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The School Sisters of Notre Dame, an international congregation of over 2,500 women religious in 32 countries on five continents, are celebrating 185 years of faithful service since their foundation in 1833. Their mission, to deepen communion with God and among all people, is lived out in ministries focused on education. The sisters educate with a world vision believing that the world can be changed through the transformation of persons. Through their educational ministries the sisters have touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and their families.

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.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse ...

It's that time of year again, when many children, teens and adults fortunate enough to have access to formal education, head back to school to learn about such things as math, science, history and the arts.

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.

Billboards and signs with moving words and animated pictures boldly grab our attention, especially when we're driving. It is almost as if the words and pictures are leaping out at us. These messages can be so dazzling to us that we slow down to carefully read them and take them in.

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.

LANCASTER — Three St. Mary's High School students spent their summer learning about surgical robotics. Junior Jeffrey Zoyhofski and seniors Nicholas Pronobis and Megan White were selected to participate in the Junior Robotic Surgery Challenge at Roswell Park Cancer Institute of Buffalo.

On Aug. 9, the state of Tennessee executed 59-year-old Billy Ray Irick, who had been sentenced to death 32 years ago. Irick was responsible for the death of 7-year-old Paula Dyer, who had been left in his care, and the details of his crime are not appropriate for this publication. It was a heinous and vicious act.

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.

HAMBURG - The executive committee of the Hilbert College board of trustees named Father Michael Sajda, OFM Conv., interim president. He is currently president of St. Francis High School and chair of Hilbert's board of trustees.

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.

One second; that's how long it takes for a injury to occur. In my case, that is exactly how long it took for me to be out of sports for six months. I am now in my fourth month of recovery from surgery to replace my torn ACL, lateral meniscus, and medial meniscus and I can say that while the experience definitely wasn't fun, it wasn't entirely bad either.

It's that time of year again, when many children, teens and adults fortunate enough to have access to formal education, head back to school to learn about such things as math, science, history and the arts.

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.

As we continue our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I would like to introduce you to Blessed Carlos Manuel Cecilio Rodriguez. He was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, where my mother was born and her mother's family still lives today. He was born on Nov.22, 1918, to parents who had very strong Catholic roots. One of his brothers became a priest and one sister became a Carmelite nun. This year, many parishes throughout Puerto Rico are celebrating his jubilee year with pilgrimages and masses in his honor.

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.

St. John Maron Parish in Williamsville will hold a "Taste of Lebanon" to support an orphanage in the Middle East. This has become an annual event for a group of parishioners who formed SAVE ONE.

"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.

Sister Grace A. Knauber, an educator who served in Western New York and Puerto Rico, died Sept. 28, 2018, at the age of 91.

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.

"Every Life: Cherished, Chosen, Sent" has been a consistent theme of St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis and one that has particular urgency today. This year's theme for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Respect Life Program fills us with encouragement and hope and calls us to love, defend and celebrate all human life. It calls us to joyfully follow the example of Christ, to love without limits, and further, to act on that sense of true Christian charity.

Father Bede Fitzpatrick, who spent nearly his entire ministry in Japan, died Sept. 12, at the age of 96.

At an Aug. 26 news conference, Bishop Richard J. Malone announced that the Diocese of Buffalo would establish a new Office of Professional Responsibility. Its mission would be to review the Diocesan Code of Conduct, strengthen it wherever necessary, and enforce it.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - The Holy See's provisional agreement with China on the appointment of bishops has drawn criticism from some U.S. religious freedom leaders, who contend that it concedes too much to power to the government and undermines efforts to protect other suffering religious groups.