As I write this (May 8) the New York State Police have issued an Amber Alert for a 9-year-old missing boy, Gustavo, probably kidnapped. The alert features the boy’s name, hair and eye colors, and what he is wearing. All were asked to be on the look-out for him. Thankfully, he was found safe. The […]
We have entered a period of response to the pandemic now when there is a great deal of discussion about which social policies are appropriate going forward. Should we open businesses? Which ones? Should we wear masks or not? Should we maintain social distancing? Which activities should still be banned? When and under what conditions […]
(Buffalo, NY) – In light of Governor Cuomo’s announcement today that houses of worship may resume public gatherings at 25 percent capacity at the earliest opportunity, Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger has announced that any parish in the Diocese of Buffalo that is prepared to offer public liturgies while maintaining the safety protocols detailed in the Diocesan guidelines due […]
By divine design, the Feast of Pentecost occurred on May 31, the point of transition to a new month and a gradual return to a sense of normal on the tails of the coronavirus global pandemic. After three months of the New York pause, we have been not unlike Mary and the apostles gathered in […]
While to a certain degree returning to “business as usual” will not likely happen, that does not mean the vast majority of those who hold most of the world’s wealth and power will not use every advantage at their disposal in trying to hold onto broken, corrupt, unjust systems – what St. John Paul II […]
Sister Mary McCarrick, OSF, asked God to guide her on how she could continue to help through her ministry. God answered with a phone call. Sister Mary is the former diocesan director of Catholic Charities of Buffalo and served in that position from 2010 through 2018. After her retirement from Catholic Charities, she served locally […]
The Western New York Catholic newspaper has brought the news of the Diocese of Buffalo into the homes of the faithful for over 150 years. In 1871, the Catholic Union and Times began publication under Buffalo’s second bishop, Stephen Ryan, CM. The paper changed its name in 1964 to the Magnificat and then became the […]
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 […]
BALTIMORE — Amid a global food crisis – made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic – Catholic Relief Services launched a new campaign aimed at engaging Catholic communities across the United States to support efforts that address global hunger. “Lead the Way on Hunger,” kicked off May 14 and is a multiyear effort that calls on […]
