When Father Bill Quinlivan realized St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday in Lent, he knew something special had to be done to mark the event. He set about writing a set of prayers for the Stations of the Cross based on St. Patrick’s Breastplate, a popular prayer attributed to one of Ireland’s most beloved […]
Bishop Michael W. Fisher has announced a commutation from eating meat on St. Patrick’s Day. The Holy Season of Lent is an important time in the Church that calls for Catholics to focus on acts of prayer, fasting and almsgiving along with a renewed effort to discover the Lord more deeply in the Scriptures. Many […]
The United Irish-American Association of Erie County has asked Bishop Michael W. Fisher to lead the St. Patrick’s Day Mass and appear in the annual parade. The bishop replied, “Absolutely.” “My Irish mother would not allow me not to say yes,” Bishop Fisher said. The UIAA announced the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place […]
Father Robert G. Beiter, a priest of the Diocese of Buffalo for over 58 years, died June 13, 2022. Father Beiter was born to Richard E. and Dolores (Edbauer) Beiter on Oct. 12, 1938, in Buffalo. As a child he attended St. Benedict and Fourteen Holy Helpers elementary schools. In 1956, he graduated from Canisius […]
Bishop Michael W. Fisher has appointed three priests as administrators of diocesan parishes. Father Robert J. Orlowski has been appointed the administrator of Queen of Angels Parish in Lackawanna in addition to his responsibility as pastor of Our Mother of Good Counsel, Blasdell. This became effective May 1. Father Timothy Koester is serving as the […]
Father Ronald Pecci, OFM, 71, a Franciscan friar with Holy Name Province for 42 years, 38 of them as an ordained priest, died on April 12, 2022, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut. His full rich friar life encompassed a broad range of ministries that included parish pastor for 12 years at St. Patrick in […]
Father Joseph P. Janaczek, pastor of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Falconer, and St. Patrick Parish, Randolph, died April 29, 2022. Father Janaczek was born June 15, 1945, in Buffalo, to Joseph and Amelia (Gruszka) Janaczek. He attended Queen of Peace School in Buffalo, graduating in 1959. He graduated from Bishop Turner High School, also […]
Sister Marian Schwenk died Dec. 30, 2020, at the Sisters of St. Joseph Residence in Clarence after a period of declining health. She was 87. Born Oct. 1, 1933, in Buffalo to Howard and Loretta (Tangelder) Schwenk, Sister Marian entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in September 1951 and pronounced final vows in August 1959. […]
Father Francis Schimscheiner, OSFS, died peacefully in Toledo, on May 7, 2020, following a long illness. He was 83 years old. Father Schimscheiner was born in Niagara Falls and upon graduation from Bishop Duffy High School, entered the Oblates of St. Francis deSales and was ordained a priest on Feb. 6, 1965. Father Schimscheiner spent […]
Father William C. McGarry, pastor emeritus of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Niagara Falls, died on May 13, 2020, at the Our Lady of Peace Nursing Home in Lewiston. Born in Carnegie, Pa., Father McGarry lived in Niagara Falls and graduated from Niagara University and Our Lady of Angels Seminary. He was ordained in […]