Current News

If someone told me that my faith would change my life a few years ago, I would not have believed them. I used to be someone that didn't want to go to church and sometimes not even Sunday school.

After a truck plowed through crowds celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice, killing 84, Pope Francis voiced his sorrow for the act of "blind violence," and assured the French people of his prayers.

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed the prayers and support of the Catholic Church in the United States to the people of France following the July 14 attack in Nice.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and Archbishop William E. Lori - as chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, respectively - commended the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (S. 304) on July 13 in a 245-182 bipartisan vote.

When Pope Francis announced the Holy Year of Mercy, he offered it as a special time for Catholics to receive blessings and pardons from God. In turn, people were asked to offer mercy to others in the form of forgiveness and assistance.

A weekend retreat called "Communion of Hearts" took place at the St. Columban Center in Derby on May 20-22. The theme was chosen as the retreat focused on entering into deeper union with God during the Year of Mercy by allowing participants to be touched by God's mercy and then sharing it with others.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has reappointed Father Angelo M. Chimera pastor of All Saints Parish, Buffalo, for a second term of six years. His appointment was effective June 29.

Living out the mission as a community of believers within the greater Lake View community is very clear when looking at the schedule for the weekend lawn fete which begins Friday, July 15.

Father William "Jud" Weiksnar, OFM, of the Holy Name Province in Buffalo, returned home in June from a two-week trip to Italy for a meeting on justice, peace and the integrity of creation. The gathering brought together Franciscans from throughout the world who discussed the importance of caring for creation and the lasting impact of Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment, "Laudato Si."

There is an old proverb that says, "What the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over." How difficult it is for us to truly empathize with the sufferings or pain of another if we are not really witness to it, or have a connection with the one suffering.

Nearly 200 people responded to the deaths of two black men and five police officers with a prayer for peace. Representatives of area religious organizations joined together for a citywide prayer vigil.

WASHINGTON - Urging support for the First Amendment Defense Act Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, issued the following statement:

Pope Francis encourages says us to open our eyes to the world without cynicism and indifference. The world will not change until we show compassion and mercy to everyone we meet. Bishop Richard Malone explains in "Consider This."

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are like a good fitness regime. You keep practicing it long after the coach is done coaching, long after the initial fun has worn off, and long after the novelty has faded away.

When Josh and Maria Gehl leave for three months of training in September, they will begin serving a two-year assignment in another country.

Robert M. Cluckey has been named the new president/principal of Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School effective July 11. Ronald Buggs, who served as president/principal for three years, is retiring.

EAST AURORA — Father Robert A. Wozniak has been appointed vice rector at Christ the King Seminary. The appointment follows the departure of Father Gregory Faulhaber, who is now pastor of Queen of Heaven Parish in West Seneca.

The national Encuentros began in the Catholic Church in the United States in 1972. Since then, there have been three other Encuentros - 1977, 1985 and 2000. The third Encuentro brought together hundreds of thousands of Catholics from around the country in a consultation process that led to establishment of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry in the United States, which also inspired the rise of Spanish speaking bishops, priests, deacons and lay leadership in diocesan offices and parishes throughout our nation.

This is the 12th consecutive year Fidelis Care has supported the Catholic Charities of Buffalo In-School Social Work Program, recently awarding Catholic Charities a $403,850 grant to continue its commitment to make a difference in the lives of youth, their families and educators.

Mother Teresa was quoted as saying that the problem with the world is that we draw the circle of our family too small. This quote may not be true for everyone, but it definitely was true for me.

The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry installed the 2016-2017 Diocesan Youth Board in June in the Catholic Center in downtown Buffalo. These 10 new members will follow a long tradition of teens helping other teens by planning youth ministry activities for the diocese.

Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School in Buffalo will host its "Anything-but-Ordinary" Summer Timon Camp for all boys entering grades 5-8, from July 11-22. This year's camp will feature day trips to Letchworth State Park, City Hall and other local landmarks.

The Olympics have not yet begun, but the Western New York Catholic has brought home some gold. The diocesan newspaper received four awards at the Catholic Press Association's annual media conference held June 1-3.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - After the Supreme Court struck down Texas' abortion clinic regulations last week, a new report claims that these clinics are ignoring health standards and continuing to put women at risk.

The Franciscan Institute and the School of Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure University is hosting a conference from July 12-15 on Women in the Franciscan Tradition on the St. Bonaventure campus, as well as a talk on new findings on St. Francis of Assisi.

Given that one in four women and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the Church's response to this issue is needed.

The Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province are making plans to vacate St. Patrick's Friary on Seymour Street in Larkinville next year.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - On America's 240th Independence Day, Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh called on Catholics to be "footnotes" for the truth that is Christ.

WASHINGTON - Following the Colombian Bishops' Conference statement regarding the cease fire announced in Colombia, Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, New Mexico, chair of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, extended a message of support and solidarity, July 5.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - Both the Catholic Church and the tradition of religious freedom can trace their roots in the United States to the earliest days of the founding of Maryland, says a new documentary premiering on EWTN over the Fourth of July Weekend.

A lot of sharing and caring took place at Christ the King Seminary recently, along with a lot of learning and square dancing, as 40 teens took part in the Christian Leadership Institute.

In August, the diocesan Department of Lifelong Faith Formation will welcome a well-known speaker on Catholic adult faith formation to Immaculate Conception Convent of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph in Hamburg. From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 17, "Engaging Adults: Presented by Vibrant Faith" will include Leif Kehrwald of Vibrant Faith, a family faith development coordinator.

It was American Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr who famously declared that the Christian teaching on original sin is "the only empirically verifiable doctrine of the Christian faith."

The 2016 Appeal for Catholic Charities of Buffalo ended on a high note this evening as Bishop Richard J. Malone took to the stage at Kleinhans Music Hall immediately prior to the Forte Tenors concert to announce this year's campaign surpassed its $11 million goal, with cash and pledges received totaling $11,108,356.45.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - During his Angelus address Wednesday Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of Tuesday's deadly attack on an Istanbul airport, asking that God would convert the hearts of those who choose violence.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - On Tuesday, Benedict XVI gave his second public speech since his final day as Pope, expressing gratitude for a lengthy priesthood and for Pope Francis' "goodness," which he said moves him deeply.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - Pope Francis told journalists on Sunday that he was somewhat angered when reports emerged that the Church was allegedly paving the way for the ordination of women to the diaconate, since no such change is in the works.

The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Divine Child began in the Diocese of Buffalo in 1927 to help thousands of children of Italian immigrants in need of religious instruction. Some original members of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Divine Child gathered recently at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Buffalo for Mass to remember their origins and to be recognized by the Italian Federation.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - On Monday, the Supreme Court struck down a 2013 Texas law regulating the safety of abortion clinics, saying in a 5-3 decision that it put an undue burden on a women's right to an abortion.

Since 1845, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has worked to provide material and spiritual assistance to those who need it most. The director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Buffalo spoke about St. Vincent's Door, a fund the local society is creating with the goal of helping women and children who are now in transition and need help after surviving domestic violence or other hardships.