LAKE VIEW, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Western New York Catholic community is lending us their voice as the fate of their parishes remains uncertain.
For more than a week, the Buffalo Diocese has met with seven regional vicariates recommending which parishes should close and which should merge.
The final meeting was held for the Southern Erie Vicariate on Thursday evening in Lake View Thursday, at St. John Paul II.
An emotional week for so many in the Catholic faith.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun spoke with the priest overseeing this Road to Renewal plan, to learn more on what comes next for these parishes, that so many consider home.
"We need to make sure that we're not focusing on just maintaining buildings, but as the congregations have gotten smaller, using resources wisely," Buffalo Catholic Diocese Renewal and Development vicar Father Bryan Zielenieski said. "Where have we been? If we haven't been in church in the last month and we're shocked by this decision, we need to ask ourselves, maybe I shouldn't be so shocked because I haven't been here and we've got to make real decisions based on people and data."
Father Bryan added some encouragement to those holding town hall meetings like the one held on Wednesday by Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishioners.
"I hope we can save it. I just don't know if we can," longtime parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Diane Trigilio said.
"Get the information out there, get involvement, let people see that we're looking for feedback," Father Bryan added.
"Like Our Lady of Perpetual Help, if they said the sacrament numbers are wrong, share with us what those are, with their sacramental books in every parish, and if they can show us that we've got the wrong number, we'll gladly change that information in that data. If there is mileages that are maybe wrong, we're looking at a lot of data," Father Bryan explained.
Next on the agenda, Father Bryan said the diocese is making sure they have given data to all parish families.
The process of how the diocese came up with these recommendations will be released.
The diocese will then release what they are expecting for a counter-proposal from parish families.
The diocese recommends the following parish mergers and closures within the Southern Erie Vicariate:
Family #7
- Fourteen Holy Helpers, West Seneca – merge with St. Gabriel and FHH remains as a secondary worship site.
- Queen of Heaven, West Seneca
- St. John XXIII, West Seneca – merge with Queen of Heaven and close
- St. Gabriel, Elma
- St. John Vianney, Orchard Park – merge with Queen of Heaven and close. St. John Vianney school remaining open on the St. John Vianney campus, recognizing that a comprehensive Catholic Education strategic plan is coming for the 2025-26 academic year.
Family #8
- St. Josaphat, Cheektowaga – merge with Queen of Martyrs and close.
- Queen of Martyrs, Cheektowaga
- Resurrection, Cheektowaga – merge with Our Lady Help of Christians and close.
- Our Lady Help of Christians, Cheektowaga
Family #9
- Sacred Heart of Jesus, Bowmansville – merge with Nativity of the BVM as a secondary worship site.
- St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster
- Our Lady of Pompeii, Lancaster – merge with St. Mary of the Assumption, use OLP as a secondary worship site.
- St. Philip the Apostle, Cheektowaga
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Depew - merge with St Mary of the Assumption and close.
- St. Martha, Depew – merge with St. Philip the Apostle and close. School at St. Martha to continue, recognizing that a comprehensive Catholic Education strategic plan is coming for the 2025-26 academic year.
- St. John the Baptist, Alden moves to Family #9.
Family #26
- Queen of Angels, Lackawanna – merge with Our Lady of Victory and close
- Our Mother of Good Counsel, Blasdell – merge with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and close
- St. Anthony, Lackawanna – merge with Our Lady of Victory, who will need to provide a Spanish Mass, and close.
- Our Lady of Bistrica, Lackawanna – merge with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and close
- Our Lady of Victory National Shrine & Basilica, Lackawanna
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Orchard Park
Family #28
- St. John the Baptist, Boston – merge with SS. Peter and Paul and remain open as secondary worship site.
- Nativity of Our Lord, Orchard Park
- SS. Peter and Paul, Hamburg
- St. Bernadette, Orchard Park – merge with SS. Peter and Paul and close.
Family #29
- Most Precious Blood, Angola
- St. Anthony, Farnham – merge with Most Precious Blood and close.
- St. Francis of Assisi, Athol Springs
- St. Mary of the Lake, Hamburg – merge with St. Francis of Assisi and close.
- St. John Paul II, Lake View
