Catholic Charities - Appeal Week 2015 starts the weekend of March 21/22. Please ensure we reach our goal of $10.9 million by responding with your contribution or pledge today. Your donation helps educate, counsel and train parents, provide basic assistance to families and the hope of a brighter future to youth through our workforce and education programs. Find Good Within. Share God's Goodness. Please support the 2015 Catholic Charities Appeal. Find out more at the website or call 716-218-1400.

Canisius College Chorale to perform in St. Louis Church. The Canisius College Chorale, under the direction of Frank Scinta, will continue its 2014-15 Sacred Spaces concert series with a program on Monday, March 9 at 7:30pm in St. Louis Church, Main and Edward Streets, Buffalo. The concert will feature works by Hogan, Mendelssohn, Buxtehude, Dawson, Ticheli and others. Admission is free. For more information, contact the Canisius College Music Office at 716-888-2536 or Frank Scinta, Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts at 716-907-0466, email scintaf@canisius.edu.

Lenten Program. On Wednesday, March 11, St. Teresa Church, 1974 Seneca Street, Buffalo, will offer a free soup and salad dinner at 6pm in the parish center followed by a Taize prayer service at 7pm in the church. All are invited to attend as we gather for an evening centered in fellowship and prayer during this Lenten season.

CHANGE IN DATE: Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School to hold Practice Entrance Exam. All interested 7th grade boys are invited to take the Practice Entrance Exam at 8:30 am on Saturday, March 14 at Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School, 601 McKinley Parkway, Buffalo. There is no cost to take the test. For more information and to register, contact the Admissions Office at 716-826-3610 ext. 237 or via lancaster@bishoptimon.com.

"God Lives in My Story" is the theme of a retreat day offered on March 15 by the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, 5229 South Park Avenue, Hamburg. The retreat is from 1-4pm. Scripture stories will be used to gain a new perspective on the way God continues to show up in our own personal stories. If you plan to attend, contact Sister Ann Lyons at 716-649-1205 or alyons@fssj.org by March 12.

Flea Market and Rummage Sale. St. Andrew Parish in Sloan will hold their annual Flea Market & Rummage Sale on Sunday, March 15 from 9am-2pm in the Parish Hall, 111 Crocker Street, Sloan. Full kitchen menu will be available, featuring breakfast and lunch. For more information, call 716-892-0425.

End-of-Life Issues. Rev. Gregory Faulhaber will be at St. Gregory the Great Parish, 200 St. Gregory Court, Williamsville on Monday, March 16 at 7pm in the church to discuss end-of-life issues that we face as Catholics. Medical advances bring with them new and complex questions with regard to medical treatments and moral decision-making. Our Catholic Faith offers both a long tradition of reflection and Church teaching to help guide us through these issues. We hope you will join us for this very special evening. Registration is encouraged but not required. Please call Melissa at 716-688-5678 ext. 339 if you are able to attend.

Shadow Stations of the Cross. St. Andrew CYO presents the Shadow Stations of the Cross Service on Friday, March 20 at 7:15pm utilizing light, shadows and silhouettes, the Stations of the Cross is brought to life by the parish youth. Enrich your Lenten experience by joining us for this moving hour of music, prayer and reflection! All welcome! Your presence is a great source of encouragement to our young people. St. Andrew Church is located at 1525 Sheridan Drive, Kenmore (parking lot on Lowell Road). For further information, contact the rectory at 716-873-6716.

Organ Recital. Stephanie Honz will perform on the Schlicker pipe organ at Christ the King Seminary, 711 Knox Road, East Aurora. The recital will take place on Sunday, March 22 at 3pm. A free will offering will be taken. Compositions on the theme of the Passion of Jesus Christ will be performed. The program is co-sponsored by the Church Musicians Guild of Buffalo and Christ the King Seminary. Ms. Honz is the director of music at St. Louis RC Church in Pittsford, NY. She is an award winning recitalist in Europe and serves as the liaison for organists for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. Ms. Honz is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music.

Family Faith Food Contest. Do you smoke sausage, make a butter lamb, write pisanki, bake sweet yeast bread, weave a palm for Palm Sunday, or make horseradish for Easter? Enter the Family Faith Food Contest at St. Casimir Church, 160 Cable Street, Buffalo on Palm Sunday, March 29 after the 10am outdoor procession and Mass. Professional judges, gift certificate prizes for each of the five categories, creativity prizes, displays, Family Faith International Exhibit, recipes, and traditional, tasty sandwiches and salads available. To receive or submit registration form, call 716-824-9589, write 160 Cable Street, Buffalo, NY 14206 or visit their Facebook page. This is a heritage event not a fundraiser.

