News

Letter from Lionheart 2024 Co-Chairs

"Wake the Lion"


Dear Families and Friends of St. Mark School,

Get ready to roar with excitement! This year’s Lionheart Auction, "Wake the Lion” will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, and we are thrilled to announce that Lionheart 2024 will honor…

Our Amazing Teachers!

Our teachers at St. Mark School pour their hearts into shaping the futures of our children. Their love, dedication, and unwavering commitment set the stage for our students’ bright and rewarding futures. It is time to shower them with the appreciation they truly deserve at Lionheart 2024.

The Lionheart Auction isn’t just a fundraiser; it is a tradition that connects our community, and it is vital to St. Mark School. Past success has always been directly related to the support of our wonderful community. This year’s theme, Wake the Lion, is a call to action, specifically chosen to wake our entire school, parish, and local communities to rally together – to make this Lionheart the most memorable and successful one yet! At the same time, we hope to bring out the camaraderie and pride we all share for our teachers, our school, and the North Buffalo Family of Parishes. We encourage the entire school community, our parish family, and the Family of Parishes to participate, as our goal is to have the most welcoming Lionheart event, strengthen our greater community, and yield high results for St. Mark to continue to thrive!

We cannot do this without YOUR support!
Together, we must Wake the Lion!

 

Do you have ideas, suggestions, or feedback to share? We’d love to hear from you! Please email us at [email protected].

Whether you are a seasoned Lionheart attendee or brand new to the experience, your participation is crucial in ensuring the success of our fundraiser. For those within the school community, we hope the Lionheart 101 email sent to you by your class’s Room Parent proved helpful. We also ask everyone who has previously attended the event to share with anyone who will listen what a fun, relaxed, positive-vibe our auction provides – Lionheart is where our entire community can come together, and new friends are made! As always, there will be good music, an open bar, delicious food from local restaurants, and exciting items to bid on. This year’s Lionheart will be as memorable as any; we are VERY excited to reveal further announcements as Lionheart approaches!

Calling all businesses! Showcase your business or employer and support St. Mark School through a Lionheart Sponsorship or Program Ad. Silent and live auction items that would be popular to bid on are another way to promote any business’ products and services and help our school. Your generous sponsorships and donations will make all the difference!

Our Gift Gathering Parties start soon! These parties are a great opportunity to meet (or re-connect) with parents in your child’s grade and help support the Lionheart Auction at the same time. Alumni and Friends of St. Mark Gift Gathering Party dates will also be announced soon. Each party has a theme for gifts or is a 'stock the bar' party. Parents are asked to bring a gift with a suggested value of $50 that will be used as part of the silent auction. Cash/check donations are also accepted, if you don't have time to shop! There will also be a Lionheart Gift Registry on Amazon to provide attendees with our Lionheart 2024 Wish List. We are so grateful to our party hosts, and we look forward to seeing you at the parties!

Volunteers, we need you! An event with almost 400 people in attendance is only possible through the help of many volunteers. From pre-event preparations to on-the-day assistance, every pair of helping hands from now until June makes a significant impact. Please watch for opportunities communicated from your Room Parents and in email blasts.

How do we wake St. Mark’s Lion?
Everyone. Together.
 
  • Volunteering for anything!
  • Donating anything, and yes, that includes your time!
  • Sharing how fun Lionheart is along with your favorite memories!
  • Co-Hosting/Hosting a Gift Gathering Party!
  • Attending a Gift Gathering Party!
  • Donating personally or from your business!
  • Sponsoring personally, as a family, or through your employer!
  • Attending Lionheart and having a blast!
  • Bidding on anything!
  • Raising your Paw Paddle!
  • Outbidding a friend to raise the price for the good of the school!
  • Ensuring you win a silent or live auction item with a ROAR of a bid!
  • Enjoying yourself at a wonderful community event honoring our teachers!
  • Working together in any way to ensure Lionheart 2024 is the best one yet!

