In this report, I begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the many Catholics who participated in seven listening sessions which were held across the diocese in recent months.

Faced with the biggest crisis of confidence in a decade, priests from around the Diocese of Buffalo came together to attend their annual three-day convocation at Christ the King Seminary June 4-6.

Bishop Richard J. Malone, in conjunction with the Presbyteral Council, Vicars Forane, and the Movement to Restore Trust, will host a series of Listening Sessions across the Diocese of Buffalo during the next few months.

The Diocese of Buffalo is celebrating the Holy Week Triduum of the Roman Catholic Church during this sacred time leading up to Easter Sunday.

On Ash Wednesday, March 6, Bishop Richard J. Malone will distribute ashes at St. Joseph Cathedral during the 12:05 p.m. Mass. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the most holy time of the year for Catholics.

The following statement was released by the Catholic bishops of New York state following the passage of the Child Victims Act. For more, visit http://www.nyscatholic.org

"Victim's first." That is the commitment of Bishop Richard J. Malone and all the bishops of New York. "Our principle in anything we say or do, it has to be victims first. That's the first concern. I tell that to our priests."

This year marks the 46th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. A special Mass will be held on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 4 p.m. at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, 4125 Union Road, Cheektowaga. Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, will be the main celebrant and homilist.

My column will be brief this month, as I want to leave space for an important statement from the priests who serve our diocese as vicars or members of the Presbyteral Council.

Perhaps you caught some of the recent Plenary Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, held in Baltimore from Nov. 12 through Nov. 15.

After enduring several months of controversy and anger over his decisions about handling sexual abuse cases within the Diocese of Buffalo, Bishop Richard J. Malone responded to a recent story by WKBW-TV about his history in his former diocese in Portland, Maine.

As a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, I am concerned with the healing of both adult and child victims of abuse. I desire the reconciliation and the healing of the divisions in our Diocese. I long for the sanctification of the Clergy and the growth in holiness of all of the People of God. With all of this in mind: Here are three reasons why I support the Most Reverend Bishop Richard J. Malone to remain as bishop of Buffalo and lead us through the next two and a half years.

Bishop Richard J. Malone said there are no priests currently in ministry that he is aware of with credible allegations against them. He also addressed plans expand current abuse safeguards to protect adults as well as minors. The bishop spoke with media on Nov. 5, to answer concerns regarding sexual abuse by members of local clergy. The bishop, along with chancery staff, explained the history of abuse, steps taken to prevent it, and the diocesan compensation program for victims.

As we move through this extremely difficult time in the Church's history, at the forefront of my mind each day and foremost in my prayers are all victims who have suffered at the hands of clergy they trusted. My heart hurts and I share in the anger, grief and disappointment felt by so many. This crisis has shaken our community of believers to its core. But as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, "With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible." Those words couldn't be truer. We as human beings are completely inept to do anything on our own, but with God, there is hope.

The following is the statement Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo released to "60 Minutes" in advance of their upcoming story on the Diocese of Buffalo. The diocese also released it to the public.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will be the main celebrant and homilist at the annual Respect Life Mass on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m. at St. Louis Church, 780 Main St., Buffalo. During the Mass, the bishop will commission the parish respect life coordinators.

In the wake of the priest abuse scandal that has shaken the Diocese of Buffalo, Bishop Richard J. Malone held a Holy Hour of Reparation and Healing "to apologize deeply and sincerely to all who have been victimized by clergy or other Church ministers." The Sept. 30 gathering took place at 3 p.m., Mercy Hour, at St. Joseph Cathedral.

"Every Life: Cherished, Chosen, Sent" has been a consistent theme of St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis and one that has particular urgency today. This year's theme for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Respect Life Program fills us with encouragement and hope and calls us to love, defend and celebrate all human life. It calls us to joyfully follow the example of Christ, to love without limits, and further, to act on that sense of true Christian charity.

All are invited to join Bishop Richard J. Malone on Sunday, Sept. 30, at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, for a Holy Hour of Reparation and Healing at 3 p.m. All priests, deacons, consecrated religious and lay faithful are encouraged to attend.

Under the shadow of intense criticism of diocesan leadership, a Catholic congregation from all over Western New York came together at Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna to witness the celebration of the ordination of 15 men to the order of the diaconate on Saturday, Sept. 15.

Bishop Richard J. Malone delivered the following message to the faithful in the Diocese of Buffalo. His letter was read at Masses throughout the diocese on the weekend of September 8 and 9, 2018:

On the first day of classes at SS Peter and Paul School in Williamsville, kindergartners and first graders in the first row squealed and smiled as they were hit with holy water. They were gathered in the new 'Mind Cave' which was blessed by Bishop Richard J. Malone Wednesday afternoon.

