Catholic diocese recommends closure of 15 Buffalo churches

Buffalo, New York (WBEN) – The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is recommending the closure or merger of 15 churches in Buffalo.

The recommendations were made during a meeting at St. Anthony’s Thursday evening, attended by diocesan officials and about 100 parishioners.

Parishes will have until July 15 to either accept the closures or come up with other recommendations.

Several more meetings are planned next week to review the parishes
in northern Erie County, southern Erie County, Niagara, Genesee and Wyoming counties.

This is part of a plan to restructure the diocese with fewer priests and fewer parishioners.

The full list of recommended closures is below:

-Holy Spirit
-St. Brand
-St. Lima Rose
-All Saints
-St. Laurent
-SS. Bridget of Colombia
-St. Anthony of Padua
-St. Michael
-Our Lady of Perpetual Help
-Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-St. John Kanty
-St. Jean Gualbert
-St. Martin de ToursSt. Thomas Aquinas
-St. Bernard