Buffalo Diocese Announces Mergers And Closures Of Churches In WNY

People in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo have been waiting for months to hear what would happen with many churches in Western New York. Today, the plan was unveiled.

Three months ago, the Buffalo Diocese shared the devastating news that they would have to merge certain parishes with others and close churches in order to become more financially stable. They cited low attendance, aging congregations, and a significant priest shortage as additional reasons for their recent plan.

For months now, parishioners have been on the edges of their seats wondering if the church they've been attending for decades would make it to the end of the year. In all, the total number of worship sites dropped to 118 adjusted from the current 196 worship sites in their eight counties. See the Parish/Worship Sites Summary Sheet here. Today, the list was unveiled. Find more on the full story at WIVB.com.

Family No. 1

SS. Brendan and Jude: merge with Immaculate Conception (Wellsville), Almond site to close, Alfred site to remain open.
Blessed Sacrament (Andover): merge with Immaculate Conception and close.
St. Mary (Bolivar): merge with Immaculate Conception and close.
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph (Wellsville): merge with Immaculate Conception, will remain as secondary worship site.
St. Mary (Canaseraga): merge with Immaculate Conception, will remain as secondary worship site.

Family No. 2

St. Patrick (Fillmore): will remain as secondary worship site
St. Mary (Canaseraga): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 3

St. Anthony (Fredonia): merge with Holy Trinity and close
St. Joseph (Fredonia): merge with Holy Trinity and close
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Silver Creek): close St. Rose of Lima site, of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Dunkirk): Will remain as a secondary worship site
Blessed Mary Angela (Dunkirk): merge with Holy Trinity. Sale of St. Hedwig, Dunkirk, and St. Hyacinth, Dunkirk campuses

Family No. 4

Our Lady of Loretto (Falconer): merge with St. James
St. James (Jamestown): close Our Lady of Victory site
Sacred Heart (Lakewood): close Panama site
Holy Apostles (Jamestown): close St. John site

Family No. 5

Christ Our Hope (Clymer): close Sherman site
St. Dominic (Westfield): close Brocton site

Family No. 6

St. George (West Falls): merge with Immaculate Conception and close
St. Joseph (Holland): will move to Family No. 33
Post Chapter 11, Annunciation, St. Vincent and Immaculate Conception will merge to become one parish with three worship sites, a list obtained by News 4 said.

Family No. 7

St. John XXIII (West Seneca): merge with Queen of Heaven (West Seneca) and close
St. John Vianney (Orchard Park): merge with Queen of Heaven and close. School will remain open

Family No. 8

St. Josaphat (Cheektowaga): merge with Queen of Martyrs (Cheektowaga) and close
Queen of Martyrs (Cheektowaga): merge with Our Lady Help of Christians (Cheektowaga) and close

Family No. 9

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Depew): merge with St. Mary of the Assumption (Lancaster) and close
St. Martha (Depew): merge with St. Philip the Apostle (Cheekowaga) and close, school to remain open
Our Lady of Pompeii (Lancaster): will remain as secondary worship site
Sacred Heart (Bowmansville): move to Family No. 15

Family No. 10

All Saints (Lockport): merge with St. John, close St. Joseph Campus
Immaculate Conception (Ransomville): move to Family No. 34

Family No. 11

St. Stephen (Middleport): merge with Holy Trinity (Medina)
St. Mark (Kendall): merge with St. Mary’s (Holley)
Our Lady of the Lake (Barker): move to Family No. 10

Family No. 12

St. Brigid (Bergen): merge with Our Lady of Mercy and close
Ascension (Batavia): merge with Resurrection (Batavia) and close
St. Padre Pio (Oakfield): merge with Resurrection. Close Our Lady of Fatima worship site

Family No. 13

St. Maximilian Kolbe (Corfu and East Pembroke): will join Family No. 12 and serve as secondary worship site
St. John Neumann (Strykersville): close and sell the Queen of Rosary site (Strykersville). Merge with Family #14.
Immaculate Heart of Mary (Darien and Bennington): merge with St. John Neumann and close both locations
All remaining churches in Family No. 13 will move to Family No. 14

Family No. 14

Mary Immaculate (East Bethany): merge with St. Isadore and close both locations of Mary Immaculate
St. Isidore (Perry): merge with St. Michael. Close and sell entire St. Mary site in Silver Springs.
New formation of the St. John Neumann Parish including Attica, Sheldon and Varysburg joins Family #14.

Family No. 15

Our Lady of Peace (Clarence): remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 16

St. Benedict (Eggertsville): remain as secondary worship site
St. Aloysius Gonzaga (Cheektowaga): merge with Christ the King
Infant of Prague (Cheektowaga): merge with SS. Peter & Paul

Family No. 17

Blessed Sacrament (Tonawanda): merge with St. John the Baptist
St. Paul (Delaware Avenue): placed on one-year watchlist
St. Timothy’s (Tonawanda): placed on one-year watchlist

Family No. 18

St. Francis of Assisi (Tonawanda): merge with Our Lady of Czestochowa
St. Andrew Kim RC Mission (Tonawanda): merge with St. Leo (Family No. 16)
St. Jude the Apostle (North Tonawanda): merge with St. Christopher’s (Tonawanda)

Family No. 19

St. Pius X (Getzville): merge with St. Gregory the Great
Good Shepard (Pendleton): St. Augustine site to close

Family No. 20

Holy Spirit (Dakota Street): merge with St. Mark (Woodward Avenue)
St. Rose of Lima (Parker Avenue): merge with St. Mark
St. Margaret (Hertel Avenue): merge with St. Mark. Will remain open as secondary worship site.
All Saints (Chadduck Avenue): merge with Assumption (Amherst Street)

Family No. 21

St. Lawrence (E. Delavan Avenue): merge with Blessed Trinity (Leroy Avenue)

Family No. 22

St. Anthony of Padua (Court Street): merge with St. Louis (Edward Street)
St. Michael (Washington Street): merge with St. Louis
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (O’Connell Street): merge with Our Lady of Charity (South Park Avenue) in Family No. 31

Family No. 23

Coronation of the BVM (Dewitt Street): merge with Assumption
Holy Cross (Seventh Street): merge with SS. Columba Brigid and close

Family No. 24

St. John (Olean): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 25

St. Philomena (Franklinville): will remain as secondary worship site
Our Lady of Peace (Salamanca): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 26

Queen of Angels (Lackawanna): will remain as secondary worship site
Our Mother of Good Counsel (Blasdell): merge with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Orchard Park) and close
St. Anthony (Lackawanna): merge with Our Lady of Victory and close
Our Lady of Bistrica (Lackawanna): merge with Our Lady of Sacred Heart and close

Family No. 27

St. Mary (Cattaraugus): merge with St. Joseph and close
Holy Spirit (North Collins): merge with Immaculate Conception and close

Family No. 28

St. Bernadette (Orchard Park): merge with SS. Peter and Paul (Hamburg) and close
St. John the Baptist (Boston): will remain as secondary worship site

Family No. 29

St. Anthony (Farnham): merge with Most Precious Blood (Angola) and close
St. Francis of Assisi (Hamburg)

Family No. 30

St. John Kanty (Swinburne Street): merge with St. Stanislaus
St. John Gualbert (Gualbert Avenue): merge with St. Stanislaus. Will remain open as secondary site.
St. Katherine Drexel (N. Ogden Street): placed on one-year watchlist