Buffalo Diocese Announces More Parish Closings Across WNY

There will be no religion in Niagara Falls if the diocese keeps this up. They are destroying everyone's faith. Just round everyone up into a non-ethnic parish and have us keep handing in the donations. No way. They will never get another penny from me!! I will never join another parish.

It is a sad time. The lack of men going into the priesthood and women becoming nuns has hurt in a lot of ways. However, adjustments have to be made on all sides. We support the church, Catholic Charities, and the other collections during the year. Some of the money collected goes back to the diocese. We make adjustments in our families to help out where we can. The priests and nuns take a vow of poverty but someone else provides their basic needs - utilities, groceries, vehicle, medical coverage, etc. It's not that we want to deny that from happening, but our pockets get a little thin from time to time. There should be give and take on both sides. My family doesn't live extravagantly at all. There's no one here that is going to pick up the slack for me. The closings will most certainly affect the money coming in when there are no congregations to contribute any more. Then who foots the bill?

Just watched the 11 o' clock news. Bishop Kmiec said that no parishes were targeted. Of course they were. The diocese knew right along what they were going to do. Keep the rich parishes open and close the small ethnic parishes. This journey of Faith and Grace was supposed to be a grassroots effort coming from the people. Did the diocese listen to the people? Did Sr. Regina listen to the people? Did the unanimous votes for certain parishes mean anything? No, No, No, Sr. Regina Murphpy did what she wanted.

Holy Trinity in Niagara Falls? What a HUGE mistake! Totally insane! Where will people park at St. Stan's -- on Niagara St. and 24th St.- where the prostitutes hang out on the steps of the parish center -- great choice!

Flo wrote:

There will be no religion in Niagara Falls if the diocese keeps this up. They are destroying everyone's faith. Just round everyone up into a non-ethnic parish and have us keep handing in the donations. No way. They will never get another penny from me!! I will never join another parish.

The building is why you went to church? Not for your beliefs? Then why make the closing of the building your excuse to renounce your faith?
I believe that the bishop is only following what Christ had stated at the temple in Mark 13: "You see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another." Ye of little faith....

Not only prostitutes on 24th st., drug dealers too. What a brilliant choice the diocese made.

Rebecca- What a great idea! However, it has, and will be implemented, at least, here, in NT. The St. Joe's rectory, has had all of it's windows replaced, recently. The ideal priests' residence, of which they are indeed worthy. These are great men. However, this was done much before the decisions were made to close. The "jounrey" is a rouse. The decisions have been made, and the "power to the people" is a farce. This is our church.

For all you so called Catholics complaining about these closings while throwing accusations at the clergy just what do you go to mass for? To sit in a beautiful building and admire it OR to come together as a congregation to celebrate mass and receive the body and blood of Christ. If it is the latter that can be done in any Catholic Church or even an open field with the alter stone and chalise present. Christ said where 2 or more are gathered together in His name He is there. The attachment is to be with the Catholic Faith not a Catholic Building.

Maybe the Catholic Church should start changing to get with the times and welcome people to church instead the old way and telling them it is a sin if they don't go. The priests have to get off there their soap boxes and get into the real world.

The reason Holy Trinity is closing is because the diocese has a BUYER for it. That's a fact.

Ralph wrote:

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

There is, "Just Anger"; we cannot sit back! We are loosing our churches and The Bishop needs to evangelize! He shoulf work hard to collect souls, not bucks. Those who are not FFAithful Catholics do not understand. Try to shut down The Bills Stadium and the HSBD and we'll see how many people vehemently oppose that Prioerities.

I apologize for not proofing my spelling.

Yes Bishop, close the church communities that can't support themself but why? oh why? rip the heart out of the faith communities that are being supported by the faithful. Christ taught to small groups so that each and everyone felt a personal oneness with Him. Sacred Heart Church in Medina is a church where everyone feels this oneness and love. "Journey in Faith" is what you chose to call this but it feels like a journey to hell.

It is very sad that these churches have to be closed! Probably to pay for the lawsuits of the perverted priests who preyed on children!!! Just terrible

Christ said ' "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst." Not - where hundreds of rich in the suburbs are gathered in my name, I am in their midst. Money and affluence speaks volumes.

The Catholic church has cash and assets. Why close down a church that is not "self sustaining"? Honestly, what's the deal? Shouldn't a church that is more than self sustaining support one that will always run at a deficit? Isn't this how most not for profits work? Where are the parishoners? Are there any?

Math Major wrote:

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!

This has been happening for many years and people just don't pay attention until it happens to them. Theirs more things going on than we know about. What does it take for people to wake up.

somewhere in the USA wrote:

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.

Covert to Islam while you are not forced to.
If you don't convert, you'll loose your head.

Sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures )- as long as they are peacefully executed in The Name Of Christ Jesus, vote with your envelopes! Send them in empty, especially Catholic Charities! How much of that money is NOT used for the purpose of helping the poor and needy! I applied for help and all they asked me was about my income and that they would get back to me...

Give to your church in useful items such as food and necessities for the Pastor and staff; repair something personally, as they did years ago, instead of paying an expensive repairman; sew and clean for the church voluntarily; etc. Let our 'bishop' and 'bishopess' know they will get little or next to nothing for closing our churches by writing them and telling them you are no longer contributing due to the closings. And do not give to Catholic Schools - what schools/ And what are they teaching? Harry Potter? Sex Ed? Our Lord, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity taken in the hand? Respect for all other 'faiths'?

AND FOR WE, THE FAITHFUL - ACTUALLY GO AND PRAY IN CHURCH! If we do not assist at The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass of Our Lord On Calvary, we cannot complain about the diocese closing the churches.

Good Catholics; get busy. And clamor for the traditional Latin Mass that made Roman Catholic Saints for centuries. Get a missal with English & Latin side by side and pray in a humble way instead as a self important white robed minister on the altar!

They are shutting down sites that still have the beautiful old altars or the capability to reintroduce them for the old rite: they are keeping open barren, protestant look-a-like worship buildings instead. If you went on vacation to France, you surely would look up the language and get a French Handbook to communicate with, wouldn't you? Why not a Latin to English Missal?

We are CATHOLIC; not protestant, jew, aetheist, or moslem. This is a Catholic affair - pray and peacefully hold back your money from the diocese. Let's see what happens...

Also: I will no longer repond to other posters. Rip away! If you do, you are not Catholic and have no business in Catholic affairs. I will pray for you.

In the Niagara Falls Gazette Bishop Kmiec said, "mergers that have already taken place in other parts of the diocese have broght new life to their congregations." The mergers in Niagara Falls will bring "no life" to the congregations because they have destroyed the life in the East Side cluster -- no one has any intentions of joining the "new parish".