The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo says it has received 52 family counter-proposals in the face of planned mergers and closures.
For Niagara and Orleans county parishes there are 11 parishes impacted by a merger or closure.
Diocesan spokesperson Joe Martone said church families representing Niagara and Orleans county parishes presented counterproposals prior to last week.
“I am pleased to report that productive meetings with families of parishes, which began more than two weeks ago,” Bishop Michael W. Fisher said Friday. “Following the counter-proposal meetings, our diocesan review panel reviewed those proposals and then recommendations were presented for consultation with the Presbyteral Council which is an advisory body to me. The diocese is now evaluating changes to our initial recommendation of mergers and closures in 26 of our 36 families of parishes.”
Diocese officials had planned to make a final recommendation on impacted parishes this coming week but Fisher said it will take longer.
“Additional time is needed to work through these changes and final announcements … will be coming later next week, or early the following week,” he said. “I appreciate the patience of our faithful as we work diligently to decide on the future number of parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo. As always, you remain in my prayers, and I ask for your prayers as well.”
Martone, the diocesan spokesperson, characterized many of the meetings with parishes as positive.
“The meetings have gone well,” he said. “We’ve been presented with some good options. The give and take has been good in those meetings. Many of the groups came prepared with some very good information that may have been new to the diocese.”
A counter-proposal from the “family” of Catholic parishes in Lockport was presented to Fisher and his advisers two weeks ago. While accepting the merger of All Saints and St. John the Baptist parishes as suggested by the Diocese of Buffalo, for the purpose of sharing resources, trustees of the two parishes proposed keeping Church Street-based St. Patrick’s Church open alongside Chestnut Street-based St. John’s church.
Conversely, St. Raphael’s parish, at 3840 Macklem Ave. in Niagara Falls, has not sent in any alternative proposals. Spokesperson Maria Gleason said they expect to be on the diocese’s list of final closures. That church is planned to merge with St. Peter’s in Lewison. The St. Raphael’s property, which includes its parish center and school building at 1018 College Ave., will be sold to cover diocese expenses and towards priest abuse settlements.
The other major change in that parish family, #34 covering the Lower Niagara River communities, is having Immaculate Conception church in Ransomville join that family rather than be in one focused on Lockport.
The three churches in that family, including St. Bernard in Youngstown, are expected to have only one priest serve them by 2030.
In Niagara Falls, in a letter to parishioners posted on the parish’s Facebook page in June, Father Jim Kirkpatrick, pastor of St. John de LaSalle Church, explained that the diocese has recommended merging the parish with St. Vincent de Paul. Under that scenario, Kirkpatrick indicated that the entire St. John’s property on Buffalo Avenue in the LaSalle section of Niagara Falls would be sold. Church officials met with the diocese last week.
Despite efforts by parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary, a pitch to keep the Wilson church open is not included in the church family’s counterproposal to the Diocese of Buffalo.
Our Lady of the Rosary is in the same family as St. John the Baptist and All Saints parishes in Lockport, Immaculate Conception in Ransomville, and St. Brendan on the Lake in Newfane. Earlier this summer, the diocese recommended closing Our Lady of the Rosary, merging All Saints and St. John the Baptist, and closing and selling St. Patrick’s church where All Saints has been centered.
In addition to church activities, Our Lady of the Rosary currently also houses the Wilson Community Food Pantry and a preschool program.
In Middleport, the diocese recommended that the St. Stephen’s church site close be closed and merged with Holy Trinity Church in Medina.
Currently, St. Stephen’s is housing the Middleport Food Pantry, whose organizers are now seeking a new space to base the operation.
Former St. Stephen’s parishioner and village mayor Dan Dodge said that while he has not heard of any efforts to reverse course on the diocese’s proposal, he’s “heartbroken” over the closing of the village’s sole Catholic church.
“It’s sad to see it close, that church had been a huge part of my life,” Dodge said.