdays). The church draws people from across Onondaga County who are seeking a place of worship, community, and service. Although built in 1873, the church is an accessible building. As you face the church, on the right is an ADA accessible entrance with a lift to take people to the lower level (where coffee hour and other events occur) and to the sanctuary. In the sanctuary, there is a ramp to the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Chapel. At the rear of the sanctuary, near the main entrance, is an private single stall restroom designed for individual use. Across the street from the church is the gym which is used for larger events. It is also used by the food pantry and Bread of Life lunch. The gym can be accessed through a ramp entry. Lucy's Catholic Church was built in 1873 and was designed by famed architect Archimedes Russell. The church was named after the patron saint of the blind. On June 12, 1981, the church dedicate its new chapel to Kateri Tekakwitha, who was beautified in 1980 and then elevated to sainthood in 2012. The church underwent restoration in 1990 and 1991 to brighten the sanctuary and remove the altar rail. In 1996, an addition to the right of the main entrance provided an elevator and an additional flight of stairs, making the church as well as the basement fully accessible. In 1998, the church suffered enormous damage in the Labor Day storm when a church bell crashed through the roof and landed in the basement. The storm took down the steeple, the bell tower and the rose window in the front center of the church. In 2008, St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Syracuse’s Outer Comstock neighborhood was closed by the diocese and merged with St. Lucy’s.
