EGGERTSVILLE, N.Y. — The Buffalo Diocese pitched its Road to Renewal plan as a way to save the church, but its own parishes are now saying that route is what’s endangering it.
St. Benedict on Sunday sent this letter to its parishioners, saying they are working on a counterproposal to the diocese’s recommendation just over a week after the parish learned it would be among the 80 suggested to merge as a part of the diocese’s new program.
The Buffalo Diocese alleged that St. Benedict had spiritual and financial shortcomings, which made it a strong candidate to merge with two other parishes in the hopes of helping all of Western New York’s Catholic churches recover from a bankruptcy filing.
But the community at St. Benedict is fighting the decision.
“They say sacraments are down here,” said Leonard Swiat, president of ushers at St. Benedict. “That's untrue. They say we're living hand to mouth. That's totally untrue.”
The plan also includes closing St. Benedict's parish but not its school — a major concern for parents like Laura Smith, who moved her family to Buffalo during the pandemic and chose St. Benedict because of the relationship between the school and the church.
“We have the fastest growing Catholic school in Buffalo, so it's hard to imagine why we were chosen,” she said. “I think it is vital to have the communities connected. Our kids go to church, and they fill the church every week.”
“The students need exposure to their faith,” Swiat said. “That's what Catholic school is about. It's not just a private school.”
Members at St. Benedict are also concerned that the values of their faith are being challenged due to the diocese’s method of challenging recommendations. Swiat said the diocese requires parishes to recommend another community to close in order to keep their own doors open.
“I don't want to be going to Christ the King or St. Peter and Paul and say you guys have got to close so we can stay open,” he said. “That's not Christian.”