Breakfast with the Bunny. St. Andrew Parish in Sloan will have their annual Breakfast with the Bunny on Palm Sunday, March 29 from 9am-1pm in the Parish Hall, 111 Crocker Street, Sloan. Buffet style breakfast includes pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, coffee, tea and juice. There will be activities for the kids, crafters and pictures with the Easter Bunny. For more information, call 716-892-0425.

Good Friday at St. Michael Church: Our Lord's Seven Last Words. Rev. Ronald Sams, SJ, will be the preacher at St. Michael Church, Buffalo on Good Friday, April 3. The Good Friday service will begin at noon with the Stations of the Cross. The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord with the reading of the Passion and Communion will follow shortly after the completion of the Stations. St. Michael Church is located at 651 Washington Street, Buffalo (just north of Chippewa Street). There is parking in the back of the church. For further information, call St. Michael Church at 716-854-6726.

Post-Dyngus Day Dinner Dance on Saturday, April 11 at the St. Gregory the Great Ministry Center, 200 St. Gregory Court, Williamsville. Ticket price includes family style catering from salad to dessert by Nowak's, drinks, live music by The Buffalo Touch and a theme basket raffle. Doors open at 5pm; dinner will be served at 6:15pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Parish Office or by mailing your information to St. Gregory the Great, attn: Dyngus Day, 200 St. Gregory Court, Williamsville, NY 14221. Tickets must be purchased by April 1. No tickets will be sold at the door. All proceeds benefit the St. Gregory's Jamaica Mission Trip.

USCCB-Word of Life: Our Lord calls us to imitate him more perfectly by witnessing to the inherent dignity of every human being, including those whose actions have been despicable... we are called to oppose the culture of death by witnessing to something greater and more perfect: a gospel of life, hope, and mercy. "Life Matters: A Catholic Response to the Death Penalty"

USCCB-Palabra de Vida: Nuestro Señor nos llama a imitarlo más perfectamente dando testimonio de la dignidad inherente de cada ser humano, incluyendo a aquellos cuyas aciones han sido despreciables... se nos pide oponernos a la cultura de la muerte dando testimonio de algo más grande y más perfecto: el evangelio de la vida, la esperanza y la misericordia. "La Vida Importa: Respuesta católica a la pena de muerte"

Give the Gift of True Love! Heart to Heart PAIRS workshops help both men and women learn the tools to communicate skillfully, to problem solve constructively and to build lasting love in their relationships with their spouse and children. For more information, contact Dan and Irma at 716-652-1203, visit their website or email hearttoheartworkshops@yahoo.com.

For Your Marriage. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) provides information and resources about a healthy marriage, in general, and Catholic marriage, in particular. Offerings include a Daily Marriage Tip, regularly changing features like the monthly Marriage Quiz, Book of the Month review and Marriage in the News. They continue to add to the content on a regular basis. Go to this user friendly website, click on "Caring for Your Marriage," then "Resources."

Teams of Our Lady is a program that seeks to promote authentic married love that not only leads to God but also to a more intimate and enriching relationship with one's spouse. A Team is a group of five to seven couples affiliated with a Catholic priest/chaplain who have freely decided to join together to find support in their efforts to lead Gospel lives. For more information or a brochure, contact Dave & Cheryl Clifford at 716-677-0920 or email thetaximom82@yahoo.com.

St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans of many comforting words. During times of loss, loneliness and grief, we may not feel or recognize God's presence in our lives. Though we can't imagine all the thought and feelings you are experiencing right now, we do understand a bit about grieving and that, first of all, it is a process. The Office of Family Life Ministries has a free bereavement packet of materials designed to provide support, especially during the initial stages of grief. For a bereavement packet, call 716-847-2210 or email familylife@buffalodiocese.org.

Marriage Moment. Holidays: what holiday customs do you bring from your family of origin? Which ones are similar and you want to retain? Which ones clash? How do you resolve the differences? What new tradition would you like to start?

Parenting Perspective. March 13 is Friday the 13th. Have fun with your children by joking about frivolous unlucky things that have happened in your life. Then turn it around and talk about times when you were really lucky.