It is important that I once again address the topic which has caused so much pain for so many. You do not need me to remind you that grave sins and crimes committed by a small percentage of clergy have had wide-ranging and long-lasting effects both here in our diocese and in the worldwide Church. I am convinced that the best way to respond to complaints of past abuse and to restore trust in the Church and her clergy is to be as open and as transparent as reasonably possible in addressing the complaints and taking action against offending priests.

After receiving a new abuse complaint against Father Robert Yetter, Bishop Richard J. Malone has asked for and received the resignation of Father Yetter as pastor of St Mary's of Swormville. Father Yetter has also been placed on administrative leave as an investigation continues. Please note that this administrative leave is for the purpose of investigation and does not imply any determination as to the truth or falsity of the complaint.

On Sunday afternoon Bishop Richard J. Malone outlined new actions to handle cases of clerical sexual abuse against both children and adults.

The following is a statement from Bishop Richard J. Malone which was read to the faith community of St. Mary of Swormville:

An incident of vandalism against a Catholic Church statue of Mary received a happy ending, as the St. John Kanty Parish community in Buffalo raised more than $1,000 to buy a replacement statue over the summer. Bishop Richard J. Malone blessed the new statue during a parish visit Aug. 14.

As I write this column, I'm just home from some restful days back in Massachusetts, where I lived for 58 of my 72 years until I was called to Maine and then Western New York. It is always a grace to reconnect with cherished people and places, and to enjoy for a few days the beautiful and calming sight, sound and smells of the Atlantic Ocean.

After receiving an abuse complaint against Msgr. John M. Ryan, Bishop Richard J. Malone has placed Msgr. Ryan on administrative leave as an investigation continues. Msgr. Ryan retired in 2001 from St. Benedict's Parish. Please note that this administrative leave is for the purpose of investigation and does not imply any determination as to the truth or falsity of the complaint.

The Diocese of Buffalo has released the following update regarding priests placed on administrative leave:

Recent attention in local media has been given to the joyful news of the ordination of four men as priests for service in our diocese, and, on the other hand, to the tragic story of past clergy abuse of minors. While we rejoice with our new priests, and share the sadness and anger of abuse victims - while continuing our commitment a to safe environment for our young people - we must not lose sight of other important matters that call out to our consciences.

The Trump administration's recent policy changes in border security and immigration enforcement, particularly the move to separate parents from their children, has drawn outcry from a number of Catholic leaders like Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo.

They all took different paths to the priesthood. One came from Nigeria. Another was a middle-aged computer engineer.

There has been mention recently in the local media about the advocacy efforts of the Catholic bishops of New York State at the State Capitol in Albany. The Diocese of Buffalo, with the seven other dioceses of New York state, is represented in Albany by the New York State Catholic Conference, the official voice of the Catholic Church in our state. The conference represents the bishops in working with government to shape laws and policies that pursue social justice, respect for life, and the common good. Through the NYSCC, the bishops speak with a unified voice on issues of education, poverty, family life, abortion, assisted suicide and euthanasia, social services, health care, criminal justice and the environment. This is the way in which the Church shines the light of Catholic social teaching on critical issues of the day and encourages citizen involvement in the legislative process through the Catholic Action Network.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will have the honor of ordaining four men to the priesthood on Saturday, June 2. The special Mass will begin at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo. Daybreak TV Productions, the television entity of the Diocese of Buffalo, will provide a livestream and replay of the ordination which can be viewed or shared on their YouTube channel @DaybreakTV.

"In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life's different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship, but to keep her on her course."

Bishop Richard Malone celebrated Mass in Spanish Tuesday afternoon with a group of about 600 detainees inside the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia. Many of the detainees are serving time for immigration violations. His visit was inspired by Matthew 25:37 "I was in prison and you visited me."

Throughout the day on Saturday, thousands of people lined up at St. Gabriel's Church in Elma for the chance to venerate several relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. One by one, they took turns walking up to a table and were allowed to briefly touch some of the relics which included Saint Pio's crusts of the wounds, cotton-gauze with his blood stains, a lock of Saint Pio's hair, his mantle, and a handkerchief soaked with his sweat hours before he died. Touching or praying in the presence of such an object helps a faithful individual focus on the saint's life and virtues, so that through the saint's prayer or intercession before God, the individual will be drawn closer to God.

Bishop Richard J. Malone announced that the Bishop's Residence at 77 Oakland Place, Buffalo, will be placed on the market this summer and all proceeds from the sale of the property will be dedicated to the Diocese of Buffalo's Independent Reconciliation & Compensation Program to assist victims of past sexual abuse by priests.