Current News

In "Consider This," Bishop Richard J. Malone talks about President Trump, the March For Life and the pro-life words of Pope Francis from his exhortation, "Amoris Laetitia."

The community of Western New York came together to celebrate Catholic education in the community at the largest annual diocesan fundraiser for needs-based tuition assistance on Jan. 19. Organized by the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, the 17th-annual GALA 22:6, formerly known as the Making a Difference Dinner, the event included a presentation of awards to individuals and organizations who have gone above and beyond.

Father Robert Marino, pastor of St. Philomena Parish in Franklinville, died Jan. 16, 2017, at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, after a long illness. He was 61 years of age.

Deacon Robert J. Moses, a permanent deacon, died Jan. 17, 2017. He was 83 years of age.

After years of uncertainty, the former St. Gerard Church in Buffalo will find a new purpose, as the Diocese of Buffalo has agreed to sell the property to a group of men who plan on keeping the facility religious, but not Catholic.

WASHINGTON, DC - As Congress discusses a repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, the Chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, is urging members of the House and Senate to provide a replacement plan concurrently so that millions of Americans will continue to have access to vital health care.

Catholic Charities officially announced an $11 million goal to begin its 93rd annual appeal Wednesday to benefit services it offers residents throughout the eight counties of Western New York. Bishop Richard J. Malone, along with representatives of Catholic Charities, made the announcement at a press conference inside Catholic Charities' central intake building at 525 Washington St. in downtown Buffalo.

Nearly 400 people gathered for a prayer service at the historic Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo to mark a National Day of Racial Healing on Tuesday, Jan. 17. The interfaith service was organized by the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable to encourage the community to work toward healing the wounds created by racial, ethnic and religious bias.

TONAWANDA — Callum Antonio, a freshman at Cardinal O'Hara High School, and his family were on hand at a historic event during a weeklong visit to Italy, when Pope Francis closed St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on Nov. 20 to conclude the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year of Mercy, which began Dec. 8, 2015.

It may come as a surprise to many that Bishop Richard J. Malone has never been to Ireland, although his roots run deep in the Emerald Isle. Next October, travelers from the Diocese of Buffalo can join the bishop as he sees the sights in the land of his ancestors for the very first time.

The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo will recognize Polly Lougen as the Sister Lucille Socciarelli/Father John Sturm Making a Difference Award recipient when it celebrates GALA 22:6 on Jan. 19. It will be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in downtown Buffalo, beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Those of us who were around in 1968 remember what a tumultuous year it was: the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the escalation of the war in Vietnam, the beginning of "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland and an enormous humanitarian crisis in Biafra caused by the Nigerian civil war.

KENMORE — The Leapfrog Group announced that Kenmore Mercy Hospital has become the only facility in New York state to be named a Top Hospital. Widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions a hospital can receive in the U.S., the recognition showcases Kenmore Mercy's commitment to patient safety and quality. Kenmore Mercy was one of 115 Top Hospitals to have been recognized across the country.

In this week's "Consider This," Bishop Richard Malone talks about three timely events: the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump, the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and Prayer for Racial Healing.

Mary Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School, providing a quality education for students in Universal Pre-K, kindergarten and grades one through eight, will hold open house opportunities during school hours throughout Catholic Schools Week.

Christ the King School, where quality education and faith are long-standing traditions, will host an open house event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, during Catholic Schools Week. The school is conveniently located at Main Street and Lamarck Drive in Snyder.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - On Wednesday Pope Francis issued strong words against worshipping idols, cautioning against the false hope that beauty, wealth and power can give, but which lead a person to trust in empty promises rather than in the Lord.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY - Niagara University's annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will include a plethora of activities, the centerpiece of which is a keynote address by the late civil rights leader's youngest daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King.

The Diocese of Buffalo has implemented a new system that allows people to anonymously report if they suspect specific instances of fraud or theft in the handling of finances in churches, schools or any diocesan organization. The system is run through an independent company called EthicsPoint, which is used by thousands of organizations, including hundreds of educational institutions.

As a pilot with the United States Army Air Corps, Michael Mombrea Sr. began his adult life training fighter pilots to fly missions over Europe during World War II. In the twilight of his life, this 96-year-old continues to fight on a battleground of a different kind; the fight to save the unborn.

