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He is often seen standing at the right hand of the priest, assisting him in the celebration of the Mass, and proclaiming the Gospel. He is wearing a stole over his left shoulder and across his chest, symbolically leaving the right hand and shoulder unencumbered so as to offer service. He is a Roman Catholic deacon, and his ministry dates back to the time of the apostles.

Throughout his 45 years in the priesthood, Father Richard DiGiulio has ministered as a doctor of sorts, diagnosing, treating and healing the souls of wounded people. Burning Bush House of Prayer is his practice. St. Lawrence Church in Buffalo serves as his hospital.

A number of Hispanic people from the Diocese of Buffalo had the opportunity to learn more about the Catholic faith and embrace a multicultural perspective of faith, as they recently graduated from St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester.

This will be the 22nd year that St. John Vianney Parish in Orchard Park is welcoming visitors to its annual lawn fete which will take place from Thursday, July 24, until Sunday, July 27. It will feature events to keep both children and adults entertained, with an emphasis on family-friendly fun. An organizer said this year's lawn fete will maintain long-standing traditions while adding enough to also keep the event fresh.

PENDLETON — Good Shepherd Parish holds its annual picnic on the last Sunday of July every summer. This year, the event will take place on Sunday, July 27, on the same grounds once walked by St. John Neumann.

Catholic social teaching is unfortunately the Church's best kept secret. But because it directly addresses the world's most pressing social justice and peace issues, Catholic social teaching needs to come out of hiding and be discovered, read, preached, proclaimed and lived in our parishes, schools, universities, media, homes and society.

As the month of May came to an end, so did a session of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Retreat that began eight months earlier. Since the fall, eight men and women have met at St. Michael Church in Buffalo, with their spiritual directors, to learn how to live a more enthusiastic Christian life.

For families looking for a fun weekend event, this year's Summerfest at Our Lady of Charity Parish in Buffalo will take place from Thursday, July 24, to Saturday, July 26. The event offers afternoons and evenings of food, music, drinks, children's activities and raffles.

Eleanor Asklar, longtime organist at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, now a worship site for Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parish in Niagara Falls, will be retiring after serving in music ministry for more than 60 years.

A trip to the Holy Land gave a group of Catholics a chance to learn a new culture and witness the beauty of the holy sites.

You have certainly seen them on the street unless you purposely turn away and pretend they aren't there, or if you diligently avoid eye contact. You may or may not take notice of what they're wearing, like layers of clothing even in the heat.

In a time when people need heroes, Buffalo's West Side has its own set of Avengers. Instead of colorful capes, these men wear black. A band of six Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate use Holy Angels Parish as a headquarters while they go out into the community to serve "where there is a need."

After the canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II this April, many Catholics recognized the contributions these men made to both the Catholic Church and the world in general, and the importance of what it means to be a saint. However, it is not often that many stop to think about what saints truly mean to today's lay people, and how the average American Catholic may use the examples of these individuals, but especially American saints in relatively recent history, in their own lives.

This month Our Daily Bread goes international, airing an episode originally scheduled for June. Host Father Paul D. Seil is joined in the kitchen by Father Ronald Sajdak, pastor at St. Martin de Porres and St. Lawrence parishes in Buffalo. Father Sajdak is also the director of ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa Ministry. Also in the kitchen, is an associate of ROTA, Grace Sokiri. Father Sajdak and Sokiri will be making an East African Sudanese recipe kisra and nyagua.

For over a decade Corpus Christi Church has worked to preserve the art and architecture of this East Buffalo landmark. With the repair of the north tower seeking funding as the final piece of this ongoing restoration project, the beautiful interior and exterior of the East Side parish is almost complete.

For several years, I have been following the research of Christian Smith, currently a professor and director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at Notre Dame University. Smith and his colleagues began in 2001 the National Study of Youth and Religion, the most comprehensive national study ever conducted about American teens' religious and spiritual lives.

Parish youth ministers keep a sharp eye out for teens who display vision, friendliness and a positive energy. These are the qualities of leaders. Teens with these talents are advised to attend the Christian Leadership Institute, a weeklong experience that challenges young people to share insights and knowledge so as to grow in faith together. Often, when they leave, the teens say they had the best time of their lives.

The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry installed the 2014-2015 Diocesan Youth Board in June in the Catholic Center in downtown Buffalo. These 13 teens will help plan youth ministry activities for the diocese.

