Diocese offers update on Family status on the Road to Renewal

The Buffalo Catholic Diocese’s Road to Renewal program has seen a number of twists and turns since being initiated by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger in 2020.

As many readers know, the program’s goal is to group the 161 diocesan parishes throughout our eight Western New York counties into 36 families of parishes to provide an ongoing framework for efficiency and effectiveness to continue to carry out our ministry. Also, we have reduced the number of vicarates from 12 to 8. Seven of the vicariates are geographic, with the remaining vicariate as ministerial.

Here is where we currently stand with Bishop Michael W. Fisher’s appointments of vicar foranes and pastors in the Families of Parishes.

In the Southern Tier East Vicariate, Father James Hartwell has been named the interim vicar forane. He also serves as pastor of Family #1 that includes Blessed Sacrament, Andover; Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Belmont; Immaculate Conception, Wellsville; SS. Brendan & Jude, Almond-Alfred; and St. Mary in Bolivar and Canaseraga. In Family #2, Father John Cullen is pastor of Our Lady of the Angels, Cuba; St. Patrick Parish, Belfast; and St. Patrick Parish, Fillmore. In Family #25, Father Dennis Mancuso is pastor of Holy Name of Mary, Ellicottville; Our Lady of Peace, Salamanca; and St. Philomena, Franklinville. In Family #33, Father Daniel Fawls is pastor of St. Aloysius, Springville; St. John the Baptist, West Valley; St. Jude, Sardinia; and St. Mary, Arcade. 

In the Southern Tier West Vicariate, Father Todd Remick has been named vicar forane. In Family #3, Father Robert Owczarczak is pastor for Blessed Mary Angela, Dunkirk; Holy Trinity, Dunkirk; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Dunkirk; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Silver Creek; and St. Anthony, Fredonia; and St. Joseph, Fredonia. In Family #4, Father Darrell Duffy is pastor of Holy Apostles, Jamestown; Our Lady of Loreto, Falconer; Sacred Heart, Lakewood; St. James, Jamestown; and St. Patrick, Randolph. 

In the Southern Erie Vicariate, Father Sean DiMaria is the vicar forane.  In Family #29, Father Timothy Koester is the pastor of Most Precious Blood, Angola; St. Anthony, Farnham; St. Francis of Assisi, Athol Springs; St. John Paul II, Lake View; and St. Mary of the Lake, Hamburg.  

In the Niagara/Orleans Vicariate, Father Steven Jekielek has been named vicar forane.  In Family #11, Father Mark Noonan is the pastor of Holy Family, Albion; Holy Trinity, Medina; Our Lady of the Lake, Barker; St. Mark, Kendall; and St. Mary, Holley. 

In the Genesee/Wyoming Vicariate, Father Bernard Nowak is the vicar forane.  In Family #13, Father Daniel Serbicki is the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Darien Center; SS. Joachim & Anne, Attica; St. John Neumann, Strykerville; St. John the Baptist, Alden; and St. Maximillian Kolbe, Corfu.  In Family #14, also known as the Eastern Rural Roman Catholic Community, Father Michael LaMarca has been named pastor of Mary Immaculate in East Bethany; St. Isidore, Perry; and St. Michael, Warsaw. 

In the Buffalo Vicarate, Father Ronald Sajdak has been named vicar forane.  In Family #20, also known as Catholic Community Buffalo North, Father David Richards is pastor of All Saints, Buffalo; Assumption, Buffalo; Holy Spirit, Buffalo; St. Margaret, Buffalo; St. Mark, Buffalo; and St. Rose of Lima, Buffalo. Father Joseph Rogliano is pastor of Family #21 that is comprised of Blessed Trinity, Buffalo; SS. Columba & Brigid, Buffalo; St. Lawrence, Buffalo; and St. Martin de Porres, Buffalo. In Family #23, Father Felix Nyambe, OMI, is pastor of Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Holy Cross, Buffalo; and Our Lady of Hope, Buffalo. Father William Quinlivan is pastor of the Catholic Family of South Buffalo, Family #31 that includes Our Lady of Charity, Buffalo; St. Martin of Tours, Buffalo; St. Teresa, Buffalo; and St. Thomas Aquinas, Buffalo. 

In the Northern Erie Vicariate, Msgr. Robert Zapfel has been named vicar forane, and the five families in this vicariate are awaiting pastor assignments.In the Campus Ministry Vicariate that is based from St. Joseph University parish, Father Greg Jakubowicz, OFM, is the pastor of the non-geographic vicariate that has 22 locations in colleges and universities throughout the diocese.