Buffalo, N.Y., May 28, 2024 – The Diocese of Buffalo today has announced that following a comprehensive and collaborative planning process directed by its Road to Renewal division, a plan was presented to Family of Parishes priests to merge approximately 34 percent of the diocese’s 160 parishes.

“The Diocese of Buffalo is facing multiple challenges including a significant priest shortage, declining Mass attendance, aging congregations and ongoing financial pressures brought about by our Chapter 11 filing,” explained Bishop Michael W. Fisher. “This plan resulted from the lessons learned as we brought parishes together in the parish family model and determined rather quickly that scaling back the number of parishes would best allow us to use our limited resources to help reenergize a spiritual renewal in the diocese.”

“These difficult changes associated with our renewal allow limited resources to be directed to the greatest needs in our community,” Bishop Fisher added, “The work of the Holy Spirit within...

Over the past several months the Buffalo State Newman Center has been discerning their future as the Buffalo State Newman building was identified to be sold with the majority of funding going to help towards the Chapter 11 settlement for the Diocese.

Bishop Mike throughout this entire process has shared that the ministry of the Newman center must and will continue, although it will look different.

With the Bishop’s guidance in mind, the leadership team of Buffalo State Newman has been discerning their future and what it would look like. After numerous meetings and exploring the options of moving Buffalo State Newman ministry onto the campus of Buffalo...