Next fall, seniors in Western New York will have the option to spend retirement in a new and luxurious facility. The Brothers of Mercy held a groundbreaking ceremony last week for an upcoming addition to their campus in Clarence. Montabaur Heights will be an independent senior living community offering a wide variety of amenities close to the order's nursing and rehabilitation center.

This year's summer mission will take place July 8, 9 and 10, with the theme, "Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive."

The Diocese of Buffalo closed out the third annual Fortnight for Freedom on July 1, on the heels of a victory for religious freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that craft store chain Hobby Lobby will not have to provide contraception and abortion-inducing drugs to its employees.

Catholic Charities ran a strong finish in the final lap of the 2014 annual appeal, exceeding its goal of $10.8 million with a total of $11 million at the close of its fiscal year Monday.

An early Mass at St. Rose of Lima Parish in North Buffalo celebrated two important tenets of the American Catholic faith, as Bishop Richard J. Malone observed the Fortnight for Freedom and Rosary Novena for Life Saturday morning.

Bishop Richard J. Malone calls St. John the Baptist "the great evangelizer." Find out why in a new episode of the weekly "Consider This" YouTube show.

Bake sales are passé. Fish fry dinners are so last Lent. This year Corpus Christi Church in Buffalo turned to the online community to kick start its newest fundraising campaign.

The faith of most American Catholics is something they have been raised with after being baptized as infants. For St. Amelia Parish in the Town of Tonawanda, the process of welcoming new Catholics became an international process of learning a new culture and language.

As this school year comes to a close, all of our schools are showcasing the great work, inventive creativity and high energy that always characterize our Catholic schools.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Journalists from across the country gathered at the Sheraton Charlotte in North Carolina for the 2014 Catholic Media Conference on June 18-20. The three-day conference offered guest speakers and workshops to further enhance the skills of Catholic journalists.

Despite a strong media campaign by New York bishops, the New York State Legislature ended its 2014 session in June without passing an education tax credit bill intended to help fund public school districts and parents sending their children to private schools.

Phase three of the chapel mausoleum complex at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheektowaga was completed on June 21, when Bishop Richard J. Malone presided over the Mass and dedication of the St. Anthony Chapel Mausoleum.

What, specifically, is Corpus Christi? In a new "Consider This," Bishop Richard J. Malone explains the tradition behind the solemnity of the body and blood of Christ, and what it means for Catholics.

The Diocese of Buffalo will join other Catholic dioceses across the United States from June 21 until July 4 for the third annual Fortnight for Freedom. The event calls attention to religious freedom and conscience protection.

Just about a month ago, Pope Francis created quite a stir when he sent out a tweet that said, "Inequality is the root of social evil." Two things happened. First, this was re-tweeted more than 17,000 times, and secondly, there was a great hue and cry from some corners about the over-simplification of economics by the pope, or at least that he was confusing.

Being the new kid in class is never easy, but imagine being in a new school, in a new country, full of students with a different belief system. That's what's happening at Immaculata Academy in Hamburg, which welcomes international students, some of whom received their first taste of Catholicism when the first bell rang.

This month "Our Daily Bread" goes international. Host Father Paul D. Seil is joined in the kitchen by Father Ronald Sajdak, pastor at St. Martin de Porres and St. Lawrence parishes in Buffalo. Father Sajdak is also the director of ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa ministry. Also in the kitchen, is an associate of ROTA, Grace Sokiri. Father Sajdak and Sokiri will be making an East African Sudanese recipe kisra and nyagua.

This weekend we celebrate men who love, care for and guide us. In a new "Consider This," Bishop Richard J. Malone talks about what his father meant to him, and the legacy he left behind.

For most people, staying true to the Catholic faith involves going to Church, prayer and giving back to their communities. For James Grubka of East Aurora, being Catholic is about devoting his time and service to helping seminarians.

During the months of May and June we set time aside time to honor our mothers and fathers in heaven and here on earth. We gather to celebrate and give thanks in family for all that our parents do for us. Yet there are many families in our midst who do not have the opportunity to enjoy this gift that some of us may take for granted.

St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute honored its founder by giving back to the community during the Kenmore school's Founder's Week, May 12-16. During this time students collected various goods to deliver to local charities.

A full house at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo celebrated a beautiful day in both weather and spirit, as the diocese welcomed two new priests from A to Z.