Rays of sun shone through the domed basilica with its contour of the Northern Hemisphere of the globe that makes up the ceiling of Niagara County’s iconic Fatima Shrine as Father Peter Calabrese, provincial vicar for the Barnabite Fathers USA, opened its doors on Saturday, June 13, for a Mass that signaled the beginning of […]
The locks are off, the doors are open, and people are once again welcome to enjoy a full Mass inside their church. In a quick turnaround, houses of worship were allowed to open during phase 2 of the post COVID reopenings, instead of phase 4 as originally planned. On June 6, houses of worship were […]
While others carry their own crosses or the burdens of the past, Father Matt Nycz openly carried hope in the form of the Eucharist. On Corpus Christi Sunday, the pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish walked the streets of his Tonawanda neighborhood in an individual Corpus Christi procession with Eucharist in the monstrance. “Although this was […]
Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger has appointed Father Kevin Creagh, CM, to the newly created position of vicar for Evangelization and Ministerial Formation. Father Creagh, who has served as president/rector of Christ the King Seminary for the past year, has a long history in education and formation. “Father Kevin’s zeal for cultivating and nurturing the call […]
In 1993, I attended World Youth Day in Denver as the youth minister from St. John the Baptist, Alden, traveling with the Diocese of Buffalo. We took six youths including my oldest son, Allen. We celebrated two Masses with Pope John Paul II, one at Mile High Stadium, the other overnight at the State Park. […]
When President Trump declared houses of worship to be “essential,” the first question everybody had was, “When will my parish open?” The simple answer is, when the pastor says so. Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed to let churches open in New York state on June 6, tweeting, “The metrics and health data across the state are […]
The coronavirus has created a new normal for people all over the globe. The term social distancing has entered our vocabulary as people everywhere are advised to stay six feet apart from each other. Even traffic signs are saying “Save a Life – Stay at Home.” Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are […]
The spread of the Covid-19 virus has caused disruption of daily life throughout the nation. Large gatherings of people are not allowed in order to slow the spread of the virus. This includes attendance at Mass. Since people cannot attend physically, parishes have turned to technology to bring the faithful together. Some parishes have turned […]
The Diocese of Buffalo has been hit with a one-two punch. Just after filing Chapter 11 reorganization, the Coronavirus hit the country. Already the St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been cancelled. The University at Buffalo has moved classes online. Non-medical personal will not be allowed to visit nursing homes. Shea’s has shut down productions. The […]
