BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Final masses will be held on Saturday at two popular Buffalo churches. St. Thomas Aquinas in the heart of south Buffalo and St. Bernard’s in Kaisertown are closing and will merge with nearby parishes.
“There was anger, sadness, tears,” reflected Marty Brownsey, parishioner, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Brownsey has been attending St. Thomas Aquinas on Abbott Road for nearly 50 years, but Saturday is expected to be the last time he will attend mass in his beloved church.
“Can't even imagine. It doesn't even seem real yet, to tell you the truth, it's weird not to have Masses scheduled for Sunday,” Brownsey noted.
The church is among the 78 churches the Buffalo Diocese plans to close and merge from now until next June as part of Road to Renewal to right size and reshape the shirking Catholic community in Western New York and as the bankrupt diocese deals with debt and a priest shortage.
The Buffalo bishop issued a decree to close St. Thomas last month with a final Mass on Saturday morning at 11:30.
“When I announced the closing, I cried on the altar,” declared Father Bill Quinlivan, pastor, Catholic Family of South Buffalo.
But this Buffalo priest shares in the sadness of this church closing, his family has a rich history at the parish.
“My grandparents were parishioners here. My fathers and uncles left Melrose Street, here at St. Thomas, for World War II. We have the pictures of them in their driveway,” recalled Father Quinlivan. “My aunt Pat is probably one of the older parishioners. She'll be 96 next week. She lives right up the street."
The parish was established 104 years ago, and the priest noted it will be the “end of an era” for this South Buffalo parish.
“It's not what anyone would want for their parish church. We have to acknowledge that it is very sad for people,” Father Quinlivan said.
Mary Pruski is with Save Our Churches. Her group is working with a Cannon Law lawyer to stop the closings.
"The more evidence you have to say this is imprudent, this is immoral to close a church for no obvious reason that Cannon Law says a church must be closed – that's what we're pressing for,” Pruski explained.
Pruski told me her group is most concerned some vibrant parishes are being closed and merged into smaller parishes.
But Father Quinlivan said a decline in attendance and collections is driving these changes.
"There's no questioning the beauty of the church. There's no questioning the faithfulness – the goodness of the people, but the ability to sustain it,” Father Quinlivan remarked.
The hope is parishioners from St. Thomas Aquinas will stay within the South Buffalo family of churches as it merges with nearby St. Theresa’s.
“What will you do after tomorrow? Where will you go?” I asked.
“To tell you the truth, I haven't thought of it. I’m Catholic – that’s not going to change. I will go to a church somewhere, a Catholic church somewhere in Western New York, southern Ontario – wherever I can find a place that will make me fulfilled. We need these places in our lives,” Brownsey replied.
"Once you start closing and merging parishes, you lose 20 to 60 percent of your people – won’t follow. We're losing souls and we want to try and save them,” Pruski commented.
Parishioners here at St. Bernard's parish on Clinton Street in Buffalo will also celebrate a farewell Mass on Saturday at 4 p.m.
