For many priests, ordination and serving God's people can be a long and complicated process. However, for international priests, such as Father Joseph Nguyen, a native of Vietnam, it involved much more of a learning process, including leaving a country where he could not freely practice his faith. This led him on a path to where he now serves as parochial vicar of St. Andrew Parish in Kenmore.

A group of dedicated young Catholic women in the diocese aspire to be part of a new religious order they hope will be recognized by the Vatican. Members of the Marian Franciscans have spoken with Bishop Richard J. Malone about the path to becoming a formal community.

More than $850,000 was collected in the Diocese of Buffalo 2014 Appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious. A report of the funds, which will be given to women and men religious in the Diocese of Buffalo from the total National Campaign, will be issued in the early summer of 2015.

The first weekend of May was a special time for many of our men and women religious, as several communities came to St. Joseph Cathedral to celebrate anniversaries during a Jubilee Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard J. Malone Saturday.

Bishop Richard J. Malone announced the following changes in parish leadership. Father James W. Kirkpatrick has been appointed pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in North Tonawanda; Father Marius Dymek, OSPPE, has been appointed pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish, Buffalo; Father Michael Czyzewski, OSPPE, has been appointed administrator of Corpus Christi, Buffalo; and Father Thaddeus M. Bocianowski has been appointed temporary administrator of St. Padre Pio Parish, Oakfield.

Father Ronald P. Sajdak will be embarking on what he calls an "exciting venture."

In honor of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Serra Club of Buffalo is sponsoring two events at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora to show support for the future religious leaders and priests of the diocese. A family Mass and brunch for seminarians will take place on Sunday, April 26, at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Eucharistic Holy Hour in the main chapel at 2 p.m.

The next biannual Mass and breakfast of the Congrega Society of Buffalo will take place at St. Lawrence Parish in Buffalo on Sunday, April 25, at 9 a.m.

Chicago, Ill. (CNA/EWTN News) - Cardinal Francis George, the Emeritus Archbishop of Chicago, passed away Friday morning after a long batter with cancer.

The Department of Lifelong Faith Formation serves to support devout Catholics in maintaining their faith through all stages of their lives. Sister Barbara Schiavoni, GNSH, joined the department as associate director of adult faith formation in February, returning home after coming full circle in her ministry to serve her community.

Vatican City (CNA/EWTN News) - In a joint report marking the conclusion of a multi-year mandate for reform, members of the LCWR have agreed to corrections called for by the Vatican, and said they will continue on the path of dialogue.

Washington D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) - The numbers are in: almost 600 Catholic men will be ordained priests for the U.S. in 2015, an increase of more than 100 from last year.

The former Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse on South Park Ave., in Hamburg, will have new life as market rate apartments and town homes, follow the closing on the sale of the property on April 8.

The Resurrection of Jesus reminds us of the basic belief of our faith as St. Paul expressed perfectly in his first letter to the Corinthians 15:14 "... and if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty too your faith."

Faithful from across the Diocese of Buffalo filled St. Joseph Cathedral to capacity on Tuesday evening for the Chrism Mass, a highlight of Holy Week, as Bishop Richard J. Malone blessed three urns of oil: oil of the catechumens, oil of the chrism and oil of the sick.

Bishop Richard J. Malone is happy to welcome the Pauline Fathers (the Order of St. Paul the Hermit) in the leadership of St. Stanislaus Parish, 123 Townsend St., Buffalo, effective Apr. 12, Divine Mercy Sunday.

Father Walter J. Szczesny and Father Jozef Dudzik have received new assignments from Bishop Richard J. Malone.

In 2012 after 47 years of teaching, Sister Barbara Whelan, OSF, could have simply retired. She remained committed to service and began a second ministry as a medical assistant.

Msgr. Kevin T. O'Neill, canonical administrator at Mary Queen of Angels Regional School in Cheektowaga, reflected upon his work supporting Catholic schools after he received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the annual Catholic education dinner for his ministry and service in January.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has announced two clergy appointments. Father James W. Fliss received a fourth term of six years as pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Farnham, and Father Johnson Machado was named administrator of St. John Neumann Parish, Strykersville.

