About 15 years ago, the former All Saints Church in Amherst merged with St. Mark’s Church in Buffalo’s Riverside neighborhood, leaving the diocese with an unused church building. Rather than let it sit vacant, a group of Episcopalians in recovery began to dream. What if this space could become a home for healing? A place…
Bishop Steve and Canon Cathy visited Holy Apostles’ Perry and Trinity Warsaw on Sunday, November 16, where they learned about a heart-warming ice cream contest that took place in Wyoming County this past spring. What began as a fun community activity revealed an unexpected—and very Christ-like—act of generosity from two local third graders. Each year,…
Stitching isn’t just needlework. It’s a bit of art, good fun, and a nice way to relax – and also the makings of a good church fundraiser. Twenty-five people gathered Saturday at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for the annual cross-stitch retreat. The funds raised are benefitting the church in its role of serving the wider…
On Saturday, October 25, a group of 35 youth and adults from across the diocese gathered for a meaningful and educational journey to the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. This trip offered participants an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of those who courageously sought freedom and those who helped make that freedom possible….
On October 23rd, at Rich’s Atrium in Buffalo, The Rev. Luke Fodor, Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown and founder of the New Neighbors Coalition, received the Community Partnership Award from Journey’s End Refugee Services during the organization’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. In his acceptance remarks, Fr. Fodor reflected on how one simple “yes”…
In her remarks to Executive Council last week, Julia Ayala Harris, the President of the House of Deputies, mentioned that the median Sunday Attendance at Episcopal Churches is 38-41. Here in WNY we are at about 31 but rising. Many of our congregations are seeing a small uptick in attendance at their principal worship service…
Under the theme “Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths” (Psalm 25:3), clergy, lay delegates, and guests from across the Diocese of Western New York—and two special guests from the Diocese of Rochester—gathered at the Niagara Falls Convention Center on October 10–11 for our annual Diocesan Convention. The two-day gathering was filled with…
In the Episcopal Church, congregations—not the diocese—initiate closure, often due to declining membership, financial struggles, inability to maintain buildings, or disagreements with church polity. Sometimes closures occur simply because members are “tired.” The closing of a parish is marked as both a time of gratitude for past ministry and care for the people as they…
Each year, Episcopal diocesan conventions bring together clergy and lay delegates from across the diocese for a unique gathering of prayer, fellowship, and decision-making. These conventions embody the Episcopal Church’s belief that governance should engage all of its members—laypersons, deacons, priests, and bishops—working together to shape the life of the church. The Work of GovernanceAt…
The recent Spectrum News feature on St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s New Neighbors Coalition in Jamestown is a timely reminder of the urgent call before us: to stand with immigrants and asylum seekers in our communities. What began as a grassroots effort to welcome and accompany newcomers has blossomed into a robust program, offering both practical…
The ministry of our churches often extends far beyond the Sunday services we most readily imagine—coffee hour fellowship, powerful preaching, and the sacred gift of receiving the Eucharist. Increasingly, congregations across our diocese are also discovering that their buildings can be vital resources for the community, places where the baptismal covenant is lived out in…
Earlier this month, members of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Western New York traveled to Buffalo’s South Side to witness firsthand the life-changing ministry of the Genesis Center, a mission of St. Simon’s Episcopal Church. Archdeacon Diana Lieker, the Rev. Dan Pinti, Larry Mazuchowski, and Denise Clarke-Merriweather were warmly welcomed by the Genesis…
