Dec. 28—The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo’s “Road to Renewal” took a heavy tool on local parishes.
The diocese announced in late May its aim to close or merge about one-third of 160 parishes in Western New York, in response to trends including decreasing member attendance, decreasing availability of priests and ongoing financial pressure. The diocese previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a financial restructuring in the wake of hundreds of lawsuits filed under New York State’s Child Victims Act.
Seven Niagara County parishes were among 78 parishes and worships sites announced to be closed in September. In all, the diocese kept 79 parishes and 39 secondary worship sites open.
The impacted parishes were:
—All Saints, St. Patrick site, Lockport
—All Saints, St. Joseph site, Lockport
—St. Brendan on the Lake, Wilson site
—Holy Trinity (St. Stephen worship site), Middleport site
—St. Raphael, Niagara Falls
—St. John de LaSalle, Niagara Falls
—Divine Mercy, Niagara Falls
“The fact is, the Diocese of Buffalo, like dioceses across our nation and around the world have had to deal with the very same harsh realities — the decline in church attendance, the decline of those pursuing a life in ordained ministry, the rise of secularism and shift away from the parish as the defining center of Catholic identity — and of course the horrendous toll that the sexual abuse scandal by clergy and others has inflicted on parish life and the personal faith of so many; and most especially on those who have been forever harmed in body, mind and spirit,” Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher said Sept. 10 in announcing the closures.
Fisher explained the Road to Renewal was about optimizing parish and diocesan resources, and increasing the impact of our varied ministries among the countless who benefit from them across Western New York.
“The ultimate goal is for all parish families to be and remain vibrant communities of faith, focused on their evangelizing mission — and serving — always serving! — those in need,” he said.
Those on final closure list struggled with the news.
St. Raphael priest Father Luke Uebler confirmed on the church’s Facebook page that it would close and merge with St. Peter’s in Lewiston, with all the buildings at its 3840 Macklem Ave. location to be sold. Immaculate Conception in Ransomville will also join that church family, which includes St. Bernard’s in Youngstown.
“Although we have known our situation for some time, we understand the difficulty of such an announcement, and we share together in the pain and grief of God’s people in this time of loss, particularly our family members of St. Raphael parish,” Father Uebler said in the Facebook post. Church services and religious education are expect to continue through this coming May.
Despite efforts by parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary, a pitch to keep the Wilson church open was not included in the church family’s counterproposal to the Diocese of Buffalo.
Mary Moley-Palacios, a longtime Our Lady of the Rosary Parishioner, said that it was “sickening” to hear the news despite knowing that keeping the church open was not in the family’s nor the diocese’s plans.
In addition to church activities, Our Lady of the Rosary currently also houses the Wilson Community Food Pantry and a preschool program.
“We are throughly disappointed with the news of our closing. Our church does God’s work every single day. We open our doors to the poor, we teach the littlest children at preschool and welcome the faithful on weekends and holy days. Yet we will sell the building to the highest bidder. That is not the Catholic way,” Moley-Palacios said.
They both contend that OLR was in good financial shape prior to the diocese’s 2007 round of parish mergers and church closures. During that so-called Journey in Faith and Grace, masses were reduced and neighboring churches were directed to share resources, then as now to combat declining church membership.
In Wilson, the reduction in masses led to greatly decreased attendance at OLR, particularly by summer visitors coming from Wilson Harbor.
“When (the diocese) took away our money on Saturday and Sunday masses,” fellow longtime parishioner Carol Hartwig observed. “That’s when it all went downhill, because they didn’t even look at our income. We were a million dollar parish.”
While both anticipate on still actively practicing their faith, their trust in the Diocese of Buffalo has been gravely shaken.
“I will never trust the Diocese of Buffalo,” Hartwig said.
Wilson Food Pantry organizer Janet Hoffman said their lease with the church expires June 1, 2025 and anticipate having to find a new place to base their operations, preferably in the village, before that date.
“We’re under the assumption that we have through next year,” Hoffman said. “We’re kind of going along business as usual, and we’re basically looking for a new home. So unless somebody buys it and they’re going to let us stay, but we don’t know. Everything is still so new and up in the air.”