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On May 3, Dr. Stanley L. Bukowski, a third-generation physician from Buffalo, testified before the State Assembly Health Committee in opposition to the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. For 34 years, Bukowski has been a primary care internal medicine physician with experience in caring for the chronically ill, the disabled and the dying. The following are excerpts from his testimony.

ST. BONAVENTURE — When most freshmen are taking the year to get adjusted to new class schedules and college life, Rachel Hoag accomplished all that and still found time to establish a new club on campus with a very important focus — helping service dogs in training for veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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.

Soon after the birth of my son Charlie, who has Down syndrome, a visitor asked whether he was "mild, moderate or severe," referring to his level of cognitive impairment. I knew the terminology, but the question shocked me. In my arms I held my beautiful baby boy, who defied easy categorization. Clinical labels may describe some aspects of an individual's "functioning," but they don't tell the whole story. Labels could not describe how Charlie's smile lit up a room or how the sweetness of his soul had captured our hearts so completely.

Remember the classic sitcom "The Facts of Life," where four girls with diverse backgrounds are thrown together to learn and grow together under the watchful eye of Mrs. Garrett? That exact thing is happening here in Buffalo. Eastland Academy takes on the form of Mother Teresa Home, a house that provides a safe, stable place for women who have received pressure regarding their pregnancies.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has named Father Peter J. Karalus as the new vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Buffalo. A vicar general acts as deputy of the bishop, exercising administrative authority through the diocese.

Walking into the lyceum of St. John Kanty Parish is like walking into a bygone era. The tiles on the wall look like something out of Gatsby. The wooden pocket doors, the ambient lighting, the bar neatly tucked backstage that once sold beer for 35 cents brings smiles to those who remember and awe to those too young to know.

Queen City Farm is a slice of rural goodness nestled in the heart of Buffalo. Once a property whose only feature was a dilapidated house, is now an urban farm generating produce for neighbors in need. For students of Catholic Charities Workforce and Education Department, the farm serves as a mechanism to learn new skills and hone ones they already have.

The deposit on cans and bottles is 5 cents. That may not seem like a lot of money, but Response to Love Center is taking nickels from can and bottle returns in Western New York and using the accumulated money to help with its ministry.

Nearly 600 people of faith attended a Day of Reparation & Healing; a Path to Hope at St. Leo the Great Parish on Friday, Sept. 7. This collaborative effort initiated by the parish with the North Eastern Vicariate was a spiritual response to the current sex abuse scandal in the Diocese of Buffalo and in the Church. Fourteen priests were present throughout the day either as confessors or concelebrating Mass with St. Leo the Great's pastor, Msgr. Robert E. Zapfel, STD, as celebrant and homilist. "The day was designed to reach out and touch many in need of comfort and healing during these emotionally difficult days," said Msgr. Zapfel.

CHEEKTOWAGA — St. John Gualbert Church and Diocesan Shrine is debuting a Mass series, honoring the saints whose relics are amongst the 1,100 housed in the shrine. The series kicks off at 6:00 p.m., on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at St. John Gualbert in Cheektowaga.

The diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities held a gritty inservice for local Respect Life coordinators. The annual training and information session took place Oct. 6, the vigil of Respect Life Sunday.

The former host of "Our Daily Bread," Father Paul D. Seil, will serve as guest chef for the Daily Bread Food Truck Benefit Bash, Oct. 11.

When Tim Patterson came across Catholic Charities' Buffalo-based Chemical Dependency Treatment Program two years ago, he was no stranger to addiction programs. Previously, he had been in a Suboxone program with a different agency, but during his time there, Patterson said it never felt quite right.

In Pope Francis' work on modern family life, "Amoris Laetitia (On Love in the Family)," he wants Church leaders to help the young people discover the dignity and beauty of marriage and family life. In this apostolic exhortation, the pope speaks about the theme of accompaniment. He calls the Church to be a sign of mercy and encouragement for families. A pastoral way that the Office of Family Life Ministries accompanies engaged couples is with immediate preparation to receive the Sacrament of matrimony to help the couple make a solid beginning of life as a family.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY — In January 2016, Justin Crawford received a jolt that would make a Scott Stevens check feel like a mosquito bite: His father, Gary, had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

As the STREAM curriculum continues to circulate through many of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Buffalo, students are refreshed and enthusiastic about their new learning opportunities. But when teachers are not fluent in some of the new subject areas offered, the schools create partnerships to fill in the gaps, like the one Department of Catholic Education has with Junior Achievement of Western New York.

Travelers from St. John XXIII Parish eagerly awaited and planned for their first ever Mystery Trip. The day they all anticipated finally arrived on Thursday, Aug. 9 as 55 brave parishioners boarded a luxury coach at the parish to an unknown destination. Father John Stanton, pastor of St. John XXIII Parish, planned a special day to a secret destination. He wanted to build community, enjoy time together, and celebrate summer in the parish.

