In a story that ran December 31 in The Buffalo News, the front-page article detailed merger decrees recently issued to two parishes that are scheduled to become secondary worship sites. In the story, St. Benedict in Eggertsville and St. Bernadette in Orchard Park are featured and the story’s premise is that the parishes were slated for merger based on the potential sale of their real estate to satisfy sexual abuse claims that parishes and the Diocese of Buffalo faces.
The Diocese, in consultation with the Families of Parishes through the Road to Renewal looked exhaustively as to reconfiguring the parishes in the diocese to address a number of crucial realities… most importantly the declining number of priests, (115 active, non-retired currently, projected 70 priests in 2030 and 38 priests in 2040), the significant decline in church attendance and decreased spiritual and financial participation over the last two decades, as well as aging congregations. Was the diocesan Chapter 11 reorganization a factor in this process? Of course, yes, because it helps the Diocese take a hard look to determine what are future needs will be. Was it an overriding factor? No.
The premise that decisions made solely on perceived parish property value driven by the Chapter 11 process is an oversimplification of a complex process.
Of the initial Road to Renewal recommendations on mergers and closures made in May 2024, 26 of the 36 recommendations for Family of Parishes were changed. Those final recommendations released in September 2024 from Bishop Michael Fisher were based on input from each Family of Parishes representative team, in consultation with a Road to Renewal review team, diocesan officials and representative bodies of diocesan clergy. This careful and comprehensive review involved many factors focused on the viability of each parish family.
In the St. Benedict counter proposal meeting, the initial recommendation of closing the parish was changed and St. Benedict’s will continue as a secondary worship site. The same scenario occurred with St. Bernadette. It was the counter proposal team from St. Bernadette that proposed selling excess land on their campus.
As to how secondary worship sites will operate, each Family of Parishes will decide on church usage moving forward. The secondary worship site is able to be utilized by the parish for worship, ministry, and functions that the parish deem essential for their mission going forward. If there is any future discussion as to the closure of a secondary worship site, that will follow the same canonical procedure used to close a parish, would involve consultation and recourse to appeal the closure would also be afforded.
Also as previously communicated, through mediation, the Diocese has offered a $100 million contribution towards a victims’ settlement fund, with contributions coming from the diocese, parishes and related Catholic entities. It is anticipated that this contribution will be augmented with funds from insurance carriers as well.
