Buffalo Diocese announces official list of mergers, closures

10.09.2024 18:36

Wivb.com

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The Buffalo Diocese has released its official list of mergers and closures of local parishes after hearing 52 counter proposals from 54 parishes last month.

A list of closure and merger recommendations was announced in June following settlements of nearly 900 childhood sexual abuse claims, a priest shortage and a mass attendance shortage. Final decisions were announced Tuesday.

Several changes were made to initial recommendations. Most notably, St. Mark on Woodward Avenue in North Buffalo will remain open after the initial recommendation was made to close. Meanwhile, St. Margaret on Hertel Avenue will instead be used as a secondary worship site.

Another highlight is in Batavia, where it was initially recommended that Resurrection and Ascension parishes both remain open, but instead Ascension will merge with Resurrection. In Dunkirk, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton will remain as a secondary worship site instead of closing.

A secondary worship site means that the church will not have as many masses as a normal church, but will hold some masses as well as weddings, funerals and other events.

In total, the Diocese said Tuesday that out of 52 counter proposals, 26 were adapted as proposed and changes were made to the other 26. Mergers are expected to begin in October and will be completed by June 2025.

See the full list below.

Family No. 1

Blessed Sacrament (Andover): merge with Immaculate Conception and close.
St. Mary (Bolivar): merge with Immaculate Conception and close.
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph (Wellsville): merge with Immaculate Conception, will remain as secondary worship site.
St. Mary (Canaseraga): merge with Immaculate Conception, will remain as secondary worship site.

Family No. 2

St. Patrick (Fillmore): will remain as secondary worship site
St. Mary (Canaseraga): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 3

St. Anthony (Fredonia): merge with Holy Trinity and close
St. Joseph (Fredonia): merge with Holy Trinity and close
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Silver Creek): close St. Rose of Lima site, of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Dunkirk): Will remain as a secondary worship site
Blessed Mary Angela (Dunkirk): merge with Holy Trinity. Sale of St. Hedwig, Dunkirk, and St. Hyacinth, Dunkirk campuses

Family No. 4

Our Lady of Loretto (Falconer): merge with St. James
St. James (Jamestown): close Our Lady of Victory site
Sacred Heart (Lakewood): close Panama site
Holy Apostles (Jamestown): St. John site is now a secondary worship site, SS. Peter and Paul to close

Family No. 5

Christ Our Hope (Clymer): close Sherman site
St. Dominic (Westfield): close Brocton site

Family No. 6

St. George (West Falls): merge with Immaculate Conception and close
St. Joseph (Holland): will move to Family No. 33
Post Chapter 11, Annunciation, St. Vincent and Immaculate Conception will merge to become one parish with three worship sites, a list obtained by News 4 said.

Family No. 7

St. John XXIII (West Seneca): merge with Queen of Heaven (West Seneca) and close
St. John Vianney (Orchard Park): merge with Queen of Heaven and close. School will remain open
Fourteen Holy Helpers (West Seneca): now a secondary worship site

Family No. 8

St. Josaphat (Cheektowaga): merge and close
Queen of Martyrs (Cheektowaga): merge and close

Family No. 9

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Depew): merge with St. Mary of the Assumption (Lancaster) and close
St. Martha (Depew): merge with St. Philip the Apostle (Cheekowaga) and close, school to remain open
Our Lady of Pompeii (Lancaster): will remain as secondary worship site
Sacred Heart (Bowmansville): move to Family No. 15

Family No. 10

All Saints (Lockport): merge with St. John, close St. Joseph Campus
Immaculate Conception (Ransomville): move to Family No. 34
St. Brendan on the Lake (Newfane): Olcott site becomes secondary worship site, Wilson site to close

Family No. 11

St. Stephen (Middleport): merge with Holy Trinity (Medina)
St. Mark (Kendall): merge with St. Mary's (Holley)
Our Lady of the Lake (Barker): move to Family No. 10

Family No. 12

St. Brigid (Bergen): merge with Our Lady of Mercy and close
Ascension (Batavia): merge with Resurrection (Batavia) and close
St. Padre Pio (Oakfield): merge with Resurrection. Close Our Lady of Fatima worship site

Family No. 13

St. Maximilian Kolbe (Corfu and East Pembroke): will join Family No. 12 and serve as secondary worship site
St. John Neumann (Strykersville): close and sell the Queen of Rosary site (Strykersville). Merge with Family #14.
Immaculate Heart of Mary (Darien and Bennington): merge with St. John Neumann and close both locations
All remaining churches in Family No. 13 will move to Family No. 14

Family No. 14

Mary Immaculate (East Bethany): merge with St. Isadore and close both locations of Mary Immaculate
St. Isidore (Perry): merge with St. Michael. Close and sell entire St. Mary site in Silver Springs.
New formation of the St. John Neumann Parish including Attica, Sheldon and Varysburg joins Family #14.

