BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills fans who did not make the trip to London to see Sunday’s game will be watching from home. But with the early kickoff at 10 a.m. will they be skipping Sunday church services?
7 News Senior Reporter checked in with some Catholics and the Episcopal church to find out what everyone is planning.
“So, I need to be at Mass at 11 o'clock,” noted Paula McGibbon.
I caught up with McGibbon after a weekday Mass at St. Aquinas Church on Abbott Road. But she's a parishioner at St. Teresa Church on Seneca Street, another nearby South Buffalo church where she has a 9:30 bible study class Sunday – the same time as kick-off and then she must serve as a eucharistic minister at the 11 o'clock Mass.
“So, I’m not going to see much of the Bills game and I’m sad about that, but I’m committed to my faith,” remarked McGibbon.
I asked Deacon Tim Maloney, who serves the Catholic Family of Parishes in south Buffalo, what he thinks will happen to church attendance on Sunday.
“Is it church versus the Bills?” Buckley questioned. “Well, I’ll be honest with you, we are expecting very large crowds on Saturday afternoon,” replied Deacon Maloney.
The deacon will be attending more than one Mass Sunday.
“I have the 9 o'clock mass and the 10 o'clock Mass. So, I hopefully we'll get to the fourth quarter when all of our scrubs are playing because we're winning so big,” commented Deacon Maloney.
Deacon Maloney says while at a restaurant this week wearing a Bills shirt, a waitress assumed he would be watching the game.
“And she said, ‘well, God would forgive you for skipping Mass this week”. I said, ‘No, I’ll be at church’”, recalled Deacon Maloney,
Father Paul Seil was at St. Thomas Aquinas Wednesday after saying an 11 a.m. Mass. Seil is with UB’s Newman Center and serves as chaplain for the Buffalo Fire Department.
“Bills versus church on Sunday? It's a 9:30 start,” Buckley asked. “What's the question?”, laughed Father Paul.
Father Paul says he is expecting lower attendance on Sunday.
“I understand that there are some people who will not be coming but then there'll be the rest of us are in church anyway, every week there were there. you know, I was 'gonna say something like — come '@#$%&! or high water!'” chuckled Father Paul.
“Do you think people will be in the pews?” Buckley questioned. “No. Not really,” replied Father Paul. “There's such a fervor and frenzy around the joy of this big game and a number of people from Western New York have gone even to England to see it, so I think there's a real fever going on for the Bills, but hopefully people won't forget about God and their communities.
At St. Thomas Church the Mass on Sunday starts at 10 a.m., so that might not be the best to watch the game starting at 9:30, but the church also has a weekly 6:30 p.m. Mass on Sundays.
“In our Catholic church, we have a lot of different services on the weekend, Saturday night, Sunday night. We at the Newman Center have a student Mass Sunday night at 6:30,” Father Paul noted.
In Downtown Buffalo, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral on Pearl Street, I met with Rev. Twila Smith, dean of the Cathedral.
“And I don’t like to think of it as versus. I think there's room for both,” responded Rev. Smith.
One of the services at St. Paul’s on Sunday morning is at 8
“So, people can come to the 8 o'clock service and still have an hour to get home to their television screens and be able to watch the game,” noted Rev. Smith.
“What about your 10:15 service? Are you expecting it to be a little quieter in here?” Buckley asked. “No. It might affect attendance and people have been known to wear Bills jerseys to church, and so, you know, I’m not sure how much that's going to affect attendance,” answered Rev. Smith
As for a game-day prediction from the Reverend.
“I'm probably a lot more familiar with the with the church in London— than I am with football,” replied Rev. Smith.
In the words of some in the Catholic church, “Our Lady of Victory — pray for Us.”
“I don't know if God really cares who wins the game, but all the people in Buffalo care — so let's go Bills,” declared Deacon Maloney.