Sincerely, Your

2024 Lionheart Leadership Team,


Saturday, June 8, 2024

St. Mark School
399 Woodward Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214

 

 

Previous Article A Letter from Fr. Joe Tokasz to our Family of Parishes
Next Article Letter to the Faithful
Print
2763 Rate this article:
3.0
Please login or register to post comments.

Previous Articles

Rightsize and Reshape Recommendations

Desiree Lee 0 3409 Article rating: 4.2

June 7, 2024

Dear Catholic Community of Buffalo, North,

As you already know, the Diocese of Buffalo announced on Tuesday, May 28th a plan to merge approximately 34 percent of the diocese’s 160 parishes. On Thursday, June 4th, the priests, deacons and trustees from all the families of parishes in the Buffalo Vicariate (region), met with the Diocese of Buffalo Renewal Team to discuss recommendations for the “Rightsize and Reshaping” plan for the Buffalo region including our Catholic Community of Buffalo, North (CCBN) Family.

We understand that these are major changes that we will all be going through together in a very short period of time and these recommendations may be very upsetting to process for many of us, if not all. Our Family of Parishes Leadership Team (Trustees and Clergy), in collaboration with ...

 

[Click title for full article] 

Diocese of Buffalo Announces Plan to Reshape the Number of Parishes through Merger

Plan presented to priests responds to critical factors impacting diocesan operations

Desiree Lee 0 888 Article rating: 5.0
Diocese of Buffalo
Office of Communications
Diocese of Buffalo Announces Plan to Reshape the Number of Parishes through Merger
Plan presented to priests responds to critical factors impacting diocesan operations

 

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...

 

[Click title for full article]

Catholic Community of Buffalo North, meet Buffalo State Newman Center, part of Family #36!

Desiree Lee 0 1347 Article rating: No rating
Catholic Community of Buffalo North, meet Buffalo State Newman Center, part of Family #36!

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...

 

[Click title for full article]

Letter from Lionheart 2024 Co-Chairs

"Wake the Lion"

Desiree Lee 0 2763 Article rating: 3.0


Dear Families and Friends of St. Mark School,

Get ready to roar with excitement! This year’s Lionheart Auction, "Wake the Lion” will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, and we are thrilled to announce that Lionheart 2024 will honor…

Our Amazing Teachers!

Our teachers at St. Mark School pour their hearts into shaping the futures of our children. Their love, dedication, and unwavering commitment set the stage for our students’ bright and rewarding futures. It is time to shower them with the appreciation they truly deserve at Lionheart 2024.

The Lionheart Auction isn’t just a fundraiser; it is a tradition that connects our community, and it is vital to St. Mark School. Past success has always...

 

[Click title for full article]

A Letter from Fr. Joe Tokasz to our Family of Parishes

Information about All Saints Parish

Desiree Lee 0 2500 Article rating: 4.3

February 19, 2024


Dear Catholic Community of Buffalo, North,



I received news this past week, that after a meeting of the College of Consultors and the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Buffalo, both advisory councils to Bishop Michael Fisher, a decision regarding the future of All Saints parish has been made.

All Saints Parish has been dealing with challenges concerning its parish property and buildings as well as its finances for over two years. Particularly the condition of its school building and parish’s financial stability and longevity. They have made great efforts over the past year in striving to increase contributions and raise fundraising efforts....

[Click title for full article]

Lionheart Letter from Fr Dave

Desiree Lee 0 1214 Article rating: 5.0


Dear Families and Friends of St. Mark School and the entire Catholic Community of Buffalo, North,

Please mark your calendars and plan to join Co-Chairs: Vera & Keith Carlino, Susan & Angelo Gambino, Erin & John Gerken and Kate & Matt Maleski and me for…

Lionheart 2024,
“Wake the Lion”
Saturday, June 8, 2024
 

As always, the evening will feature delicious food, an open bar, music, a silent auction, an exciting live auction, awards, and honoring our teachers. Join us for fun, fellowship, and lion pride.

 

[Click title for full article]

RSS
12