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On the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Bishop Richard J. Malone called all creatures great and small to his front lawn on Saturday morning for a blessing of animals. The blessing of animals has become an annual custom in the Church, as a way to remember the love that St. Francis of Assisi had for Creation. See our new photo gallery here.

In modern times, St. Peregrine, who lived in Italy during the 13th and 14th centuries, has become known as the patron saint of people suffering from cancer. In the Diocese of Buffalo, the Friends of St. Peregrine continue to celebrate healing Masses, as they have since 1992, to administer the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to people who are fighting cancer. More recently, its actions led to a new Friends of St. Peregrine chapter in Ireland, courtesy of an Irishman who was inspired by his visit to Western New York.

It seems fitting that the first residents of Mother Teresa Home attended the canonization of the home's saintly namesake. Cheryl and David Calire, executive directors for the transitional home for single mothers, took a pilgrimage to Italy for the Sept. 4 ceremony with Pope Francis.

Special attention is given to pro-life causes during the month of October, as the Diocese of Buffalo celebrated Respect Life Sunday on Oct. 2 with Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral and the National Life Chain. See some of the sights of the day in our new photo gallery.

Bishop Richard J. Malone explains why Pope Francis asks us to "Show Mercy to Our Common Home" in this week's "Consider This."

Their students may have had the day off, but for the 900 Catholic school teachers in the Diocese of Buffalo, Friday was a day of convocation at Cardinal O'Hara High school. It was a day focused on professional development and served as an opportunity to refocus on the mission of Catholic Schools.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will be the main celebrant at the Respect Life Mass on Sunday morning. Following the Mass, there will be a blessing of families, babies and expectant mothers.

The World Youth Day pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland, saw nearly 2.5 million people from across the world join in communion with each other. They shared Mass and catechesis. They sang and prayed together. They made friends and learned about foreign cultures.

Nardin Academy, founded in 1857 by the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, is committed to creating an exceptional learning community that allows Montessori, elementary, and high school students to both experience and make a difference in the world.

"I have personally seen the difference that committed Catholic lawyers can make in confronting big societal challenges," said Bishop Richard J. Malone to dozens of judges and lawyers gathered Wednesday at the annual Red Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral.

While most deceased bishops of Buffalo have been laid to rest in the crypts behind the altar at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo, Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kenmore is the final resting place for two bishops, including a native son.

Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, is calling all creatures great and small to his front lawn on Saturday morning for a blessing of animals. The blessing will take place at 77 Oakland Place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 1, to mark the upcoming Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

TONAWANDA ­- The term "transition year" has a fresh meaning at Cardinal O'Hara High School as the new school year approaches.

Our parish has a clear sense of purpose. We are a parish for newcomers. This was an easy choice for us, being surrounded by refugees and immigrants. Perhaps we are not so unique if one considers that more than one in 10 people relocate each year, and that rate doubles for young adults.

As students at St. Peter School in Lewiston return to class, they will be able to enjoy the results of large-scale renovations completed on the school and church throughout the month of August.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - After hearing of the murder of two priests in Mexico, Pope Francis sent a telegram to the country's bishops condemning the violent act, offering his prayers as a sign of closeness to the community and families affected.

When thinking of "if x, then y" statements, one's thoughts may initially revert back to high school math classes. However, these statements are also a crucial part of a system Catholic Charities of Buffalo is rolling out to allow people to make contributions on a periodic basis while appealing to donors, especially young adults.

A new marble based, bronze statue of founder St. John Baptist de La Salle now stands in front of St Joseph's Collegiate Institute on Kenmore Avenue.

The Diocese of Buffalo welcomed five new deacons this weekend as Bishop Richard J. Malone led an ordination Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo. Four of these men will continue to the priesthood, while one will remain a member of the Permanent Diaconate.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has appointed new pastors for two city parishes and one Chautauqua County parish.

The Newman Centers at the University at Buffalo honored Sister Margaret Carney, OSF, and Sister Denise Roche, GNSH, at their annual Mass of the Holy Spirit at St. Joseph University Church on Sunday.

For a few weeks now, the "back to school" ads have been signaling the waning of summertime (for which I, a cold weather aficionado, am very grateful this year - apologies to you heat lovers out there!)

