April 14, 2008

Bishop Appoints Pastors to Restructured Parishes

Once again, the Journey in Faith and Grace has prompted the reassignment of several diocesan priests. When parishes merged, the role of pastor became available.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec has announced the following new assignments for clergy in the Diocese of Buffalo.

Father David A. Bellittiere, pastor of Holy Trinity, Dunkirk, will continue as pastor at the Dunkirk parish and has taken on the additional responsibility of sacramental ministry at the State University of New York at Fredonia’s Newman Center. Father Bellittiere was ordained in 1989 and previously served at All Saints, Buffalo; St. Bridget, Newfane; and Christ the King, Snyder.

Father William R. Bigelow was named pastor of St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Hamburg, for a term of six years. He had been serving as the parish’s administrator since November 2007. A priest for 41 years, Father Bigelow had been assigned to several parishes during his time as a priest. They include St. Helen, Hinsdale; St. John the Evangelist, Sinclairville; SS. Peter and Paul, Hamburg; St. Peter, LeRoy; and St. James, Buffalo. He also served in campus ministry at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and at St. Amelia, Tonawanda, and Holy Family, Buffalo.

In Chautauqua County, Msgr. Joseph M. Dowdell, was appointed pastor of the new Sacred Heart Parish which is the result of the merger between Our Lady of Snows, Panama, and Sacred Heart, Lakewood. The appointment is effective May 30. Msgr. Dowdell, who has been pastor at Sacred Heart since 1989, was ordained in 1963. His previous assignments have been at Cardinal Mindszenty High School, Mercy Hospital and the St. Jude Center, as well as several parishes. He served at

St. Peter, Lewiston; Blessed Sacrament, Andover; St. John of the Cross, Whitesville; St. Mary, Lockport; Blessed Sacrament, Delevan; and Holy Family, Machias.

Father John F. Kasprzak, former pastor of Our Lady of Grace, Woodlawn, and St. Barbara, Lackawanna, was named pastor of the newly-formed Queen of Angels Parish, Lackawanna. Queen of Angels was formed when three Lackawanna parishes (St. Michael the Archangel, St. Barbara and St. Hyacinth) and Our Lady of Grace Parish merged. St Michael’s church is the sole site for worship. Father Kasprzak’s first assignment as a priest was at St. Luke, Buffalo. He then served at St. Josaphat, Cheektowaga, and St. Barnabas, Depew, before being assigned to Our Lady of Grace and St. Barbara.

On June 1, Father Dennis W. Mende will assume the duties of pastor of Holy Apostles Parish, Jamestown. Holy Apostles will be formed when St. John and SS. Peter and Paul parishes merge. Both sites will be utilized for the new parish. Father Mende has served at St. Mark and Holy Cross, both in Buffalo; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Dunkirk; St. Amelia, Tonawanda; and St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster, before his most recent assignment as pastor of St. James and SS. Peter and Paul parishes, Jamestown, and Our Lady of Victory, Frewsburg. He also was director of the Office of Worship from 1990-1993.

Father Bernard U. Nowak, who had been pastor of five parishes concurrently, received a new appointment as pastor of a merged parish, St. Mary of Lourdes Parish, Mayville. St. Mary of Lourdes was formed when two of his parishes, St. Mary, Mayville, and Our Lady of Lourdes, Bemus Point, merged. The new parish will utilize both worship sites. Father Nowak will continue to serve as pastor of Our Lady of Snows, Panama, until its merger on May 30, and of St Isaac Jogues, Sherman, and St. Matthias, French Creek, until a new pastor is named. Father Nowak had served at several parishes in the City of Buffalo over the years, St. Lawrence, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Valentine. In addition, he was assigned to Most Precious Blood, Angola; St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Cheektowaga; Assumption, Portageville; St. Mary, Canaseraga; St. Mary, Bolivar; and Sacred Heart, Portville, and was secretary to the late Bishop Pius A. Benincasa.

Father Slawomir Siok, SAC, was named pastor of the parish formed by the merger of St. John de LaSalle and St. Charles Borromeo, both in Niagara Falls, effective July 1.

In early February, parishes in Lockport merged to form All Saints Parish. Effective April 19, the parish will have a new pastor, Father Joseph E. Vatter. All Saints is comprised of St. Anthony, St. Joseph, St. Patrick and St. Mary parishes. Ordained in 1978, Father Vatter’s previous assignments were at St. Christopher, Tonawanda; SS. Peter and Paul, Jamestown; St. Martin, Buffalo; Holy Trinity, Dunkirk; St. Barnabas, Depew; St. Mary, Belmont; St. Joseph, Scio; Sacred Heart, Angelica; and, most recently, St. Mary, Medina.

In December 2007, Bishop Kmiec announced that St. Anthony of Padua, Fredonia, and Immaculate Conception, Cassadaga, would merge to form a single parish using St. Anthony as the primary site and Immaculate Conception as the secondary site. Effective September 6, Father Carlton J. Westfield will become the pastor of the merged parish. Father Westfield currently serves as pastor of St. Anthony and previously was assigned to St. John, Jamestown; Queen of Heaven, West Seneca; St. Barnabas, Depew; Our Lady of Loreto, Falconer; and Our Lady of Victory, Frewsburg

Father Richard DiGiulio has joined Father Paul D. Seil at St. Bernadette Parish, Orchard Park. Father DiGiulio, who will continue his responsibility for charismatic renewal in the diocese, is the senior parochial vicar the St. Bernadette.

Father Richard J. Cilano who was named pastor of Immaculate Conception, East Bethany, and St. Mary, Pavilion, has been given the additional responsibility as part-time chaplain at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

Three permanent deacons have received new three-year assignments. Deacon Thomas C. Licata has transferred from Orchard Park’s Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish to St. Gregory the Great Parish in Williamsville. Deacon John M. Ruh has moved to Queen of Heaven Parish, West Seneca, from Immaculate Conception Parish, East Bethany, and Deacon Gary C. Terrana has been assigned to St. Albert the Great Parish, North Tonawanda. Deacon Terrana, who had been at Sacred Heart Parish, Niagara Falls, will continue as director of pastoral care at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

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