WASHINGTON, DC - In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. Therefore, the World Day for Consecrated Life will be celebrated in the Church on Thursday, February 2, 2017 and in parishes on the weekend of February 4-5, 2017.

Last month, an East Aurora man and parishioner of nearby Immaculate Conception Parish recalled his family's experience walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, in honor of apostle St. James the Great, in Spain. Known by the English name of the Way of St. James, multiple routes all lead to the shrine of the apostle at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, where his remains are believed to be.

Father James A. Grimmer, a retired diocesan priest, died Jan. 9, 2017, at the Brothers of Mercy nursing facility in Clarence. He was 87 years of age.

Sister Patrice Holahan died Jan. 9, 2017 at Mount St. Mary Hospital in Lewiston. She was 94.

Sister Catherine Michael Brady died Jan. 8, 2017. She was 96 years of age.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will announce the goal, theme and patron saint of the 93rd annual appeal to support Catholic Charities' services provided throughout Western New York on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Catholic Charities' downtown Buffalo site at 525 Washington St.

WASHINGTON, DC - The annual Collection for the Church in Latin America will be taken up in many dioceses the weekend of January 21-22. This collection has existed for over 50 years as a sign of solidarity between the Churches of the United States and those in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Sister Mary Louise Marecki, CSSF, died Jan. 2, 2017, in Blessed Mary Angela Care Center in Buffalo. She was 89.

Sister Rosa Mystica Niedda, OSF died Dec. 24, 2016. She was 85.

Mary Jo Ketchum can still recall the moment when she felt she belonged to the Catholic Church. She sat in a pew at St. Ann Parish on Broadway on Christmas Eve with her parents, listening to "Silent Night" in German. The church was full of light and full of candles. A Nativity set as big as the side altar, sat nearby. "That was my first vision of church," she said.

In the coming months, the Office of Pro-Life Activities will be organizing two events to honor those who participate in and aid the pro-life cause in the Diocese of Buffalo, as well as provide resources and financial means for the office to continue its mission of supporting pregnant mothers and their children in need.

In December, principals, board members, pastors and administrators of Catholic schools in the diocese met at the Buffalo Club for a presentation by Frank Donaldson, an expert on advancement and marketing of Catholic schools. Donaldson, a New Orleans resident and president of the Institute for School and Parish Development, spoke on "Philosophy, Fundamentals and Processes of Catholic School Development and Advancement."

Jan. 1, 2017, marked the 50th World Day of Peace, which is an observance that was initiated by Pope Paul VI. In his message for this 50th World Day of Peace, Pope Francis invites us to reflect on "nonviolence as a style of politics for peace." The Holy Father recalls Blessed Paul VI's message for the first World Day of Peace in which he declared that "peace is the only true direction of human progress - and not the tensions caused by ambitious nationalisms, nor conquests by violence, nor repressions which serve as mainstay for a false civil order." Pope Paul cited St. John XXIII's encyclical Pacem in Terris to extol "the sense and love of peace founded upon truth, justice, freedom and love."

WASHINGTON, DC - The USCCB Special Task Force to Promote Peace in Our Communities has released a written version of the report today. The report includes findings and recommendations for bishops to continue the vital work of fostering healing and lasting peace in communities across the U.S. through concrete action, ongoing dialogue and opportunities for encounter.

ROME, ITALY (CNA/EWTN News) - Last week's opening of a McDonald's in a Vatican-owned property just around the corner from St. Peter's Square has been both welcomed and decried by Rome's locals.

The diocesan observance of the 44th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 4:30 p.m. at St. Christopher Parish, 2660 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda. Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, will be the celebrant.

WASHINGTON, DC - Throughout 2016 dioceses across the country participated in three emergency appeals, donating over $7 million for support in response to natural disasters.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - In a letter sent to bishops around the world for the feast of the Holy Innocents, Pope Francis lamented the many children who suffer from war, slavery and various forms of abuse, including within the Church.

"In a WORD with Father Dave" is a YouTube video series produced as a teaching tool for youth ages 13-19. In these short two-minute videos, Father David Richards delivers a solid Catholic message with fast-moving, in-your-face camera work, accompanied by an edgy editing style.

Sister Ruth M. Penksa, GNSH, died Dec. 28, 2016, in the Burn Treatment Unit of Erie County Medical Center from injuries sustained in a fire at her apartment building. She was 82.