BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — It was a sad Sunday morning for parishioners at Ss. Columba-Brigid Church, saying goodbye to their priests at a final Franciscan Mass.
Franciscan friars who have served the parish for years have now been reassigned, marking the end of an era.
"It's a sad day," said Jim Christie, a parishioner of 15 years. "I'm hoping it stays open."
The future of the church itself remains in question, it's recommended it merge with St. Stanislaus Church on Peckham Street.
"It's just a nice place for people to get together, with everything else that happens in our world, they just come here," said Christie.
This means the Franciscans will no longer have a footprint in Buffalo.
A new priest will be temporarily assigned to the church until a permanent replacement can be found.
"I'm concerned about the community breaking up when you have something so nice," said Christie.
The Franciscan presence in Western New York traces back to the mid-1850s and will still continue at St. Bonaventure University.
