BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is recommending the closure, or merger, of 15 churches across Buffalo and Cheektowaga.
A diocese spokesperson confirmed the news to 2 On Your Side on Thursday night. The recommendations were revealed at a meeting at St. Anthony's, with diocese officials and parishioners in attendance.
Here are the recommendations:
Family No. 20
- Holy Spirit (Dakota Street): merge with St. Margaret (Hertel Avenue)
- St. Mark (Woodward Avenue): merge with St. Margaret. School to remain.
- St. Rose of Lima (Parker Avenue): merge with St. Margaret
- All Saints (Chadduck Avenue): merge with Assumption (Amherst Street)
Family No. 21
- St. Lawrence (East Delavan Avenue): merge with Blessed Trinity (Leroy Avenue)
- SS. Columba Brigid (Hickory Street): merge St. Stanislaus (Peckham Street)
Family No. 22
- St. Anthony of Padua (Court Street): merge with St. Louis (Edward Street)
- St. Michael (Washington Street): merge with St. Louis
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help (O’Connell Street): merge with St. Louis
Family No. 23
- Coronation of the BVM (Dewitt Street): merge with Assumption
Family No. 30
- St. John Kanty (Swinburne Street): merge with St. Stanislaus
- St. John Gualbert (Gualbert Avenue): merge with St. Stanislaus
Family No. 31
- St. Martin of Tours (Abbott Road): merge with Our Lady of Charity (South Park Avenue). School to remain.
- St. Thomas Aquinas (Abbott Road): merge with St. Teresa (Seneca Street)
Family No. 32
- St. Bernard (Clinton Street): merge with Our Lady of Czestochowa (Willowlawn Parkway)
The schools will remain open at St. Mark and St. Martin of Tours, and St. Anthony of Padua on court street will remain open as an oratory.
This recommendations come after the Diocese announced that it would merge 34 percent of its churches to address recent financial hardships.
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