An early Mass at St. Rose of Lima Parish in North Buffalo celebrated two important tenets of the American Catholic faith, as Bishop Richard J. Malone observed the Fortnight for Freedom and Rosary Novena for Life Saturday morning.

Bake sales are passé. Fish fry dinners are so last Lent. This year Corpus Christi Church in Buffalo turned to the online community to kick start its newest fundraising campaign.

The faith of most American Catholics is something they have been raised with after being baptized as infants. For St. Amelia Parish in the Town of Tonawanda, the process of welcoming new Catholics became an international process of learning a new culture and language.

Charismatic Renewal of the diocese will offer a Vigil Mass at Our Lady of Pompeii Church at 158 Laverack Ave., Lancaster, on Saturday, June 7, at 6:30 p.m. Charismatic Renewal will team up with Hispanic Charismatic Renewal and the Buffalo Chapter of Magnificat for this event. St. Luke's "Voices of Mercy" will provide the music for the celebration. All are invited to attend this charismatic style Mass and celebration of Pentecost.

As a half million people flooded St. Peter's Square in Rome for the canonization of two popes on the morning of April 27, much smaller celebrations took place in the Diocese of Buffalo. Both St. John Paul Parish in Lake View and Blessed John XXIII Parish in West Seneca carried the spirit of sainthood throughout the weekend.

Involvement and creativity are signature words for Rosanne Saccoccia. A parishioner of St. Mary Parish in Swormville, she is a prayer group member, serves as a lector and teaches a teen Scripture class. She also enjoys working with faith images slowly and deliberately, taking brush to canvas.

Blessed John Paul II Parish in Lake View will observe a rare occasion April 27, when its patron is canonized. In honor of the much-loved pope, the parish will celebrate with prayer, music and fireworks.

Bishop Richard J. Malone closed Holy Week with a Mass emphasizing the true meaning of Easter, echoing his recent newspaper column, on Sunday at St. Joseph Cathedral.

With Blessed John Paul II's canonization taking place April 27, Father Czeslaw M. Krysa has commemorated the late pope's last visit to Buffalo by designating a room in the rectory of St. Casimir Church as the Papal Prayer Room.

Lent, often times, is depicted as a desert, a place to meet God and experience an inward pilgrimage. Deserts also contain oases, places to go to rest and find peace. Nestled below the Niagara Escarpment is such a place away from a distracting, busy world. That oasis, in the care of the Barnabite Fathers, is Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston.

Pope Francis is advocating for the Church to make a shift from maintenance to mission. Certainly, such a shift will upset the way we do business. Perhaps this will be felt nowhere more than in a parish's approach to adult faith formation. At Immaculate Conception Church in East Aurora they are making this shift, addressing the profound faith questions of their people, discovering new enthusiasm, and seeing a growing sense of purpose in the whole parish.

The Bible study group at St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda has grown to 52 people, pleasantly surprising even those who began the venture. Jane Brown takes care of the administrative work and leads hospitality for the group. Experienced facilitator Harriette Hoebel has been sharing about the Book of Daniel during the latest session.

Bishop Richard J. Malone visited Sacred Heart Parish in Bowmansville to dedicate a Marian statue in February. As Mass began, women and children in a variety of ethnic costumes, representing the church's history, sparkled the aisles with bright colors. Father Joseph Klos, pastor, Knights of Columbus members, and uniformed Scouts stood ready for the procession.

With the 100th anniversary of Buffalo's Holy Cross Parish occurring this year, the church recently underwent some repair work to keep the building's foundation stable for years to come.

A special group of women in the Ladies of Charity group at St. John the Baptist Parish in Kenmore sew, knit, crochet and assemble layettes, infant clothing sets, for needy newborns in Western New York and Canada.

Long a highlight of the Buffalo Lenten and Christmas seasons, the Harmonia Chamber Singers is embarking on an ambitious new project with a new concert series and Kickstarter campaign.

Father Benjamin Fiore, SJ, has been appointed pastor of St. Michael Parish in downtown Buffalo. He returns to his second home after serving as president of Campion College in Regina, Saskatchewan, for the past eight years.

St. John the Baptist Parish in Lockport has challenged the media's interpretation of beauty. During a women's conference held in January, a fashion show rooted in virtue and modesty showed that although skin deep, beauty can be seen without showing skin.

The memory of one of the great African-American heroes was invoked at the Martin Luther King Jr. Mass. The annual tribute, held at SS. Columba & Brigid Parish in Buffalo, was celebrated Jan. 19. The Office of Cultural Diversity sponsored the Mass.

