As students at St. Peter School in Lewiston return to class, they will be able to enjoy the results of large-scale renovations completed on the school and church throughout the month of August.

On Sunday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 p.m., St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park will release a new youth ministry program. Its pastor, Father Paul D. Seil, said helping middle and high school aged students to become more engaged in their Catholic faith was too important of a goal to abandon after a partnership with another Southtowns parish ended.

St. Mary of the Lake Parish in Hamburg will host a seven-week Life in the Spirit Seminar to introduce the power of the Holy Spirit to those seeking it. The diocesan Office of Charismatic Renewal uses these seminars to renew the zeal for souls, promote the New Evangelization and a culture of Pentecost.

Bishop Edward M. Grosz, auxiliary bishop of Buffalo, will present "The Role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the Mystery of Christ and the Church" on Monday, Sept. 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish Ministry Center, 129 Laverack Ave. in Lancaster.

On Sunday, Sept. 25, Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston, will be the site of the 36th Annual Rosary Crusade for World Peace. The event, which will take place from 2-3:30 p.m., is sponsored by the Niagara Council of Catholic Women of the Diocese of Buffalo. "Mother of mercy, pray for us" is the theme of this year's crusade.

From San Bernardino to France to Dallas and back to France; violence has erupted in all corners of the world. In Amherst, a group of church leaders sought to deliver a message of peace

A weekend filled with live music, classic cars, numerous raffles and delicious food offerings will highlight the 79th annual summer picnic at the Church of the Annunciation, 7580 Clinton St., Elma. The event kicks off on Friday, Aug. 19, and concludes with a grand drawing the evening of Sunday, Aug. 21.

"What a special day this is for Our Lady of Victory and for all of us." said Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, as he prepared to anoint the new altar at Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna on Sunday afternoon.

St. John Paul II called for all believers to spread the message of the Gospel. As the growing season in Western New York is in full swing, one local parish is focusing on cultivating and growing its faith, strengthening the foundation of the people for generations to come.

Blessed Mary Angela Parish in Dunkirk continues a Southern Tier tradition of holding a summer gathering that predates the merged parish's current name. Formerly St. Hedwig and St. Hyacinth, Blessed Mary Angela's annual lawn fete will take place from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 14.

The Buffalo Mass Mob is heading to St. Margaret's Church on Sunday, August 7, 2016 for 9:30 a.m. Mass. This is the 17th Mass Mob the group has staged since it was founded in 2013 to help struggling inner city churches fill their pews.

The Legion of Mary will appear on Filipino Day at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston on Saturday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day will include a rosary procession and Mass, as well as a potluck lunch at 12:30 p.m., and a Filipino cultural presentation.

The Our Lady of Charity Parish "Summerfest" will take place from Thursday, July 28, through Saturday, July 30, at St. Ambrose located at 65 Ridgewood Road, Buffalo. The annual event benefits the entire parish, which includes the former parishes of St. Ambrose, Holy Family and St. Agatha.

GETZVILLE — All are invited to join and celebrate the Year of Mercy in a three-day program titled, "Rediscovering The Mercy of God in this Jubilee Year of Mercy."

Nearly six months into the public phase of the Upon This Rock capital campaign, some of the first parishes to get involved are seeing the benefits of the generous support from their parishioners.

One of the highlights of summer in the Southtowns each year is the lawn fete at St. John Vianney Parish in Orchard Park. The 24th annual event will take place from Friday, July 22, to Sunday, July 24. The lawn fete will run on Friday and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 10 p.m.

When Pope Francis announced the Holy Year of Mercy, he offered it as a special time for Catholics to receive blessings and pardons from God. In turn, people were asked to offer mercy to others in the form of forgiveness and assistance.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has reappointed Father Angelo M. Chimera pastor of All Saints Parish, Buffalo, for a second term of six years. His appointment was effective June 29.

Living out the mission as a community of believers within the greater Lake View community is very clear when looking at the schedule for the weekend lawn fete which begins Friday, July 15.

Catholic and Episcopal parishes have followed the example of their shepherds by joining forces to help the needy. Now, a family of Somali refugees will have a home in Buffalo, thanks to the work of the two congregations.

