EGGERTSVILLE, NY (WKBW) — Another Catholic church is pushing back against the Diocese of Buffalo to keep its doors open. St. Benedict on Main Street in Eggertsville is asking its faith community to sign a petition.
Under recent recommendations as part of the Road to Renewal, the diocese is calling to close the church, but keep St. Benedict school open.
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7 News Senior Reporter met with two parishioners and talked to the leader of the diocese’s Road to Renewal.
“If you cut us off now, you're going to get rid of all the momentum that we have and the energy that we've built up,” remarked Nador Forgach, parishioner.
“We believe there's still viability in the parish at St. Benedict's,” replied Michael Cimasi, parishioner.
Cimasi and Forgach are both parishioners and school parents at St. Benedict.
They’re hoping the Buffalo Diocese hears their plea to remain open. The pastor informed parishioners they would meet with the diocese to counter the closing recommendation.
"He also outlined how we, as parishioners, can continue to help the process by continuing to go to mass, staying positive, keeping the momentum,” explained Forgach.
"Our trustees are looking at the numbers doing, some comparisons and planning to have this dialogue with the diocese,” noted Cimasi.
Earlier this month the Buffalo Diocese announced recommendations to close or merge more than 70 parishes in an effort to right-size as it faces declining Mass attendance and a priest shortage.
St. Benedict Masses would fold into St. Leo the Great in Amherst, but St. Benedict's school would remain open.
"And that's a little short-sighted to think that everyone from St. Benedict's is all of a sudden going to go to St. Leo’s and you're going to have the same revenue coming in,” Forgach explained.
“My understanding is we have the second highest St. Benedict's Mass attendance of the six churches in our family. and once again, I certainly don't want this to devolve into sort of a numbers game,” said Cimasi.
"I have St. Benedict's report, right in front of me,” displayed Father Bryan Zielenieski, vicar, Road to Renewal, in a Zoom interview.
I spoke with Father Zielenieski, who leads Road to Renewal. He showed me the numbers on mass attendance directly from St. Benedict's.
“Average weekend Mass attendance. It's on the sheet and it will say 345,” responded Father Zielenieski.
Father Zielenieski also shared his computer screen displaying diocesan data.
"The end of the ’22 was 345 which came right off the sheet. That I just showed you, so it was information parish community,” Father Zielenieski commented.
But parishioners I spoke to are questioning why a church with a vibrant school would be closed. Currently, there are about 425 students enrolled with a waiting list.
“People are putting a vibrant school and vibrant parish in the same category — they're two different entities. We have a vibrant school at St. Benedict's. We acknowledge that. We want that to continue to grow and this will provide an opportunity that the school could actually do more on the campus that they see fit and that it would work that way,” said Father Zielenieski.
As the diocese plan calls to keep the school open, it would allow the school to utilize the church space.
“It's a second home for us and we love it,” Forgach reflected.
St. Benedict must submit its recommendations to the diocese by July 15. A final list of closures will be issued on September 1.
