Latest Buffalo Diocese recommendations for churches to close or merge

The diocese said it plans to merge about a third of its 160 parishes in total.

The full list of recommendations so far is:

• SS. Brendan and Jude, - merge with Immaculate Conception, Almond site to close, Alfred site to remain open
• Blessed Sacrament, Andover – merge with Immaculate Conception and close
• St. Mary, Bolivar – merge with Immaculate Conception and close
• Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph, Wellsville – merge with Immaculate Conception
• St. Mary, Canaseraga – merge with Immaculate Conception – remain as a secondary worship site

• St. Anthony, Fredonia – merge with Holy Trinity and close
• St. Joseph, Fredonia - merge with Holy Trinity and close
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Silver Creek – close St. Rose of Lima site, Forestville, of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Dunkirk – merge with Holy Trinity and close
• Blessed Mary Angela, Dunkirk – merge with Holy Trinity – sale of St. Hedwig, Dunkirk, and St. Hyacinth, Dunkirk campuses

• Our Lady of Loretto, Falconer – merge with St. James
• St. James, Jamestown – close Our Lady of Victory site
• Sacred Heart, Lakewood – close Panama site
• Holy Apostles, Jamestown – close St. John site

• Christ Our Hope, Clymer – close Sherman site
• St. Dominic, Westfield – close Brocton site

• St. George, West Falls – merge with Immaculate Conception and close
• St. Joseph, Holland – merge with Immaculate Conception and close

• St. John XXIII, West Seneca – merge with Queen of Heaven and close
• St. John Vianney, Orchard Park – merge with Queen of Heaven and close

• St. Josaphat, Cheektowaga – merge with Queen of Martyrs and close
• Resurrection, Cheektowaga – merge with Our Lady Help of Christians and close

• Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Depew - merge with St Mary of the Assumption and close. St. Martha, Depew – merge with St. Philip the Apostle and close. School at St. Martha to continue, recognizing that a comprehensive Catholic Education strategic plan is coming for the 2025-26 academic year

• All Saints, Lockport – merge with St. John – close St. Joseph campus
• Our Lady of the Rosary worship site, Wilson

• St. Stephen, Middleport – merge with Holy Trinity, Medina
• St. Mark, Kendall – merge with St. Mary’s, Holley

• St. Brigid, Bergen – merge with Our Lady of Mercy and close
• Resurrection, Batavia – close St. Mary’s worship site
• Ascension, Batavia – merge with Resurrection, both sites remain open
• St. Padre Pio, Oakfield – merge with Resurrection, close Our Lady of Fatima worship site

• St. Maximilian Kolbe, Corfu & East Pembroke – merge with St. John the Baptist and close both locations
• St. John Neumann, Strykersville – close and sell the Queen of Rosary site, Strykerville – merge with Family #14
• Immaculate Heart of Mary, Darien and Bennington – merge with St. John Neumann and close both locations

• Mary Immaculate, East Bethany – merge with St. Isadore and close both locations of Mary Immaculate
• St. Isidore, Perry – merge with St. Michael, close and sell entire St. Mary site in Silver Springs

• Our Lady of Peace, Clarence – merge with Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• St. Benedict, Eggertsville – merge with St. Leo the Great. School to remain open
• St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Cheektowaga – merge with Christ the King
• Infant of Prague, Cheektowaga – merge with SS. Peter & Paul

• St. Andrew, Kenmore – merge with St. Timothy
• Blessed Sacrament, Tonawanda – merge with St. Paul

• St. Francis of Assisi, Tonawanda – merge with Our Lady of Czestochowa
• St. Andrew Kim RC Mission, Tonawanda – merge with St. Leo (Family #16)
• St. Jude the Apostle, North Tonawanda – merge with Our Lady of Czestochowa

• St. Pius X, Getzville – merge with St. Gregory the Great
• Good Shepherd, Pendleton – St. Augustine site to close

• Holy Spirit (Dakota St.): merge with St. Margaret (Hertel Ave.)
• St. Mark (Woodward Ave.): merge with St. Margaret
• St. Rose of Lima (Parker Ave.): merge with St. Margaret
• All Saints (Chadduck Ave.): merge with Assumption (Amherst St.)

• St. Lawrence (E. Delavan Ave.): merge with Blessed Trinity (Leroy Ave.)
• SS. Columba Brigid (Hickory St.): merge St. Stanislaus (Peckham St.)

• St. Anthony of Padua (Court St.): merge with St. Louis (Edward St.)
• St. Michael (Washington St.): merge with St. Louis
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help (O'Connell St.): merge with St. Louis

• Coronation of the BVM (Dewitt St.): merge with Assumption

• St. John, Olean – merge with St. Mary of the Angels. School remaining open recognizing that a comprehensive Catholic Education strategic plan is coming for the 2025-2026 academic year

• Queen of Angels, Lackawanna – merge with Our Lady of Victory and close
• Our Mother of Good Counsel, Blasdell – merge with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and close
• St. Anthony, Lackawanna – merge with Our Lady of Victory, who will need to provide a Spanish Mass, and close
• Our Lady of Bistrica, Lackawanna – merge with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and close

• St. Mary, Cattaraugus – merge with St. Joseph and close
• Holy Spirit, North Collins – merge with Immaculate Conception and close

• St. Bernadette, Orchard Park – merge with SS. Peter and Paul and close

• St. Anthony, Farnham – merge with Most Precious Blood and close
• St. Mary of the Lake, Hamburg – merge with St. Francis of Assisi and close

• St. John Kanty (Swinburne St.): merge with St. Stanislaus
• St. John Gualbert (Gualbert Ave.): merge with St. Stanislaus

• St. Martin of Tours (Abbott Rd.): merge with Our Lady of Charity (South Park Ave.)
• St. Thomas Aquinas (Abbott Rd.): merge with St. Teresa (Seneca St.)

• St. Bernard (Clinton St.): merge with Our Lady of Czestochowa (Willowlawn Pkwy.)

• St. Jude, Sardinia already merging with St. Aloysius and close
• St. Mary, Arcade – East Arcade worship site to close
• St. John the Baptist, West Valley – merge with St. Aloysius and close

• St. Raphael, Niagara Falls – merge with St. Peter, Lewiston

• Divine Mercy, Niagara Falls – merge with St. Mary of the Cataract
• St. John de LaSalle, Niagara Falls – merge with St. Vincent de Paul
• Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph, Niagara Falls – Our Lady of Mount Carmel site to close

On Friday, June 14, Bishop Michael Fisher released a statement, saying:

"Over the past two weeks, we have met with parish leadership groups to explain in detail our recommendations for parish mergers. These recommendations put forth - backed by the data supplied by parishes - as well as future projections, illustrate our best faith effort to provide a plan that will ultimately strengthen the Catholic Church In Western New York.

I understand these parish and worship site recommendations are difficult for many, as churches that have been home to generations of the faithful unfortunately have to merge and close for the future viability and vibrancy of our parishes and the diocese as a whole. Our effort to renew the diocese was hastened as we continue to work to satisfy the requirements of our Chapter 11 reorganization process.

We look forward over the next month to continue the dialogue with our parish leaders to decide on what is best for the diocese, and the faithful, moving forward. As always, you remain in my prayers, especially in light of this transformational time in our history."

This list will be updated as more information becomes available.