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All of the parish restructuring in the Diocese of Buffalo has been completed for years now, but some local Catholics still wonder what happens to the physical presence of a church when it closes its doors. Through a variety of methods, the diocese has worked with several partners to find reuse for these religious facilities, both inside and out.

A little bit of money is paying big, heartwarming dividends at the only Catholic school in Chautauqua County. "It's a huge blessing for a little school," said Beth Quattrone, a trustee for Northern Chautauqua Catholic School in Dunkirk, which received a grant from the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo for the current school year.

New instructions published by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reaffirm teaching that the Church is not opposed to cremation, while continuing to recommend that the cremated remains of the deceased be buried in Catholic cemeteries or other sacred spaces.

Disadvantaged people across the country will benefit from the hobby of one young man from Hamburg. James Lyon, a junior at Canisius High School in Buffalo, has a passion for making one-decade rosaries, which he sold to raise funds to send himself and fellow students on a series of service immersion trips.

In observance of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses in Wittenberg, Germany, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and the Upstate New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will be holding an evening prayer service, at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 26, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Main Street in Buffalo.

The good work at the Catholic Center doesn't slow down during lunchtime. A group of volunteers uses that time to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty through Meals on Wheels.

Thousands of people capped off a week filled with snow, basketball and corned beef by attending the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Buffalo. We were there and captured some of the sights in our new photo gallery.

As part of the Church's mission to administer service to migrants in need, representatives of the Diocese of Buffalo will be hosting an informational refugee convocation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 25 at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.

WILLIAMSVILLE — Come and give God your time. During Lent, prepare yourself and your families to grow in holiness. Set aside the time and listen for the ways in which God is calling to you to join Him for three nights.

Pope Francis has bestowed the title of "basilica" on St. Mary of the Angels Church in Olean. This marks only the ninth time in his papacy that the Holy Father has granted this rare honor to a site in the United States.

As we enter into the holy season of Lent, let us listen to the words of our Holy Father in his Lenten message for this year: "Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ's victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion.

DEPEW — "The Story of Faith," two evenings of powerful and insightful theatrical presentations by Frank Runyeon, will take place next month.

Catholic Women of Buffalo is proud to present the second annual Women's Conference, Saturday, March 18 at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Tonawanda, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

On Dec. 10, 2016, nearly 300 guests celebrated the 20th anniversary of Magnificat's Gentle Woman, Mother of Mercy Chapter in the Diocese of Buffalo. Attendees shared a morning of prayer, testimony and fellowship at the Millennium Hotel in Cheektowaga. Father Jacek Mazur, pastor of Divine Mercy and St. Mary of the Cataract parishes in Niagara Falls, was the honored speaker, who urged guests to become "on fire" for their faith within their communities.

Bishop Richard J. Malone talks about threats against our brothers and sisters of the Jewish faith and asks that we share in solidarity and love.

The Harmonia Chamber Singers, a local a cappella group that is one of the most sought-after of its type in Western New York, will have two performances at area parishes this weekend. The group will present two performances of "Into Light: A Concert by Candlelight," its fifth-annual presentation, at 7:30 p.m. on March 11 at St. Peter Church in Lewiston, and 7 p.m., March 12, at Assumption Church in Buffalo.

The Teaching and Restoring Youth program, or TRY program, has been serving young women in Buffalo since 1997. TRY offers a safe, structured environment to women between the ages of 16 and 21 who are homeless and who have suffered abuse, violence and victimization. The TRY program provides access to education, health care, counseling and job training.

In honor of the upcoming feast of St. Patrick on Friday, March 17, Bishop Richard J. Malone hereby grants a commutation of abstinence to all Catholics in the Buffalo Diocese.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - On the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis said if we want to fight against the temptation of sin, we must be familiar with the Word of God - treating the Bible more like how we treat our cellphone.

Catholic Charities of Buffalo has provided assistance and care for incoming immigrants and refugees in the Western New York area for decades now. But now that program is in jeopardy after President Donald J. Trump signed a revised and controversial executive order that halts incoming refugees for 120 days, and severely restricts immigration from six countries.

To shine a spotlight on the profound impact of Catholic sisters in our communities and around the world, and in conjunction with National Women's History Month, the third annual National Catholic Sisters Week (NCSW) will be held March 8-14. National Catholic Sisters Week is supported by a $3.3 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, is headquartered at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn.

Youth from around the Diocese of Buffalo came together at the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Buffalo to be "Positively Dangerous" together from March 3-5.

How is your decision making? Watch "In a Word" with Father Dave Richards in the latest episode of the teenage reflection series.

Bishop Richard J. Malone welcomed 158 people into the Catholic faith by saying that their call to conversion "may have come as a whisper or as a roar," but in either case, they heard it and opted to say a public, "Yes, Lord, here I am."

Hundreds of Catholic teens attended the annual three-day Diocesan Youth Convention March 3-5 in order to deepen their faith. See some visual highlights in our new photo album.

Lent is a season of fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial and spiritual discipline. The six-week period that leads to Easter traditionally is spent sacrificing pleasure and becoming more spiritually inclined.

Catholics across Western New York got ashed March 1 to mark the beginning of Lent. See how people celebrated Ash Wednesday this year in our new photo gallery.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - In his message for Lent 2017, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that they should heed the Scriptures and treat each human person they encounter as a gift.

Bishop Richard J. Malone and many other diocesan clergy and laypeople distributed ashes at a packed St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo on March 1, Ash Wednesday.

March 1 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Practicing Catholic are asked to follow these Lenten regulations.

In honor of the solemnity of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., came up with an idea for a uniquely 21st-century Lenten sacrifice it hopes has already caught on in many dioceses throughout the United States. In February, the archdiocese challenged Catholics with a new campaign, "I Phone Fast! Will u?", to encourage Americans to silence their phones on Ash Wednesday and April 14, Good Friday. Instead, they are asked to pray and focus on the significance of these two holy days.

For the second time in two years, the Diocese of Buffalo bid farewell to an abandoned deceased baby. On Feb. 27, Bishop Richard J. Malone and Father Jeffrey L. Nowak presided over memorial and burial services for Baby Bernadette, a girl 27 weeks along in gestation.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has announced new assignments for Deacons David H. Harvey, Joseph A. Pasquella and Thaddeus V. Pijacki.

The reasons people choose to be Catholic are many. Some join the faith for a spouse. Others join after years of seeking a fill for a void. Many find comfort in the sacraments.

The Diocese of Buffalo recently sold St. Gerard Church to a group of Muslims, who will turn it into a mosque. Bishop Richard J. Malone addresses how Christians and Muslims acknowledges the same God in the latest "Consider This" below:

DEPEW — The Foundation for Inclusive Catholic Education will hold its third-annual Taking Flight Dinner on March 2, from 6-9 p.m., at Salvatore's Italian Gardens on Transit Road. Funds from the dinner are used for training and resources to enable Catholic schoolteachers and administrators to provide children with special needs an inclusive Catholic education experience.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will distribute ashes at the 12:05 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, on Wednesday, March 1, Ash Wednesday.

Over the summer, Nora Galley saw something she liked - "No Smoking" signs along the pristine trails at Allegany State Park. Coming back to Buffalo, she found something she did not like - tobacco products seemingly targeted to minors.

Bishop Richard J. Malone talks about what we can do to support refugee resettlement. Watch the latest "Consider This."