Family No. 15

Our Lady of Peace (Clarence): remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 16

St. Benedict (Eggertsville): remain as secondary worship site
St. Aloysius Gonzaga (Cheektowaga): merge with Christ the King
Infant of Prague (Cheektowaga): merge with SS. Peter & Paul

Family No. 17

Blessed Sacrament (Tonawanda): merge with St. John the Baptist
St. Paul (Delaware Avenue): placed on one-year watchlist
St. Timothy's (Tonawanda): placed on one-year watchlist

Family No. 18

St. Francis of Assisi (Tonawanda): merge with Our Lady of Czestochowa
St. Andrew Kim RC Mission (Tonawanda): merge with St. Leo (Family No. 16)
St. Jude the Apostle (North Tonawanda): merge with St. Christopher's (Tonawanda)

Family No. 19

St. Pius X (Getzville): merge with St. Gregory the Great
Good Shepard (Pendleton): St. Augustine site to close

Family No. 20

Holy Spirit (Dakota Street): merge with St. Mark (Woodward Avenue)
St. Rose of Lima (Parker Avenue): merge with St. Mark
St. Margaret (Hertel Avenue): merge with St. Mark. Will remain open as secondary worship site.
All Saints (Chadduck Avenue): merge with Assumption (Amherst Street)

Family No. 21

St. Lawrence (E. Delavan Avenue): merge with Blessed Trinity (Leroy Avenue)
SS. Columba Brigid (Hickory Street): will become Hispanic Ministry Center

Family No. 22

St. Anthony of Padua (Court Street): will become an oratory
St. Michael (Washington Street): merge with St. Louis
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (O'Connell Street): merge with Our Lady of Charity (South Park Avenue) in Family No. 31

Family No. 23

Coronation of the BVM (Dewitt Street): merge with Assumption
Holy Cross (Seventh Street): merge with SS. Columba Brigid and close

Family No. 24

St. John (Olean): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 25

St. Philomena (Franklinville): will remain as secondary worship site
Our Lady of Peace (Salamanca): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 26

Queen of Angels (Lackawanna): will remain as secondary worship site
Our Mother of Good Counsel (Blasdell): merge with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Orchard Park) and close
St. Anthony (Lackawanna): merge with Our Lady of Victory and close
Our Lady of Bistrica (Lackawanna): merge with Our Lady of Sacred Heart and close

Family No. 27

St. Mary (Cattaraugus): merge with St. Joseph and close
Holy Spirit (North Collins): merge with Immaculate Conception and close

Family No. 28

St. Bernadette (Orchard Park): will remain as secondary worship site
St. John the Baptist (Boston): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 29

St. Anthony (Farnham): merge with Most Precious Blood (Angola) and close
: merge and close

Family No. 30

St. John Kanty (Swinburne Street): merge with St. Stanislaus
St. John Gualbert (Gualbert Avenue): merge with St. Stanislaus. Will remain open as secondary site.
St. Katherine Drexel (N. Ogden Street): placed on one-year watchlist

Family No. 31

St. Martin of Tours (Abbott Road) and Our Lady of Charity (Okell Street) will decide amongst themselves who will close
St. Thomas Aquinas (Abbott Road): merge with St. Teresa (Seneca Street)

Family No. 32

St. Bernard (Clinton Street): merge with Our Lady of Czestochowa (Willowlawn Parkway)
St. Casimir (Cable Street): designated as free-standing church

Family No. 33

St. Jude (Sardinia): merge with St. Aloysius (Springville) and close
St. John the Baptist (West Valley): merge with St. Aloysius and close
St. Mary (East Arcade): East Arcade site to close
St. Aloysius (Springville): Will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 34

St. Raphael (Niagara Falls): merge with St. Peter (Lewiston)
St. Peter: Youngstown site to become secondary worship site

Family No. 35

Divine Mercy (Niagara Falls): merge with St. Mary of the Cataract (Niagara Falls)
St. John de LaSalle (Niagara Falls): merge with St. Vincent de Paul
St. Mary of the Cataract: now listed as secondary worship site

Family No. 36

Buffalo State College will have campus ministry moved to Assumption

Parishioners will still be able to appeal to the Vatican if they believe that Canon Law was not followed by the Diocese, but the Diocese did say that the decisions were final and that they did follow all necessary laws. There is a 10-day window to do that once the merger date is finalized by that parish. It is currently unclear how many parishes could appeal to the Vatican.

"I understand the loss when we lose a parish, when a parish closes," Bishop Michael Fisher said in a news conference on Tuesday. "My heart, in one way, was elated to hear when our people would come into these meetings and share their love and their legacy of their parishes. These are our families, so that part rips your soul."

The buildings that are closing will be prepped for sale. There are restrictions on what the buildings could be used for to ensure that the building is not used in a "degrading way."

In total, it brings the number of parishes to 79 and secondary worship sites to 39. It is a total reduction of parishes by 51% and a reduction in total worship sites by 40%.

You can view the full press conference with officials from the Buffalo Diocese in the media player above.