Current News

Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisc., former chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, offers "10 Things to Remember for Lent."

Nearly two years after becoming the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis continues to grow more popular among Americans, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Cardinal Edward M. Egan, who served as Archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009, passed away Thursday at the age of 82.

Bishop Richard J. Malone shares his thoughts of Mother Teresa and the importance of silence in a new episode of "Consider This."

As the season of Lent progresses, so will a Lenten tradition at a Southern Tier parish. For years, Holy Name of Mary Parish in Ellicottville has maintained a yearly Lenten prayer cross, which remains common among the parishioners as well as visitors to the region's popular ski resorts.

VATICAN CITY (CNA) — The "globalization of indifference" was at the heart of Pope Francis' Lenten message in which he urged the faithful to fight individualism with merciful hearts that are more attentive to the needs of others.

The St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute Visual and Performing Arts Department is proud to announce that "Damn Yankees" will be presented the weekend of March 6-8.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Be a member of the Harmonia Chamber Singers, as the local a cappella group has been chosen to perform at the world famous New York City venue on Friday, March 13. But if you don't have enough money for airfare, hotel and concert tickets, you can catch Harmonia perform locally on the first weekend of March.

Chancery announcements for the week of March 2, 2015.

St. Casimir Church in Buffalo will hold its annual Heritage Events program throughout March.

Father Bill Quinlivan, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Tonawanda, has been named Irishman of the Year by the Knights of Equity, a national Irish Catholic organization.

Our Lady of Charity Parish in Buffalo will offer the Novena of Grace from Wednesday, March 4, through Thursday, March 12, at the St. Ambrose worship site at 65 Ridgewood Road.

Those who have visited the website at www.wnycatholic.org recently, may have noticed a few changes. A lot of changes. A whole new website.

EAST AURORA — In celebration of Black History Month in February, Immaculate Conception School welcomed dancers and a drummer from the African-American Cultural Center to teach students about African dance.

A day of prayer and spiritual enlivening titled, "Come to the Water," will be offered by Grey Nuns and friends on Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Bishop Richard J. Malone's public schedule for March 2015

My story begins with my loving family. I was born to Luke and Pamela Uebler in July of 1990. I also have a younger brother Kyle and a younger sister Sara, whom I admire and enjoy spending time with. Father Michael Uebler, my uncle, baptized me, and I like to tell him that, so far, it's working.

Bishop Richard Malone explains what the Liturgy of the Hours are and how they can strengthen prayer life in a brand new episode of "Consider This."

Father Czeslaw Krysa said that Scripture reading is the single most important thing Catholics should do during the Lenten season of prayer and fasting. The diocesan director of the Office of Worship said a good focus would be on reading the prophets and the Psalms. Since Catholics are called to fast during this time, Father Krysa also suggested some different ways they might experience this special sacrificing.

The Program of Priestly Formation lists those responsible for the discovery and promotion of a religious vocation. It comments the bishop, the presbyterate, the vocation director, the seminary and seminarians as all having vital roles in caring "for the birth, discernment and fostering of vocations, particularly to the priesthood."

There was a bit of history made this past December, and it deserves some thought beyond just the headlines it made. Bishop Richard J. Malone and Episcopal Bishop R. William Franklin issued a joint pastoral letter on the renewal in Western New York.

Parish outreach programs provide needed assistance, companionship and, most importantly, listening ears to offer support and a warm sense of community. At St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Tonawanda, the outreach center co-coordinators, Rita Alviti and Karen Szafran, give back to their community as a key facet of their jobs.

The weekly Chancery bulletin announcements for the week of Feb. 9, 2015.

In recognition of the changing nature of public policy advocacy and communication, and in an effort to use the Church's resources in these areas most effectively, the bishops of New York state have determined that the "Catholics at the Capitol" lobby day in Albany will not be held this year and is not likely to be held in subsequent years.

Every year the Diocesan Vocation Office produces and distributes a vocation poster to every parish in the diocese. This year the poster was done in two sizes and it focuses on Pope Francis as he ordains a young man to the priesthood at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Both of the posters contain a quote from Pope Francis on vocations. Have you seen these posters in your church or school?

Last weekend was the annual Diocesan Youth Convention, Restore 2015, which drew about 850 teens to the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Buffalo. Relive some top moments in our exclusive photo gallery.

Trocaire College will host a Citizens Preparedness Training course for New York state residents to attend. The course will take place on Wed., March 11 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. in the Margaret Wendt Center at the main campus located at 360 Choate Avenue in South Buffalo.

Lent is under way ... a season of grace, a time for priority changing or change of heart. You can see the excitement in Bishop Richard J. Malone's face and voice as he reflects on the season during the first Friday of Lent.

For many years a small group of parishioners at St. John Kanty Parish in Buffalo have been getting together to make pierogi. It all started in the mid 1980s when the former church secretary, Lorraine Wiernik, along with the pastor, Msgr. Robert Golombek, came up with the idea of selling fish frys during Lent.

Austen Ivereigh, author and founder of Catholic Voices, has written an in-depth biography of Pope Francis. "The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope" offers 391 pages of insights that show what shaped the current pontiff.

WASHINGTON—A variety of resources to help Catholics observe Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, this year February 18, is being provided by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Season of Lent.

Is the Catholics Come Home campaign over at your parish? Let's hope not.

On the eve of St. Valentine's Day, the same day that "50 Shades of Grey" opened, the 63rd annual diocesan Youth Convention also opened. As a reaction to the hedonist message that society gives teenagers, the convention held the theme of Restore.

The Diocese of Buffalo will host catechetical leaders from throughout the United States in May. The 79th annual National Conference for Catechetical Leadership conference and exposition will take place at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in Buffalo from May 18 to May 21, with pre-conference events May 17.

I had served as a parish priest for nine years when then Bishop Henry J. Mansell asked me to return to Christ the King Seminary as part of the formation team. In those nine beautiful years in parish ministry, I encountered some dedicated lay people who wanted to know what they could do to promote vocations.

With the coldest temperatures of the winter forecast for this Sunday, Bishop Richard J. Malone is advising Catholics to exercises extreme caution when it comes to attending Mass.

Father James O'Connor has been a source of peace, strength and love to parishioners for 44 years. His smile conveys a joy of lifelong service to God and others.

The diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities held its fourth annual banquet to support the St. Gianna Molla Pregnancy Outreach Center on Feb. 11. The dinner gathered those who work in the pro-life ministries throughout the diocese to hear the testimonies of people affected by the center. Bishop Richard J. Malone led a prayer for those in attendance.

At some point every family must deal with issues involving end of life care for a loved one. As Catholics attempt to navigate the myriad medical, ethical, and religious questions that arise, all the while dealing with the grief of an impending death, it can become overwhelming.