EAST AURORA — When patients, family members, and visitors walk into the future John R. Oishei Children's Hospital, they will be greeted by 10,000 smiles. These smiles will be in the hospital's community art mosaic.

Catholic Health has more than 9,000 dedicated associates, who uphold the mission to reveal the healing love of Jesus to those in need. Recognizing that healing can take on many forms, dedicated hospital chaplains work every day to minister to the spiritual needs of patients and families.

At Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, the nursing staff participates in a pilot program designed to encourage a group sense of spirituality, caring and compassion among the hospital workers.

On Feb. 18, Bishop Richard J. Malone formally announced Upon This Rock, a five-year, $100 million capital campaign that will fund the Diocese of Buffalo's mission in three specific areas. These three pillars, which the campaign calls "those we serve," "those who serve" and "how we serve," involve investing money into the future of diocesan parishes, caring for retired priests, and supporting efforts of Catholic Charities and Catholic education, all with the goal of ensuring a solid future for the diocese.

Many of us in the pro-life movement have heard someone make the claim that they're firmly against abortion but see nothing wrong with contraception. This statement shows a common confusion that blurs the truth, espoused and cherished by our Church, about the gift of life and the dignity of every person.

Washington D.C., Nov 11, 2015 / 04:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Proposed federal anti-discrimination rules could threaten the religious liberty of health care providers and also infringe on the privacy of patients, lawyers for the U.S. Catholic Bishops have warned.

When one considers the many ways countless human beings are treated like cheap disposable products - from children exploited by pornographers, to young sweatshop workers exploited by wealthy corporations - it's hard to imagine how much worse it can get for the poor and vulnerable.

The Diocese of Buffalo offers spiritual hope and guidance from a religious perspective to Catholics who struggle with alcoholism.

Author KayeLynn Grayce blends the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with Bible scripture and her own life as an exercise in sobriety in her book, "A Spiritual Awakening - Finding Your Connection."

In a new episode of "Consider This," Bishop Richard J. Malone brings our attention to the Kevin Guest House, a house where outpatients, and families of patients can stay while their loved ones are being treated in Buffalo area hospitals.

For many priests and permanent deacons, hospital ministry is an important part of their ministry to their community. It is true for Deacon Charles D. Esposito, who was ordained June 2014. While serving parishioners at SS. Peter & Paul Parish in Williamsville, he also ministers to patients and their families at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital in Williamsville.

OMAHA, NEB. (CNA/EWTN News) - With the hope of providing authentic and ethical health care for women, Dr. Thomas Hilgers, creator of Natural Procreative Technology, has worked for decades to establish a medical network that studies, understands, and treats the female fertility cycle.

A first-grader at Notre Dame Academy in Buffalo recently spearheaded a collection to provide entertainment for and put smiles on faces of children undergoing treatment at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Grace Mallaber organized a collection of 20 boxes of art supplies to be donated to the hospital's pediatric wing.

Catholic Health has taken an important step in removing language barriers in its hospitals with the addition of video remote interpreting services.

With the open enrollment period for Western New York seniors to choose their health care coverage for 2015 currently underway, Catholic Health is alerting area residents about important changes implemented by BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York to their Medicare Advantage offerings.

For a group of local doctors, serving the poor is about improving people's lives by donating costly medical care, time and much-needed surgeries. In May and June, a retired priest of the diocese was among a group that traveled to Ghana and Rome with the Hope for Tomorrow Foundation, an organization of doctors and surgeons based in Williamsville, that provides reconstructive surgeries at no cost.

Kenmore Mercy Hospital has gone through many changes over the past year, as the Catholic Health hospital continues its development as an Orthope­dic Campus of Excellence in Western New York. From pre-surgical education to post-hospital rehabilitation, Kenmore Mercy offers orthopedic patients a complete continuum of care all in one location.

Deacon Don Weigel led a faithful army to the state capitol on Public Policy Day to advocate for those in need. They spoke to state senators and assembly representatives, imploring them to pass legislation that would offer fair benefits to workers, restore dignity to inmates and decrease abortions.

Among the many retired women religious in the Diocese of Buffalo is Sister Norine Truax, RSM, who helped area Catholics develop ways to help children with special needs.

All Souls Day, and the Fifteenth International Survivors of Suicide Day scheduled in Buffalo for Nov. 23, are reminders of a recent letter that appeared in a newsletter of the Association of Marian Helpers. The author lives in Buffalo and regularly prays for holy souls.

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in a May 21 statement, applauded 43 dioceses, hospitals, schools and church agencies for filing 12 lawsuits around the nation saying the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate violates religious freedom.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops are strongly united in their ongoing and determined efforts to protect religious freedom, the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said in a March 14 statement.

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York voiced dismay in the Administration's handling of the church as the White House and the church seek to work out religious freedom problems found in a mandate in the new health care reform bill.

For many years, the U.S. bishops have supported access to life-affirming health care for all. During the health care reform debate in Congress you received a number of urgent USCCB memorandum calling for health care legislation that would advance the goal of truly universal, life-affirming health care: upholding longstanding federal policies against abortion funding , protecting rights of conscience, and not leaving immigrants worse off.

1. The rule that created the uproar has not changed at all, but was finalized as is. Friday evening, after a day of touting meaningful changes in the mandate, HHS issued a regulation finalizing the rule first issued in August 2011, "without change." So religious employers dedicated to serving people of other faiths are still not exempt as "religious employers." Indeed, the rule describes them as "non-exempt."

WASHINGTON - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have issued the following statement:

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement, responding to President Obama's announcement about religious freedom that was made at the White House on Feb. 10, 2012.

Most Catholic voters oppose the federal rule requiring religious institutions to buy insurance that covers contraception and sterilization, according to new research published Feb. 7.

The Catholic bishops of the United States called "literally unconscionable" a decision by the Obama Administration to continue to demand that sterilization, abortifacients and contraception be included in virtually all health plans. The Jan. 20 announcement means that this mandate and its very narrow exemption will not change at all; instead there will only be a delay in enforcement against some employers.

As members of Congress prepare to take a final vote on health care reform legislation, it is important to reiterate my position, and that of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.