EAST AURORA — Young people from Immaculate Conception Parish spent a week of their summer, July 15-20, serving others in the Appalachia area of Pennsylvania. This was the Immaculate Conception Youth's third Mission Trip with Young People Who Care in Frenchville, Pa. Each day the teens picked blueberries at YPWC's blueberry patch and then went to various work sites. Roofing, yard work, painting, pouring concrete and various building projects were among the tasks they completed for residents in the area. The blueberries are sold to raise funds for YPWC.

On a warm summer night, after Mass celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, the congregation at St. Mary Parish in Holley all got up to take a walk. The 100-plus line of people processed from the Main Street church down Wright Street and the public square carrying a statue of Mother Mary and singing "Ave Maria."

Catholic Charities representatives from around the United States recently visited Buffalo to participate in workshops, panel discussions and volunteer opportunities as part of the 2018 Catholic Charities USA Annual Gathering.

"Cantate Omnes," it's a Latin phrase meaning "let us all sing." That's the motivating factor behind the formation of a new young adult choir based at St. Benedict's Parish in Eggertsville. It's for everyone.

Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Buffalo are guided by the Gospel message of Jesus. At South Buffalo Catholic School Notre Dame Academy, the goal is to build a faith community in which teachers, students, parents and administrators support each other and grow in God's love. And growing they are!

After receiving an abuse complaint against Father Louis S. Dolinic, Bishop Richard J. Malone has placed Father Dolinic on administrative leave as an investigation continues.

Teenage years begin a time of self-discovery, when people learn their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. It's a period that never really ends. Personal growth leads to new skills and the development of existing strengths. To aid this process, the diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry offered a half-day workshop entitled, "Play to Your Strengths," where participants learned how to develop what they were already good at.

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.

Yesterday afternoon, the diocese received a complaint against Father Joseph C. Gatto involving an alleged sexual advance made on an adult. Bishop Richard J. Malone has placed Father Gatto on administrative leave as an investigation continues.

All of God's creation should be cared for and protected, even bees. So how do you protect a hive when it has become a problem and is in danger of damaging a church?

This fall Katie Bishop will again walk the halls of St. Mary School, Swormville, as a fourth-grade teacher. Bishop is also an alumnus of St. Mary's, but so is her mother, grandparents and a great-grandfather. Her family, the Herbergers, put down roots at St. Mary's and the family tree has grown healthy in faith ever since.

When students returned to school this moth, the Canisius High School campus looked at bit different than it did last fall.

About 900 Catholic school educators in the Diocese of Buffalo will gather on Friday, Sept. 28, for an educators' convocation at Cardinal O'Hara High School, 39 O'Hara Road, Tonawanda. The biennial meeting will include teachers and administrators from all diocesan elementary and middle schools, which will be closed that day.

Several diocesan offices and the Samaritan Counseling Center gathered to address the crisis of opioid addiction and related deaths that has hit Western New York with a workshop that addressed the scientific, social and spiritual perspectives of addiction. The Sept. 22 presentation, held at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, was one in a series of events that the diocese has held on the topic.

While the Catholic Church has always discouraged capital punishment as part of its pro-life teachings, Pope Francis strengthened the language of opposition in August, changing the Catechism of the Catholic Church to state "the death penalty is inadmissible."

For 38 years, faithful Catholics have been gathering at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston for the annual Rosary Crusade for World Peace. This year's crusade will be held on Sunday, Oct. 7, from 2-3:30 p.m. The shrine is located at 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston. "Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, intercedes for all humanity" is this year's chosen theme.

The Back-to-School ads have been running since the 4th of July, and now September is here and back-to-school is real. Families all across Western New York are settling into a regular routine of waking early, packing lunches, catching the bus and doing homework. Families also start to get busy with many extra-curricular activities. Sports practices, scouts, or other clubs makes September feel even more hectic. Throw into the mix the suggestion that this can also be "back-to-church" time, and it could be enough to send a parent over the edge with the thought of too many commitments.

Christ the King Seminary will host its annual Curé of Ars awards dinner on Thursday, Oct. 4 at The Atrium @ Rich's in Buffalo. This year's event will honor Father Gregory J. Dobson and Joseph A. Stoeckl, Esq.

After receiving an abuse complaint against Father Ronald B. Mierzwa, Bishop Richard J. Malone has placed Father Mierzwa on administrative leave as an investigation continues.

There is a saying that you can never go back again, but for St. John the Baptist alumna, Lauren Kocher, going back to the Alden elementary school was always her intent.

The 13th annual diocesan catechetical convocation is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 3 at the Grapevines Banquet Center, 333 Dick Road in Depew. Nationally known speaker and author, Julianne Stanz will give the keynote, Missionary Discipleship and Transforming Leadership. Stanz is currently the director of discipleship and leadership development for the Diocese of Green Bay and a consultant on the USCCB's committee for evangelization and catechesis.