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With fewer than two weeks remaining the 2018 Appeal for Catholic Charities of Buffalo is $345,416 short of its $11 million goal.

'It's been a journey', in her own words, for Sister Emily Beata Marsh, who will make her perpetual profession of vows as a Daughter of St. Paul on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bemus Point. The 31 year old grew up in the community along Chautauqua Lake, where she has fond memories of biking and playing soccer.

There's a buzz in Swormville. The staff of St. Mary's School has been busy as bees to get a special dedicated space for their technology program.

The Trump administration's recent policy changes in border security and immigration enforcement, particularly the move to separate parents from their children, has drawn outcry from a number of Catholic leaders like Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo.

Catholic Charities' Workforce and Education Services will have a new, more accessible site on the East Side of Buffalo this summer. The new location will be 1001 E. Delavan Ave., site of the former American Axle plant and will replace the current Kerns Avenue site. The Kerns Avenue site is expected to be closed June 25-29 to complete the move.

The new leadership team for the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban visited the Diocese of Buffalo this spring on a three-week fact finding trip. The sisters serve in cross-cultural missions, live in community, and commit themselves to helping the poor and marginalized. The four-member team is traveling to all the areas where the congregation serves. The next stop is Britain before going to Asia. Thirteen sisters live in Silver Creek, their only American province.

What started as a scary event for a 100-year-old sister, turned out to have a heroic happy ending.

Let me say here that if you are expecting a story about Norm's beautiful family or his many ministries or his work at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, by all means read the previous obituary we shared. You can also search Norm's name at the Buffalo News for 2 wonderful tributes. This is not that story.

The community-wide Catholic Charities Day of Giving being held today throughout the eight counties of Western New York to raise funds for the 2018 Appeal continues to gather incredible momentum. As of noon, more than $88,956 has been raised, already surpassing the original goal of $50,000 in matching funds. The total so far today, when doubled, is now at $177,912.

"It's a very exciting time to be working at Daybreak because of social media," said Claire A. Rung, executive producer of Daybreak TV Productions, who is pleased with the response to two new video segments launched this year by the Diocese of Buffalo's video production team.

A veteran educator with a wealth of school administration experience has been appointed Superintendent of Schools for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Michael C. LaFever, Ed.D, president of St. Benedict School in Eggertsville, will assume the leadership of Catholic Schools in the diocese effective June 29, upon the retirement of Sister Carol Cimino, SSJ.

On Saturday, June 9, at 6:30 a.m. and noon, Father Paul D. Seil, host of "Our Daily Bread," will talk about sin on the monthly cooking show. Produced by Daybreak TV Productions of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, "Our Daily Bread" airs on WKBW-TV Channel 7.

If you've visited Daybreak TV's YouTube channel, you may have seen Father James Vacco, OFM, deliver a reflection on the day's Gospel reading or cooking up Thanksgiving dinner on an episode of "Our Daily Bread." Perhaps you've read about his thoughts on Easter in the Western New York Catholic newspaper. Soon, you will hear him speak about the Office of Communications. The pastor of St. Bonaventure Parish in Allegany has been named the honorary chairperson for this year's Catholic Communication Campaign, an annual collection to support national and local communication needs in the Church.

When a disciple of Jesus takes his or her prophetic baptismal call seriously, that person's words and actions live on long after he or she leaves this world.

KENMORE — By late June, students, and sometimes faculty, are anxious for that final bell to ring on the last day before summer recess. But just a few days later, the St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute campus comes alive again as summer programs begin for boys of all ages. The school prides itself on the quality of the programs it offers each year, and all are led by St. Joe's faculty and coaches.

St. John Paul II Parish in Lake View received a first class relic of their patron, the 264th pope. The parish held a special Mass to install the relic on May 3. The small drop of blood will be on permanent display in the vigil chapel room for veneration.

A community-wide Catholic Charities Day of Giving will be held on Friday, June 8 throughout the eight counties of Western New York to raise funds for the 2018 Appeal. The first $50,000 raised that day will be matched dollar-for-dollar in an effort to help achieve this year's $11 million goal before the June 30 deadline.

Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore district saw an event so large it took two churches to make it happen. To celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Parish joined with Corpus Christi Parish for a procession from church to church.

Webster's Dictionary defines communication as "giving or exchanging of information by talk, writing, etc." That's what the 18 professionals in the diocesan Office of Communications do daily. The office's mission is to generate awareness of the global Church, universal issues and Gospel values through print and electronic media.

