Buffalo Catholic community accepts church mergers: ‘It always hurts’

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Rain was in store Sunday as many in Buffalo’s Catholic community felt a sense of sadness.

Parishioners across the city returned to their respective parishes for the first time since the Diocese of Buffalo announced late last week a preliminary list of 26 churches that would be recommended for merger in the coming months.

“You know it was going to happen, but it still hurts,” said Matt Krause, a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the churches poised to merge. “I just hope there are still enough places people can still go.”

The list was released nearly two weeks after the diocese announced it would merge 34 percent of its 160 parishes in Western New York due to record low attendance, a continuing shortage of priests and the Church’s financial woes resulting from an expected $100 million settlement for 900 cases of sexual abuse by diocesan employees.

“It affects us, but there are also victims, so we have to think about the other side, and they also deserve justice and reparation,” Krause said.

RELATED: Diocese of Buffalo makes more recommendations on parish mergers

2 On Your Side spoke with parishioners at St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Kanty, another church recommended merging with St. Stanislaus into Family #30.

Diane Czajka, a longtime parishioner at St. John Kanty, said her biggest concern is losing the only church community she has ever known.

“I guess if the company closes, we might have to try to go to St. Stans like they’re suggesting, merging with them,” she said. “There are a lot of people who are negative about it. I don’t know what’s going to happen.

Others at St. Thomas Aquinas, which is expected to merge with St. Theresa, shared the same concern but also saw the move as an opportunity.

“I think in some ways it might be good because then you’ll meet new people, and I think that will be good,” said parishioner David Marotto.

Here are the merger recommendations:

• Saint Benedict, Eggertsville: merge with Saint Leo the Great. The school will remain open

• Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Cheektowaga: merging with Christ the King

• Child of Prague, Cheektowaga: merger with SS. Peter and Paul

• St. Andrew, Kenmore: merge with St. Timothy

• Blessed Sacrament, Tonawanda: merging with Saint Paul

• Saint Francis of Assisi, Tonawanda: merging with Our Lady of Czestochowa

• St. Andrew Kim RC Mission, Tonawanda: merge with St. Leo (Family #16)

• Apostle Saint Jude, North Tonawanda: merging with Our Lady of Czestochowa

• Saint Pius X, Getzville: merger with Saint Gregory the Great

• Good Shepherd, Pendleton: closure of the Saint-Augustin site

• Holy Spirit (Dakota Street): merge with St. Margaret (Hertel Avenue)

• St. Mark (Woodward Avenue): merge with St. Margaret. The school must stay.

• Sainte Rose de Lima (Parker Avenue): merge with Sainte Marguerite

• All Saints (Chadduck Avenue): merge with Assumption (Amherst Street)

• Saint-Antoine de Padoue (Court Street): merger with Saint-Louis (Edward Street)

• St. Michael (Washington Street): merge with St. Louis

• Our Lady of Perpetual Help (O’Connell Street): merge with Saint-Louis

• Saint-Martin de Tours (Abbott Road): merge with Notre-Dame de Charité (South Park Avenue). The school must stay.

• Saint-Thomas d’Aquin (Abbott Road): merge with Sainte-Thérèse (Seneca Street)