Father Bill Quinlivan, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Tonawanda, has been named Irishman of the Year by the Knights of Equity, a national Irish Catholic organization.

Every year the Diocesan Vocation Office produces and distributes a vocation poster to every parish in the diocese. This year the poster was done in two sizes and it focuses on Pope Francis as he ordains a young man to the priesthood at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Both of the posters contain a quote from Pope Francis on vocations. Have you seen these posters in your church or school?

I had served as a parish priest for nine years when then Bishop Henry J. Mansell asked me to return to Christ the King Seminary as part of the formation team. In those nine beautiful years in parish ministry, I encountered some dedicated lay people who wanted to know what they could do to promote vocations.

Father James O'Connor has been a source of peace, strength and love to parishioners for 44 years. His smile conveys a joy of lifelong service to God and others.

Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, will distribute ashes at the 12:05 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, on Wednesday, February 18, Ash Wednesday.

Hundreds of people braved the cold, snowy weather, and the impending Super Bowl set to begin a few hours later, to attend a Mass of Thanksgiving for Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Grosz's 25th anniversary of Episcopal ordination Sunday afternoon at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has announced the following clergy assignments:

In addition to the rest of his ministry in the Diocese of Buffalo, Bishop Edward M. Grosz was chaplain of the Villa Maria Motherhouse Complex of the Felician Sisters in Buffalo for 10 years, from 1980 to 1990. During this time, many of the sisters got to know Bishop Grosz well and, last month, some of them shared some of their stories of when he interacted and served with the sisters on a regular basis.

Throughout his time in the Diocese of Buffalo, Bishop Edward M. Grosz has made many contributions to the Permanent Diaconate, which began in 1975, four years after Bishop Grosz was ordained a priest.

Father Richard E. Zajac remembers fondly his childhood, growing up with Bishop Edward M. Grosz.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has appointed the pastor of St. John Paul II Parish, Lake View, to the Catholic School Advisory Council, the panel which advises the bishop on Catholic elementary school issues. His parish is also home to Southtowns Catholic School. Father Peter J. Karalus joined the panel in December 2014.

A special group met at the Catholic Center in Buffalo in December to plan events for the 2015 Year of Consecrated Life. Pope Francis officially designated the World Year of Consecrated Life to occur between Nov. 29, 2014, and Feb. 2, 2016.

For one retired Sister of Mercy, serving the community involved joining the same religious order that touched and changed her own life as a teen at Mount Mercy Academy in South Buffalo. She later went on to become a teacher and administrator herself at many diocesan schools.

As the Church begins the celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life, the women and men of the Diocese of Buffalo are most grateful for the generosity that has been shown over the past 26 years through the Retirement Fund For Religious collection. During the 2013 campaign, the Diocese of Buffalo submitted $848,000 to the national office for the care of the retired religious.

There was a time when Sister M. Rosalma Pawlak, CSSF, used to visit the elderly sisters in her order to keep their spirits up by enjoying their company. Now Sister Rosalma is on the other side of that relationship after a long, varied ministry that saw her work in many different avenues.

Sister Loretta Janiszewski, FSSJ, has served her community for more than 65 years. Throughout that time her ministry of both teaching and serving in a pastoral ministry has enabled her to grow in her faith while helping others.

WASHINGTON—The 27th national collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious will be held in parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo and throughout the United States on the weekend of December 13 and 14. The annual, parish-based appeal is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) and benefits more than 35,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests.

A diocesan deacon became a Catholic Relief Services Global Fellow in October. He will be a representative of, and spokesperson for, the work of the Catholic Church's official international humanitarian aid organization which helps less fortunate people in countries around the world.

Buffalo's singing priest, Father William Quinlivan, has added another title to his resumé - book author. With the help of a self-publishing firm, he has released "Made to Praise Him: Finding My Song."

The sister of a diocesan priest and an incoming college student will travel to West Africa in November to assist the Marian Sisters of Eucharistic Love to serve children at an orphanage in Ghana. Under the careful guidance of Sister Stan Terese Mario Mumuni, MASEL, a native of Africa who has been a missionary for over 16 years, they will help children who would not otherwise have had a chance at life.