Smiles were seen throughout St. Joseph Cathedral Saturday, June 2, as Bishop Richard J. Malone ordained four new priests into the Diocese of Buffalo on Saturday, June 2. Relive the journey of these men in our new photo gallery.

They all took different paths to the priesthood. One came from Nigeria. Another was a middle-aged computer engineer.

In preparation for the priesthood, Deacon Peter J. Santandreu took a lap around the world. The 30-year-old who is being ordained June 2, flew to Argentina, Poland and Bangkok for educational and ministerial experiences.

Of the four men being ordained to the priesthood this June, Gerard Skrzynski has the most, let's say, life experience. The 54-year-old has spent 25 years in the workforce as a computer engineer and homeowner. He now plans on taking a radically different course of life.

Deacon Paul S. Cygan, a fourth-year theology major at Christ the King Seminary, says he first began thinking about becoming a priest when he was 7 years old. "It was a simple realization," he recalled. "I thought, 'Priests are not born priests. That means I can be a priest someday. Yes, I think that sounds like a good idea.'"

The road to priesthood can be long and winding, as it was for Peter N. Bassey, who began his journey in his native Africa. But, a few encounters in ministry have shown him that the Diocese of Buffalo is where he is supposed to be. The 30-year-old will be ordained to the priesthood on June 2.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will have the honor of ordaining four men to the priesthood on Saturday, June 2. The special Mass will begin at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo. Daybreak TV Productions, the television entity of the Diocese of Buffalo, will provide a livestream and replay of the ordination which can be viewed or shared on their YouTube channel @DaybreakTV.

During his life, Venerable Nelson Baker established his legacy and work in the Our Lady of Victory Institutions that made him a local saint. A century later, Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity Executive Director Rick Heist walked in many of the same footsteps of service Father Baker did, as Heist is set to culminate a 45-year career on the Lackawanna campus when he retires in June.

A local company has purchased the former summer camp operated for nearly 90 years by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

I spend my summers in the woods. I wake up at 6:30 every morning with six hours of sleep after countless middle-of-the-night bathroom trips and at least one counseling session with a homesick 10-year-old. I live in a hot, humid cabin with no air conditioning. I spend the day scorching under the sun and under persistent bug attacks. I'm cut off from my family and friends for seven weeks, with no cell phone service. Many wonder why anyone would willingly do this all summer long.

When Msgr. Paul R. Juenker died on Feb. 8 of this year, at age 97, he was the oldest priest in the Diocese of Buffalo. According to those who knew him best, he may have also been the most beloved priest in the diocese.

The parish staff and trustees of St. John Kanty Parish, located on Broadway and Swinburne, want the public to know that their church is open. With solid volunteer support and healthy pierogi sales, the parish is surviving in a changing neighborhood, which they think is changing for the better.

The STREAM program at St. Stephen School on Grand Island has taken on many faces in the three-plus years that the school has been part of the diocesan initiative.

Seniors in Allegany County have a new tool available through the Center for Elder Law & Justice (CELJ), providing them with free brief legal services and referrals, and if needed, to more in-depth legal services in the caller's geographic area.

The excitement is blooming at St. John the Baptist in Alden as they prepare for their new community garden. Working with a grant from the Whole Kids Foundation, as well as generous parishioners and local businesses, they have begun a school-wide garden initiative as a way to teach principles of healthy living and sustainability through authentic educational experiences.

How many kids would celebrate a pretend Mass and hand out Necco wafers to their younger siblings as Communion? "I'd keep all the chocolate ones for myself," said Msgr. David S. Slubecky. "I was just drawn to the idea of being able to celebrate Mass and be involved with people in a parish."

When Johnny Graves was a freshman, to him Robert Scott was more than president of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute. Scott became somewhat of a guardian after Graves' brother, Aaron, who was a senior at the school at the time, passed away after a battle with cancer.

At a time when daily scandals and bad behavior seem to dominate the headlines, taking a moment to pause and listen to the reflections of an international religious leader like Pope Francis sounds like a pretty good idea. A new documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Wim Wenders that looks at the philosophies and mission of Pope Francis was released locally on Friday.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardoof Galveston-Houston, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement in the aftermath of the Santa Fe High School shooting:

TONAWANDA — One of the core values at St. Amelia School is "Aspiring to Serve." Throughout the school year, students are involved in many different activities and projects that serve our school, our parish and our community.

There are many experiences that tie Western New Yorkers together. One of them is visiting the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. I recall being especially attracted to a beautiful "Eucharistic Dove" circa A.D. 1200. It was auctioned off by the Albright-Knox in 2007 but can still be seen online.