In a decree dated Jan. 7, 2014, the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy has upheld the appeal of former St. Ann parishioners, who argued against the reduction of St. Ann Church in Buffalo to profane (non-religious) use. The decree also prohibits any potential developer from repurposing the property. Bishop Richard J. Malone is reviewing the decree, and said the diocese will file an appeal before the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's highest juridical body. It will also be up to the bishop to decide what will happen with the use of St. Ann Church in the interim.

St. Casimir Church has become a bit more homey since Father Czeslaw Krysa set up a display celebrating the domestic Church. The exhibit is meant to remind people the first church was in the home.

Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica, which has stood as a beacon of faith in Lackawanna for nearly 90 years, has stories buried deep inside its walls, not the least of which was the collapse of the famous dome. With payments slow to be made and the architect in Cleveland during much of the construction, how could the jewel of Lackawanna be built in four years? That question and many others will be answered in "Building a Basilica" the hourlong documentary produced by Daybreak TV Productions.

Founded 135 years ago, Immaculate Conception Church in Wellsville is one of Allegany County's foundations of Catholic life. But years of patch-over work have left the interior of the church looking shabby, so pastor Father Sean DiMaria embarked on a plan to restore Immaculate Conception to its original glory.

The Catholic Directory has become the latest vehicle on the information superhighway. The 2014 edition will be released in a digital format in February.

St. Mary of the Angels is looking back as it plans its future. As the Olean parish prepares for the centennial celebration of its church in 2015, the building is being restored to its 1915 look and feel. The parish has also built a chapel dedicated to the children who witnessed the apparition of Fatima in 1917.

December is a busy time as visitors stream into the Gift Shop of Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna. Reopened adjacent to the Father Baker Museum in October 2009 after major remodeling, it features a well-lit sales floor and a wide variety of religious items.

The sound of sleigh bells will be heard inside Blessed Sacrament Parish as Father Bill Quinlivan presents his annual Christmas concert on Friday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m., at Father Cotter Hall at the Tonawanda church.

Respect life coordinators across the diocese have asked for more education on life issues and the diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities has replied. Warriors in the pro-life movement now hold quarterly Vine & Branches meetings to share information and hear from people making decisions that support life.

A new program at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Athol Springs promotes, safeguards and protects the sanctity of human life and hopes to bring about a change of heart for society.

The Year of Faith is almost over, and the Diocese of Buffalo came together AT St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo Sunday afternoon to celebrate the theme, as well as move forward with a renewed focus on New Evangelization.

If St. Mark Parish in Buffalo feels more inviting these days, you're not imagining things.

Daybreak TV Productions has reached out to local talent for the documentary "Building a Basilica." The 60-minute film tells the story of the priest and architect who built a magnificent church to honor the Blessed Mother Mary and will air on WKBW-TV on Jan. 19, 2014, at noon.

This month of Thanksgiving is a time in which we are especially grateful for the Lord's blessings. The blessings come in many ways and remind us of God's love each day.

Inspired by the tale of a 20th-century Polish saint, St. Luke's Productions brings their nationally touring "Faustina: Messenger of Divine Mercy" one-woman show for three performances in the Diocese of Buffalo in November.

November is Black Catholic History Month, as named by the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus. This year the diocesan African and African-American Commissions of the Office of Cultural Diversity kicked off the celebration with a Revival that took place at St. Martin de Porres in October.

Three days of preaching. Three days of singing. Three days of gathering for the Lord. For three days St. Martin de Porres Parish in Buffalo welcomed Father Arthur Cavitt who in turn invited others to "Walk by Faith, Walk in Faith, Walk through Faith."

St. John the Baptist Church in Kenmore was filled to capacity on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, as Bishop Richard J. Malone celebrated the annual diocesan Mass in observance of the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

Bishop Bernard J. McLaughlin, auxiliary bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Buffalo, will celebrate his 100th birthday at Noon on Monday, Nov. 19, 2012, with a special Mass that will be celebrated at St. John the Baptist Church in Kenmore, where he served as pastor in the 1970s and is now pastor emeritus.

Pointing to the need for a continued pastoral presence in St. Lawrence Parish following the unexpected death of Father Joseph Moreno, Bishop Richard J. Malone has reappointed Deacon Paul and Mary Weisenburger as pastoral administrators, effective immediately. They will remain in place until a new leader of the parish is appointed. There is no timetable for that appointment to be made.

Pointing to severe deterioration to the exterior of St. Ann Church in Buffalo, Bishop Edward U. Kmiec has ordered the suspension of all activities at the Broadway church.