EAST AURORA — Christ the King Seminary will conduct its annual fall fundraising campaign throughout the month of September. President-rector Father Joseph Gatto said this year's goal of $355,000 is needed to help keep pace with the seminary's continued growth in enrollment, along with enhancements to campus facilities and classrooms and ongoing faculty additions.

On Sunday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 p.m., St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park will release a new youth ministry program. Its pastor, Father Paul D. Seil, said helping middle and high school aged students to become more engaged in their Catholic faith was too important of a goal to abandon after a partnership with another Southtowns parish ended.

In providing its services to the community, the Chemical Dependency Treatment Program of Catholic Charities' Monsignor Carr Institute in Buffalo is at the forefront of Western New York's fight against an ongoing epidemic of opioid addiction and related deaths. The center provides help for recovering patients, including counseling and Suboxone, a medication prescribed for associated symptoms.

Each year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designates the third Sunday in September as Catechetical Sunday, an opportunity for catechists at the diocesan and parish levels throughout the United States to focus on lifelong faith formation. Since the theme for this year's event is, "Prayer: The Faith Prayed," parishes will focus on devoting themselves to prayer and the understanding of the practice.

Bishop Edward M. Grosz, auxiliary bishop of Buffalo, will present "The Role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the Mystery of Christ and the Church" on Monday, Sept. 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish Ministry Center, 129 Laverack Ave. in Lancaster.

Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the annual Red Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 12:05 p.m. Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo, United States district judge, will give remarks at the close of the Mass on behalf of the judiciary.

Two USCCB committee chairmen have issued a joint statement reaffirming the Catholic Church's teaching on marriage "as exclusively the permanent, faithful, and fruitful union of one man and one woman [and] cannot change."

On Sunday, Sept. 25, Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston, will be the site of the 36th Annual Rosary Crusade for World Peace. The event, which will take place from 2-3:30 p.m., is sponsored by the Niagara Council of Catholic Women of the Diocese of Buffalo. "Mother of mercy, pray for us" is the theme of this year's crusade.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, will ordain five men to the holy order of deacon. One gentleman will be a permanent deacon and the other four will continue their studies for the priesthood. This special Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo.

Last month, Niagara University and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center affirmed that they will be working together in commitment to promoting revitalization and economic growth in not only the city of Niagara Falls, but also all of Niagara County and Western New York, while encouraging international tourism. On Sept. 9, the men in charge of the organizations signed a memorandum of understanding at NU's Niagara Global Tourism Institute in downtown Niagara Falls, signaling a new era of collaboration.

The diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry held its first-ever "Give Back," a large-scale outreach effort for young people to engage in community service in the name of the Catholic Church. The event, which took place Sept. 10 and allowed dozens of volunteers to help out at a total of 11 service sites, was a success.

Msgr. David Gallivan's life as a priest plays like a sequel to "Forrest Gump." In the past 50 years, the longtime director of the Hispanic Apostolate has had some unique, if not historical, experiences. From working with the poor in Buffalo to walking among cardinals in Washington, he has traveled through war zones, patched roofs and read secret files. Then there was the time he had to act as translator for a Cuban dictator.

"It simply will be cheaper to kill than to treat," said Dennis Vacco as he made a case against physician assisted suicide. The former New York State Attorney General was one of the featured speakers at a forum hosted by the Public Policy Committee of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

For the first time in memory, the New York State Council of Catholic School Superintendents has assembled in Buffalo for two days of meetings.

This month on "Our Daily Bread," host Father Paul D. Seil takes a ride out to Arcade, located in the southwest corner of Wyoming County.

They are years away from being eligible to vote, but on their first day of the school year, eighth graders at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School in Depew got a lesson on Faithful Citizenship.

As Walt Disney once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it." The students and staff at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School in Depew and St. Amelia School in Tonawanda took that a step further by believing that if you can dream it, you can STREAM it.

In his Feb. 13, 2014, address to the Congregation for Catholic Education in Vatican City, Pope Francis stated, "Catholic education is one of the most important challenges for the church, currently committed to new evangelization in a historical and cultural context that is undergoing constant transformation."