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There was a time when women were expected to wear hats or "chapel veils" in church, and Kate Mazzarini, for one, is glad that became optional in 1962.

It's time again for the annual Catholic Communication Campaign, the campaign that connects people with Christ. Each year, on the second weekend of June - June 10 and 11 this year - parishes throughout the diocese participate in this second collection which helps the men and women in the Office of Communications bring the Good News to you.

TONAWANDA — The 2017 Ken-Ton Friends of Youth Shining Stars Dinner, held April 26 at the Tonawanda Castle, awarded grants to seven deserving college-bound high school seniors.

In its role in serving the Catholic Church in Buffalo, Daybreak TV Productions, part of the Office of Communications' job is to ensure it distributes not just entertainment, but accurate information about the Catholic faith to audiences. Since videographers, producers and others in the field of communications are laypeople and usually not as well versed in theology as clergy and men and women religious, this has led to collaboration between Daybreak staff and other departments in the Catholic Center.

On Communications Weekend in the Diocese we focus on our namesake, the Western New York Catholic, with Managing Editor, Patrick McPartland and Photographer, Dan Cappellazzo.

In the diocesan Office of Communications, a variety of individuals with talents in the fields of writing, editing, copyediting and videography work together to produce Catholic media for Western New York and the rest of the United States. For Daybreak TV Productions, part of the office, one individual who makes things happen every day as a jack-of-all-trades is Ann Przybylski, whose official title is that of administrative assistant and bookkeeper, but her actual job behind the TV scenes consists of much more than this.

If you have ever turned on the television to see one of Buffalo's priests celebrating Mass, you can thank the crew of Daybreak TV Productions. The video-producing arm of the Diocese of Buffalo records over 300 liturgical celebrations every year at the Our Lady Chapel of St. Joseph Cathedral, just a couple of miles from their downtown Buffalo studios.

It's always nice to get to know the people you work with, especially when you are all working toward a common goal: spreading the news and ministry of the Catholic Church. Some people may call this evangelization. Me, personally, I like to call it "talking about my job."

I am writing this column on May 20, the 45th anniversary of my ordination as a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston. Never did I imagine then that today, 45 years later, I would be bishop of Buffalo, preparing to ordain four fine young men as priests for our diocese of Western New York. Over and over again I have learned that when we pray "Come, Holy Spirit," we had best be prepared for surprises!

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - United States Vice President Mike Pence exhorted those in attendance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday to continue to be a "voice for the voiceless", after proclaiming that "life is winning" in the nation.

There are two sides to Father Jeffrey Nowak. Not quite Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, more like Father Jeff and Captain Facebook. Both have the same purpose - to deliver the word of God. That is why the diocesan Office of Communications has named him honorary chairperson of the Catholic Communication Campaign.

Bishop Richard J. Malone and Catholic Charities of Buffalo officials are asking for help as the organization struggles to reach this year's $11 million goal with the 2017 Appeal entering its final month.

Bishop Richard J. Malone said he never sees as many smiles as he does during an Ordination Mass. You can see why in our new photo gallery covering the ordination of four new priests.

"Our solidarity in Christian hope and commitment to peace is a bond that cannot be broken."

Bishop Richard J. Malone welcomed a crowd of nearly one thousand at St. Joseph Cathedral Saturday morning by noting that he rarely sees so many smiles in church as on the day of an ordination. On this day, he placed his hands upon the heads for men as he said the ordination prayer making them priests of Jesus Christ forever.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - Catholic leaders around the world expressed disappointment as President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. was pulling out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

The congregation of St. Gregory the Great Parish invites everyone to join in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood of Pastor Father Leon J. Biernat on Sunday, June 4, at the 12:30 p.m. Mass at St. Gregory's. Following Mass there will be a reception held in the Ministry Center and Parish grounds.

WASHINGTON, DC - As the U.S. Senate begins to discuss health care reform, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin provided moral principles to help guide policymakers in their deliberations.

Sister Susan Buckley, OSF, died May 31, 2017, at Buffalo General Hospital. She was 82.

Cole Webster left a career in hotel hospitality to become a concierge for the Lord. The Buffalo native will be ordained to the priesthood June 3.

WASHINGTON, DC - According to White House officials, President Donald J. Trump is reviewing the United States' commitment to the Paris agreement on climate change. The president tweeted that he will make an official statement on the agreement in a few days.

WASHINGTON, DC - According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate's (CARA) annual survey, 82 percent of the 2017 class of men ordained to the priesthood were encouraged by about four people in their lives including parish priests, friends or other parishioners. The report also says that ordinands were, on average, 16 years old when they first considered a vocation to the priesthood, and religious ordinands reported they knew the members of their religious institute an average of six years before entering.

