Bishop Richard J. Malone is the first to admit that he wears two hats for the Church. He is not only the "chief shepherd", but also the CEO of a corporation that is the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

ROME, ITALY (CNA/EWTN News) - A Vatican conference dedicated to the up-and-coming 'theology of disability' aims not only to end common stigma surrounding persons with disabilities, but to show that their lives are a gift and to help integrate them more fully into the life of the Church and of society.

On Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30, parish leaders from across the Diocese of Buffalo will gather at Christ the King Seminary, 711 Knox Road, East Aurora, to examine what it means to be deliberate followers of Jesus who are committed to paying it forward.

Today, churches of all kinds are discovering that by expecting more of their members they get more, and the members grow more. This growth is evident in church attendance, financial support, participation in ministries, as well as enthusiasm for service performed outside the congregation.

If you would know the radical meaning of Easter, think of Melanie. Think of the thousands of new Catholics who were baptized around the world at the recent Easter Vigil, along with the many others, already Christian, who were received into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Bishop Richard J. Malone explains why the Church exists and the role of believers in "Consider This: Why We Exist."

A Western New York woman has chosen to follow an unusual vocation in which she commits herself to a single life by symbolically getting married to God instead of a human husband. It is one of the oldest rituals of the Catholic Church that remains relatively unknown.

WWJDD? This is a hot question today: what would Jesus' disciples do?

EAST AURORA — Members of the faculty of Christ the King Seminary will be offering a series of lectures at parishes throughout the diocese this spring. While there are always opportunities for people to visit the seminary for classes, workshops, retreats and lectures, the new lecture series brings the extensive knowledge of the seminary faculty, many of whom hold doctorate degrees in sacred theology or related fields, out into the diocese.

The iGeneration, Y-Generation, Millennials, Mosaics - whatever the label, they may be the game-changer generation for our parishes.

Washington D.C., Nov 25, 2015 / 04:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- For a veteran runner who's completed 21 marathons, one bishop sees a deep connection between his Catholic faith and running, and says this connection can even evangelize young people.

An annual Advent tradition and prayer service will again take place at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, and will be open to members of the community.

My brother and I seemed so different when I was younger. He was tall, I was short. He liked to watch the Three Stooges. I preferred cartoons. He read Hardy Boys books which seemed like too much work for me at age 6.

Nationally renowned experts on parish leadership will present a workshop in October at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora on the implementation of the rites of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in parishes.

Sleep studies are growing in popularity this summer, as people realize the importance of sleep for personal health.

Bishop Richard Malone shares some characteristics that make a good parish in a new episode of his weekly YouTube show, "Consider This."

Is your parish growing? But more importantly, should growing just be looked at as numbers?

ASUNCIÓN, PARAGUAY (CNA/EWTN News) - In the final homily of his trip to South America Pope Francis said that a key aspect of Christian spirituality and evangelization is to have a welcoming attitude toward others, especially those most in need.

Throughout the Diocese of Buffalo, evangelization has taken on new life with the recent Catholics Come Home campaign, a media effort to welcome back fallen-away Catholics. However, evangelization must begin in individual parishes for them to continue thriving. One such person responsible for this Church mission is Adam Pasternack, director of evangelization at St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda.

Whenever I come across a discouraging report on the state of religious belief and commitment, it forces me to ponder more deeply why my own Catholic faith is such a potent and enduring dimension of my existence. And why I believe that every person with a healthy, positive, mature and informed religious commitment is (potentially, at least) more fully human, more fully alive, more inclined to compassion and service to others.

For permanent deacons of the diocese, ministry can take on many diverse forms. The ministry of Deacon Miguel Santos has involved working with the diocesan Office of Cultural Diversity to help immigrants, particularly refugees on Buffalo's West Side, adapt to new life in the United States. He assists a wide variety of people as part of his diaconate service.

Parish success might come down to the answer to a simple question: Why aren't we growing? I am convinced that the next evangelization can start with this answer. Why?