"An exceptionally good trip" is the way Father Matt Nycz describes a recent pilgrimage to Poland. The pastor of Blessed Mary Angela Parish in Dunkirk, who was born and raised in Poland, helped arrange the mid-May trip which included about 30 Catholics from the Diocese of Buffalo.

AMHERST — St. Leo the Great Parish on Sweet Home Road held a ground breaking ceremony for its new parish center in May. With the help of architect Doug Scheid and the building committee, parishioners were able to view drawings of the projected new parish center weeks prior to the event.

Catholic institutions and organizations will hold blood drives in the next few weeks. Help the Red Cross by visiting one of the following locations to donate blood. Dates and times are subject to change.

A recipient of a miracle that contributed to the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Saint of Divine Mercy, will give witness at two area parishes on June 2 and 3.

Many people were joyfully participating in this past weekend's Corpus Christi Procession and Mass, held at the namesake church in Buffalo. See what all the hub bub was about in our latest photo gallery.

OLEAN — Traditionally known as Olean's first festival of the summer season, St. Mary of the Angels Parish will host its 45th-annual Church Festival, "We Remember - We Celebrate - We Believe," from June 10 to 12.

Daybreak TV Productions has re-produced "St. Joseph Cathedral," the 30-minute documentary that chronicles the history of Buffalo's Catholic cathedral and its role in the Diocese of Buffalo. WKBW-TV Channel 7 will air the documentary on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, at 10:30 a.m.

The United States tour of the world famous Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima will make its way to churches in Hamburg, Cheektowaga and Elba during the first week of June.

The Second Vatican Council Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy speaks of the power of music in the Catholic Church. Musician John Michael Talbot echoed that notion to the Western New York Catholic last month. St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda has a band that proves that music enhances worship.

A cross and icon of the Blessed Mother, gifts from a Polish bishop to the Buffalo Diocese, have served as tools for local pilgrims preparing for World Youth Day in Krakow.

The Our Lady of Fatima worship site of St. Padre Pio Parish in Elba has the distinction of being the oldest sanctuary in North America dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. The site also includes an outside life-sized shrine to Our Lady of Fatima depicting her with the three young visionaries.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Athol Springs will host a first class relic of St. Maximilian Kolbe on Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22.

Students of the Early Childhood Center at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Tonawanda held a special ceremony honoring Mary on May 6, the mother of Jesus, and their own mothers and grandmothers for Mother's Day.

Fifteen parishioners of St. Brendan on the Lake in Newfane will be confirmed at St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo on May 15, at 3 p.m. The parish's director of faith formation, Mary Palmer, its catechist, James Cantella, and two confirmation students see a special significance in being able to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation in the Diocese of Buffalo's mother church.

St. Joseph University Parish in Buffalo has been helping raise awareness and provide education about the issue of human trafficking since 2011. It is estimated that 12.3 million men, women and children around the world are in trafficking situations and at least 15,000 people are trafficked in the United States every year.

TONAWANDA — The Grief Support Group of St. Christopher Parish will have Dr. Amy Beth Taublieb as the monthly speaker on May 11 at 6:30 p.m. Taublieb is nationally known for her work as a clinical psychologist who has helped many people deal with their grief throughout the years.

Dawn Curazzato will give a witness talk on a "Memoir of a Miracle," "The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist," and the "Power of Prayer" during this extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy at SS. Peter and Paul Parish, 66 E. Main St., Hamburg, on Friday, May 6, at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria.

St. Francis of Assisi Church in Athol Springs is hosting a free seminar on recognizing and treating opioid abuse on Tuesday, May 10. The seminar, sponsored by the Buffalo Police Department, will teach participants on recognizing the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose, how to properly administer narcan for reversal and what to do next.

Grammy-winning Catholic musician John Michael Talbot will come to Buffalo for a two-day ministry next month. The accomplished singer, author and television host will mix singing with preaching at St. Martin of Tours Parish in Buffalo May 16-17. Both days' events begin at 7 p.m.

Blessed Sacrament Parish in Tonawanda will host a screening of "The Original Image of Divine Mercy." The documentary tells the story of the actual painting of the Divine Mercy image as described by St. Faustina Kowalska from a vision of Jesus Christ.