MARYKNOLL — Father Dennis W. Cleary, MM, of Buffalo, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his ordination on Sunday, June 25. He is one of 21 Maryknollers to commemorate his ordination to the priesthood or Final Oath as a Maryknoll Brother in ceremonies to be held at the Maryknoll Mission Center in Ossining.

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement in the wake of the latest attack on Christians in the Middle East.

Almost $810,000 was collected in the Diocese of Buffalo during the 2016 Retirement Fund for Religious Appeal. This total includes donations received from throughout the United States through the "Share in the Care" website, which is sponsored by the Religious Retirement Fund in the Diocese of Buffalo. Donations to this site can be made online throughout the year.

CNA/EWTN News — It was August in Rome, the dog days of summer, and most people had left the Eternal City for the beach or another summer holiday destination.

Mount St. Mary Academy is proud to present Summer Sessions 2017 for girls entering grades five through eight. The Summer Camps program, running from Aug. 7-11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the school, will include a combination of athletic, arts and educational sessions.

"Rooted in the Gospel we are sisters to all, serving with reverence, justice and compassion." The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities have expressed this mission statement in many ways since the congregation's beginnings in Philadelphia in 1855. While the ways that we live and minister have adapted to the changing needs of the world and the Church over the past 162 years, our mission has remained strong.

Maybe it was one too many holiday dinner parties or those extra calorie-rich culinary treats that leave us feeling a bit more vulnerable to the weight-loss advertisements that bombard us this time of year. 'Tis the season, right? Or maybe, like me, you tend to struggle with body image in a world that's hyper-focused on our physical appearance. It makes no difference if you feel this on occasion or have felt this your entire life. I've gathered some meaningful Bible verses that speak to me about loving my body. Hopefully, they will help you too.

Six diocesan Catholic Cemeteries will celebrate Memorial Day Masses throughout the holiday weekend on May 27 and 29.

An interview from October 1996 with National Circus Chaplain, Father Jerry Hogan.

KENMORE — St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute's Collegiate Summer is back. The popular summer program held annually is open for registration. This four-week summer program is designed to help young men prepare for high school and have some fun.

It seems evident that Catholic schools are a viable, hopeful alternative to other kinds of schools in our community. But, over the years, it has become increasingly important to point out a significant fact about them. Catholic schools enroll a diverse population of rich, poor, black, white, Catholic, non-Catholic, smart and not-so-smart students.

On June 3, a native of Nigeria will be ordained alongside three other men at St. Joseph Cathedral, when the Diocese of Buffalo will welcome its newest priests to its fold. Currently serving as a transitional deacon, Robert Agbo, who came to the United States and settled in Buffalo in 2013, said he is looking forward to being able to serve God's people in this diocese and celebrate Mass with them in his ministry.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - After months of anticipation, Pope Francis and U.S. President Donald Trump finally met at the Vatican Wednesday in a friendly encounter which included an emphasis on protection of life and freedom of conscience.

WASHINGTON, DC - Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), is expressing shock and sadness in the wake of last night's terror attack at Manchester Arena. In this moment of national tragedy and grief for England, Cardinal DiNardo has written a letter of condolence to the Most Reverend John Stanley Kenneth Arnold, Bishop of Salford and the people of England. The Diocese of Salford serves the area of greater Manchester and Lancashire. In the letter, Cardinal DiNardo expresses solidarity along with the continued prayers of the Church in the United States in the face of such unspeakable loss.

Camp Turner, located in Allegany State Park, is a summer resident camp operated by the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. The camp serves boys and girls ages 7 to 16. The camp strives to foster an emotionally safe culture in which everyone feels welcomed and accepted.

For the second year in a row, the Mercy Nursing Facility at the Our Lady of Victory Senior Neighborhood was named a Top Performing Nursing Home by the New York State Department of Health. This designation places the Catholic Health long-term care facility, which is affiliated with Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, in the top 5 percent of nursing homes in the state.

You could call the former Bishop Fallon High School "the school that keeps on giving." Even though it has been closed since 1975, its Alumni Association has managed to raise nearly $100,000 for Catholic education over the past 13 years through an annual golf tournament. This year, that tournament is scheduled for Monday, June 19 at Lancaster Country Club.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently urged our politicians not to abandon our commitment to the 2016 Paris Treaty on reducing pollution. Despite their leadership, are we Catholics sufficiently concerned about God's creation, including the environment?