Catching up on all the news from the weekend? We've rounded up a couple of interesting Catholic stories and columns for you.

A year ago, Father Jacek Mazur, pastor of St. Mary of the Cataract and Divine Mercy Parishes in Niagara Falls, was looking for a program to reach the youth of his city parishes. He wanted it to be fun and faithful to the teachings of the Church. Father Mazur knew that many children were not getting much exposure to the faith, and this new youth ministry might be a "candle in the darkness."

Throughout the Christmas season, the Diocese of Buffalo participated in a large-scale television and social media campaign called Catholics Come Home which intended to welcome Catholics who have fallen away from the faith for various reasons and no longer attend Mass on a regular basis.

Vatican City (CNA/EWTN News) - Giving witness to Jesus Christ is more than mere advertising, Pope Francis said: it's the act of courage in proclaiming the Gospel "with frankness" even to the point of martyrdom.

New people are welcomed into the Church each year. Bishop Richard Malone refers to a homily by St. Augustine who compares new Christians to colony of bees in a new "Consider This."

As we journey deeper into Lent, the choice is ours - a mission or the Matrix.

Is the Catholics Come Home campaign over at your parish? Let's hope not.

By now Catholics have no doubt seen commercials inviting them to come home to the Church. Hopefully, some have accepted the gesture and stopped by their childhood parish or the church around the corner. Now pastors and parish councils have to decide how to keep them.

Have you ever wondered what newcomers notice at your church? The first impression may determine whether they decide to return or just keep shopping. The best ways to be guest-friendly may surprise you.

Some may have left home because of the feeling of being neglected, abandoned, abused, burned out and discriminated against by the actions taken by some in the Church. Maybe some just stopped coming because life just got too busy, so they fell into a routine. It may be possible that leaders who were in the Church said something to them that scared them away. That person may not be there any longer. It is up to those who are attending Church now to invite those people to come back home for Christmas, and to continue coming.

Consider this: Bishop Richard J. Malone suggests we invite those around us who have fallen away from the Church back during the Advent season.

Television viewers across Western New York will begin to see "evangomercials TM" beginning in mid-December, offering inspiring stories of faith and hope, as the Diocese of Buffalo embarks on its latest New Evangelization initiative, inviting inactive Catholics and others home to Jesus and His Church.

The announcement of the Catholics Come Home campaign, which will begin just before Christmas in this diocese, may be an early Christmas gift, if only for the great questions that it raises in us. How often have we heard someone bemoan a parish liturgy? What can we, regular Catholics, do about it? Not much? Maybe more than we think. Because worship is essential to a good parish, and good worship starts with good welcome, this is the first step to building a guest-friendly Church.

The ninth annual diocesan catechetical convocation offered presentations on forgiveness, how to deal with loved ones who leave the Church, and parish plans for evangelization. The convocation, which also emphasized the "Catholics Come Home" program, took place at Lucarelli's Banquet Center in Lackawanna on Nov. 4.

In December 2014, the Diocese of Buffalo will launch the Catholics Come Home campaign. In the first six years, Catholics Come Home messages were aired as TV commercials in 37 dioceses, and nationally, reaching 200 million viewers, and helping lead hundreds of thousands home to the Catholic Church.

An extensive workshop on why people may drift away from the Church, and how to re-engage them when they return, took place at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora on Oct. 24. The workshop was in preparation for the "Catholics Come Home" program which the diocese will undertake.

The Diocese of Buffalo will take part in a nationwide program to appeal to Catholics who have fallen away from the Church. "Catholics Come Home," which has been launched in 37 American dioceses over the last six years, airs "evangomercials," designed to invite and welcome Catholics back to Church, using both television and social media.

This month, the Vatican will gather bishops from around the world to discuss the theme of "pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization," including the challenge of promoting Catholic teachings in societies where the traditional family may not be so traditional.