Current News

The Dominican Nuns will celebrate a Novena in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, May 1-9, at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary, 335 Doat St., Buffalo.

Twenty-four students from Mount Mercy Academy's Health and Science Academy and Health Care Career Club had the experience of a lifetime recently. The students visited the Jacobs Institute and were able to practice and learn about cutting edge technology.

April 25 is Administrative Professionals' Day, a moment to recognize all those office workers who take the calls, fix the copier and do all the little things to make the office run smoother. We've asked for and received pictures of a few office managers and parish administrators from all over the diocese as a way to honor all of the hard work they do. View our latest photo gallery, and be sure to thank your administrative professionals today!

EAST AURORA — A $1.9 million construction project to completely update the education center on the campus of Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora is underway. A late spring or early summer completion date is expected.

NEW YORK CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - Disability rights activists are speaking out in opposition to a proposal in New York that would legalize physician assisted suicide.

I was born an extrovert. When I was 2, my mom put me in the front seat of the grocery cart at ShopRite, and as an older woman bent down to pick up eggs, I kissed her on the head. My mom, shocked, exclaimed, "Tinamarie! You can't just kiss strangers!" When I was 16, my friend's parents constantly questioned my sobriety due to expressive moves on the dance floor. So, when the Benedictine Sisters of Erie invited me on a five-day silent retreat during my summer internship with them, it went about as well as you might imagine.

After receiving an abuse complaint against Fr. Arthur S. Smith, of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Depew, Bishop Richard J. Malone has placed Father Smith on administrative leave as an investigation continues. Bishop Malone has also placed Rev. Samuel J. Venne on administrative leave after receiving an abuse complaint. Fr. Venne is a retired priest serving at St. Stephen's Parish on Grand Island.

St. Lawrence Parish at 1520 East Delavan Ave., Buffalo, will hold a special Mass of devotion to Our Lady.

Throughout the day on Saturday, thousands of people lined up at St. Gabriel's Church in Elma for the chance to venerate several relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. One by one, they took turns walking up to a table and were allowed to briefly touch some of the relics which included Saint Pio's crusts of the wounds, cotton-gauze with his blood stains, a lock of Saint Pio's hair, his mantle, and a handkerchief soaked with his sweat hours before he died. Touching or praying in the presence of such an object helps a faithful individual focus on the saint's life and virtues, so that through the saint's prayer or intercession before God, the individual will be drawn closer to God.

"Daisy" Estelle Anderson has volunteered for Catholic Charities for 30 years, but on April 19, the appreciation and esteem earned for all of her work was given back to her, courtesy of a visit from Al Roker of NBC's "The Today Show."

Three outstanding community members devoted to making a positive difference in Western New York will be honored May 2 at St. Bonaventure University's Gaudete Medal Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Buffalo.

When we suffer we look for things that give us comfort and strength. When Sister Johnice Rzadkiewicz, CSSF, visited her terminally ill brother, Jack, she gave him comfort and strength with a small wooden cross.

To say the students are thrilled with the implementation of the diocesan STREAM program at Our Lady of Victory School in Lackawanna is an understatement.

As part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) 15th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Catholic Health is joining forces with local law enforcement to help get unused and unwanted drugs out of people's homes.

Teacher and missionary, Sister Alma Robert Glenn died April 12, 2018 at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, Allegany. She was 86.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Assciation of Church Personnel Administrators will hold its annual convocation in the Diocese of Buffalo April 22-24 at the Conference and Event Center, 101 Old Falls St., Niagara Falls. NACPA represents human resource, finance directors, chancellors, principals, college presidents and other Church leaders in arch/dioceses nationwide. The NACPA's mission is "to promote justice in the workplace."

Bishop Richard J. Malone announced that the Bishop's Residence at 77 Oakland Place, Buffalo, will be placed on the market this summer and all proceeds from the sale of the property will be dedicated to the Diocese of Buffalo's Independent Reconciliation & Compensation Program to assist victims of past sexual abuse by priests.

SPRINGBROOK — By this summer, more local Catholics may be "takin' it to the streets" as part of two new initiatives at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, in Springbrook. A special training workshop will be held on April 21 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for those wishing to effectively minister to people in the community.

HOUGHTON - Western New York Women of Worship, a one-day event designed to uplift, restore and motivate the spirits of women, returns to Houghton College on Saturday, April 21.

Two months ago, on Ash Wednesday, (and Valentine's Day), we were witness to another mass shooting, this time in a high school in Parkland, Fla. The pain inflicted on the families, friends and the nation from this attack is unconscionable, and even now our hearts are still tender from the wound this atrocity inflicted.

This month on "Our Daily Bread," host Father Paul D. Seil is out of his kitchen and traveling to 208 Stanislaus St., on Buffalo's East Side, to cook in and learn more about the Mother Teresa Home, which has been open for a little over a year now.

