Buffalo Diocese Announces More Parish Closings Across WNY

The Diocese of Buffalo's "Journey of Faith and Grace" has led to the closings of more parishes across Western New York.

[Pater Noster]

What massive destruction. Beautiful churches will be lost to future generations! The patrimony of the diocese is being dismantled and sold off. Flourishing churches that have spent hundreds of thousands of dolalrs in the last few years are being closed! St. Mary's and Trinity in the Falls have been allowed to spend hundreds of thousands at each parish on renovation! The diocese allowed and approved these major expenditures and now they close these parishes? Something is terribly wrong in the Chancery! "Why sit we here idle?"

[Math Major]

Hey, the population has been shrinking for many years in WNY.

So of course eventually that has to mean there'll be closed schools, closed hospitals, and yes even closed churches.

[John]

The Diocese has shown once again that it has no regard for the wishes of the faithful. The people in Niagara Falls spent two years meeting and creating proposals to address the situation. In the final proposal they unanimously chose Holy Trinity as the site to remain open. Sr. Regina Murphy switched this to St. Stanislaus Kostka, possibly the least inspiring church in the city, with no parking, and Kmiec agreed to it. The whole process on the part of the parishioners was a charade. And closing St. Mary's in Lockport and Ascension in North Tonawanda - with 1000 families each??? It defies logic. I hope the Diocese gets mass defections because that's what it deserves.

[Ralph]

Spent hundreds of thousands on St Stans on Buffalos Eastside even though nobody in their right mind would go into that area. Has less then 100 students in the school but it remains open while schools with almost 3 times that were closed. Bishop is closing the wrong churhes while the ones that should be closed remain open. That committee is a JOKE

[Ralph]

Sorry for all the typos in my last post, But I'm mad.

[John Angelica]

With all the churches closing the Diocese should need less when it comes time for Catholic Charities.If you figure that they will be getting the money from the sales of the Churches. It is a shame to the Diocese has turned religon into a business. Perhaps the Bishop should move on.

[Rusty]

Regionalism and consolidation at it's finest. Well at least the Church understands what to do when there is a lose of population. Now all we have to do is demand this of our representatives within a reasonable time.

[somewhere in the USA]

Here we go again! This Bishop is damaging our Catholic religion. The elderly will stay at home. The collection basket will be very low. How does he think the diocese will run if little or no money is going to be collected? People will stop attending services, church functions,etc. Also people will stop sending the children to the schools (I was educated in Catholic schools all my life with the exception of college). I removed my children from the Catholic School because they were not getting the first rate education that they were promised. Does that tell you something? Right now, I am questioning my religion? Should I stay Catholic or convert to another religion? This Bishop is really helping me make up my mind.

[Teresa]

Well I am glad that Our Lady of Czestochowa in NT isn't closing; it is very beautiful and peaceful in there and reminds me of Holy Angels on Porter Ave. in Buffalo where I came from. I like it better than St. Francis over here where I live in Tonawanda. I do feel bad for people having to make a change, though, and I know that there are many elderly people in NT who rely on walking to church and will not be able to attend...the same situation that has played out all over Buffalo. However, the population has changed and there are many people leaving the Catholic church anyways and not just because they move. Personally, my choice would be to attend the Latin Mass at St. Anthony's in Buffalo where my grandparent's went but the drive downtown is too far and cold for my health in the winter and I have already experienced having my car stolen once on the West Side of Buffalo and I moved to get away from all of that. Can't always get what you want!

[Helen]

Unbelievable!! Holy Trinity in Niagara Falls - the Mother Church of Polonia -- is the most beautiful church in Niagara Falls with a vibrant faith community. Holy Trinity was unanimously chosen as the site to remain open. The people spoke, the diocese (Sr. Regina) did not listen. The people are hurt, disgusted with the whole process. They have destroyed a strong faith community in Niagara Falls. Will everyone go running to St. Stanislaus in Niagara Falls because the diocese says so -- of course not. People will not go to St. Stan's; most will not go to church at all. People want and need a place that feels like a church =- a sacred place to worship - not a plain uninspirational church with no parking. You've destroyed countless lives.