Someone once said, "marriages may be made in heaven, but they sure take a lot of work on earth." In our society, with the pressures of conflicting demands and too little time, personal relationships are often taken for granted. With all the distractions we easily forget that strong caring loving relationships take work.

When Bryce McLanahan walked up the aisle of St. Joseph Cathedral to receive his award as one of the Altar Servers of the Year, it was the final steps in a unique journey for the Amherst teen. Although baptized in the Catholic Church, he grew up not attending regular Mass with his family. Instead, he forged his own spiritual path.

Ladies of Charity, a volunteer organization affiliated with Catholic Charities of Buffalo, will hold its inaugural Party Saturday fundraising event Saturday, April 14, at Catholic Charities, 75 Caldwell Place, Lackawanna.

It's the time of year again when the Legion of Mary looks forward to it's annual Marian consecration of active and auxiliary members called the "Acies." Acies is a Latin word meaning army ranged in battle array, which describes the Legion of Mary as they assemble all together to renew their dedication to the Most Holy Virgin Mary and receive from her, strength and blessing for the upcoming year's battles with the forces of evil.

At St. John the Baptist Parish in Kenmore, parishioners have engaged in a number of initiatives to reduce the community's carbon footprint. Since October, this has included collections of Styrofoam, long recognized as a non-biodegradable material that clogs up landfills, after Masses in the church.

"Nearly all the presenters approached me to point out something important is happening at Christ the King Seminary, and, more broadly, in the Diocese of Buffalo."

Daybreak TV Productions' series "In a Word" is back with interesting topics delivered by a familiar face. Father Dave Richards continues to produce videos with a solid Catholic message. His upbeat delivery draws you in as you listen to his powerful reflections. "The goal of this new series is to offer a message on social media that gives viewers something to think about, something to live by, and though it is produced with young people in mind we see Faith Formation instructors, parents and teachers interested and responding as well," says Daybreak TV Productions Executive Producer Claire Rung.

The Easter Season is a time of great hope as the Church celebrates the miracle of Christ's resurrection, rejoices in His promises, and receives the great gift of the Holy Spirit. Hope is born because of the Easter moment. The brilliance of Easter light has eclipsed the darkness of Good Friday. In the light of the resurrection, our faith finds an anchor, which is hope. In resounding alleluias sung with jubilation, God gives every believer hope in a future that includes eternal life with Him.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with a bishop and chat, just chat, about whatever's on your mind? What would you ask him?

Sister Mary Belair, longtime teacher, died April 3, 2018, after more than 60 years with the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.

Men hungering for a healthy serving of spirituality get more than they bargain for at Blessed Sacrament Parish. The Tonawanda church hosts a Breakfast & the Bible event the first Saturday of every month immediately following the 8 a.m. Mass. The morning consists of fresh made breakfast of eggs (and recently zucchini soufflé), a guest speaker and some Bible study.

Happy Easter Week! Relive some of our favorite moments of Holy Week 2018 as Bishop Richard J. Malone blessed baskets, visited the Broadway Market and celebrated several Masses and liturgies. View our new photo gallery here.

Since 1980, the red brick house at the intersection of Seneca Street and Roanoke Parkway in South Buffalo has offered safe haven to more than 4,000 runaway and homeless young men from Western New York to China. For most of those years, Father Joseph Bayne, OFM Conv, served as The Center's Executive Director. In that role, he successfully oversaw a "tough love" program of independent living skills that earned recognition in publications as exalted as the New York Times. According to the respected friar, that dedication to excellence is what has compelled him to close the ministry's doors.

As we continue to deal with the impact of the revelation of clerical sexual abuse allegations in our diocese, there is so much I need and want to say.

The SSJ Sister Karen Klimczak Center for Nonviolence will welcome William J. Hochul Jr. as keynote speaker for its annual event on April 15, at 3 p.m. at SS. Columba-Brigid Church, 75 Hickory St., Buffalo. A reception will follow. Hochel will invite attendees to join him on "A Journey of Justice and Mercy."

Inside a darkened St. Joseph Cathedral, a paschal candle was lit from a blessed fire. The candle was carried by Deacon Paul Cygan proclaiming "The Light of Christ" in the procession, as one candle lit another, then two, then a hundred. As the cathedral became dimly lit by candlelight, Bishop Richard J. Malone began the annual celebration of the Easter Vigil that heralds the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Passion of Jesus Christ was solemnly celebrated by Bishop Richard J. Malone and a congregation at St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo, as people attended a special liturgy to mark Good Friday 2018 on March 30.

At the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, Bishop Richard Malone urged the faithful gathered at St. Joseph Cathedral to recommit themselves to look for every opportunity to be present to one another in love and in care and compassion, especially those who need it most.

At the annual Chrism Mass, at St. Joseph Cathedral Tuesday, Bishop Richard Malone told hundreds in attendance that the Catholic community is in the throes of crisis, but that it presents what he called a "graced opportunity to lift ourselves beyond tragedy and to heroic heights."