[Rebecca J]

The only people that are not complaining are
the ones that their churches are not closing..
My only hope is that those that can start the
appeal process....it is your right under
canon law....and canon law is the law that
the church set up...you are only using the law
that is in place...make the church hierarchy
have to account for the decisions that they
are making....don't go away quietly unless
you really believe that your church building
should close...if not, make the bishop have
to explain to someone why he made the choice
he did...closing churches with 1000 people as
John said, certainly doesnt make sense...
and closing the church that bishop grosz
spent tons of money on (that is right before
he spent millions on the city's st stans)
doesnt make much sense either....if any
of the diocese staff was graded on their
business sense...guess what...it would be
zero!!!!
I think that the diocese should start closing
these huge rectories for one man!!!! who ever
heard of that in a business sense....saint john gualbert or better yet, st stans have huge rectory buildings....let 3 or 4 priests in
nearby churches start living there and use their
rectories just for business...close up at
the end of the day and ride home...like most
of us in the working world have to do....eat
together...watch cable together...and maybe even car pool...how about that...living like the
real working man and saving each parish tons
of money...cut back on the food allowance, the utility bills...and be able to help each other out if the church got busy.....
now that might be a good way to save...let's do a survey and see how many priests might
agree with my plan.....

[born and raised catholic]

How long is it going to take people to wise up? The church is, was, and always has been a BUSINESS. It is about MONEY. If they cared at all about their parishioners, they would give, not TAKE. They would treat people with equality, not hostility and contempt. They would accept, not condemn. 2000 years after the death of Christ, the catholic church still demeans women to a life of servitude, rather than accepting them as equals. Jesus accepted EVERYONE: men, women, sinners, whores, tax collectors, the ill, infirm, yet the catholic church thinks it is, above all, the ONLY TRUE CHURCH, however a parishioner must conform to its standards. The church is no different than the narrow minded, fanatics whom they claim to be against. I guess it comes down to this: "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."

[Jane]

Does the diocese care about anyone or anything? What are they doing? Closing down the most beautiful church in Niagara Falls - Holy Trinity? I thought in order for a church to remain independent there had to be a minimum of 500 families? St. Stanislaus has 250 families and is remaining independent? Even with the other churchesj in the cluster (Holy Trinity, Our Lady of Lebanon, Our Lady of the Rosary and St. George) will not total 500 because very, very few people have any intentions of going to St. Stan's. So how does a church with 250 people remain open and a church in Lockport with 1000 familes shut down? None of this makes any sense.

[Candi]

Fight to keep the parishes open. Sell the Bishops residence on Oakland Place in Buffalo and send Bishop Kimec packing. I know this statement might offend some, but its time he realizes that the people in the diocese have had it with his attitude about closing the churches.

[Math Major]

You people are ridiculous and sound like spoiled children.

What is it about a declining population that you don't understand?

If you want to live someplace where churches are being added instead of subtracted, move to Pheonix or Dallas.

These are BUILDINGS!
Material possessions!
Not flesh and blood!

It does not make sense to keep these open and pay to heat them, etc. when the people are not using them in sufficient numbers.

This areas population has declines substantially since 1950, and this problem was ignored for far too long.

The Bishop is being a grown up, and you people are being little spoiled brats!

Grow up!

[Concerned]

It's a sad time for NT Catholics. However, it's necessary, due to the lack of vocations. Glad that OLC was spared. The church interior has withstood the scourge of modernization. St. Joe's is a disgrace. Sorry for the faithful that it's closing. We were promised a new church back when, only to have that horse barn, complete with tethering poles, its only redeeming feature being the AC. St. Albert's is no architectural prize either. Very sorry Ascension is closing.

[Michael from Lackawanna]

More proof that Catholicism is a BUSINESS and not a religion. Shame.

[Joe]

We all understand the declining population in WNY. But we all can't move to Dallas or Phoenix. We want to preserve and keep our Polish heritage. We don't want to be herded into suburban rich churches. The surburban rich churches are "just buildings" too -- why aren't they closing these down?????????

[Michael]

Imagine no religion! I wonder if you can.

[Alan]

I have been to Holy Trinity in Niagara Falls on a few occasions -- what an architectural and artistic treasure! And now the diocese is shutting it down. What a disgrace. Thousands of dollars have been spent on renovations over the years -- interior painting, carpeting, beautiful statues repainted, handicap ramp and exterior landscaping, etc. The parishioners have donated thousands of dollars to preserve the beautiful, artistic, sacred place of worship. The parishioners are a warm welcoming faith community. I have always felt so welcome and at home when visiting there. Closing Holy Trinity and merging into St. Stanislaus?? It doesn't make any sense.