Wearing a Buffalo Bisons jersey, Bishop Edward U. Kmiec tossed the first pitch at Dunn Tire Park in downtown Buffalo on Aug. 12. The bishop, who played baseball while growing up in Trenton, New Jersey, was on the mound prior to the Bisons-Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons game. Buffalo won 9-4. The number 13 on his jersey signifies that Bishop Kmiec is the 13th bishop of Buffalo.

The roll call seemed to go on forever. Albany, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., just to name a few of the dioceses and archdioceses that sent representatives to the 10th National Black Catholic Congress. Nearly 2,500 people poured into the downtown Buffalo Convention Center by the busload.

Throughout the congress, held July 12-15, liturgies, talks and workshops were centered around the sacraments and the core principles of youth and young adults, Africa, HIV/AIDS, parish life, spirituality, social justice, Catholic education and racism.

Having the congress come to Buffalo has been a plan in motion for 10 years, when Bishop Henry J. Mansell, who served as bishop of Buffalo from 1995-2003, traveled to Baltimore in 1997 for Congress XIII.

Western New York played a key role in black history. The Underground Railroad ran through the Niagara Region into Southern Ontario. Some estimates say that 100,000 escaped slavery via the network of safe houses between 1810 and 1850.

“If you’re very quiet and if you¹re very attentive, you can feel in this place the spirit of Harriett Tubman and the spirit of W.E.B. Dubois,” said Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, of Pensacola, Fla., during the opening ceremony for the congress.

New parish reconfigurations announced
Bishop Kmiec voices confidence in Journey

The Diocese of Buffalo has announced that a number of parishes in the Central and East Buffalo, Riverside/Black Rock, and Southern Cattaraugus vicariates will be restructured as part of the "Journey in Faith and Grace," a parish-based strategic planning and spiritual revitalization initiative launched in June 2005 by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo. These changes represent the latest in a series of recommendations to reimagine parish life throughout the eight-counties of Western New York in response to changing times and emerging needs.

“It is difficult to ask people to change, but when parishes come together, wonderful things can happen. There is more vibrancy, more parish life and more opportunity to grow together as a stronger, more resilient faith community. Stronger lay leadership emerges, laying the foundation for a new Church with greater potential.” Click here for complete story

Our Journey in Faith and Grace

Seven areas of mission will lead to stronger faith communities

In a major step on the "Journey in Faith and Grace," Bishop Edward U. Kmiec has issued Our Journey in Faith and Grace: The Strategic Plan for Our Future, a document that was developed over the past two years by the diocesan Strategic Planning Commission and a number of commission subcommittees.

"As we celebrate spring – a time of growth, renewal and the cycle of life beginning again – we also mark the start of new parish life in the Diocese of Buffalo," Bishop Kmiec said. "This is a broad plan for the future of our diocese and will keep the journey alive well into the next decade. It is the premiere work of the Strategic Planning Commission. I encourage everyone to join us on this journey."

Bishop Kmiec said there has been extensive lay involvement and collaboration in the drafting of the strategic plan, for which he is very grateful. "The leadership of the laity is crucial to the vibrancy of parish life. Their role will become even more significant as we build a new Church that will continue to be responsive to the spiritual, educational and community needs of the people who live in our cities, towns and villages.

"This plan will have a positive impact on Catholics and non-Catholics alike throughout Western New York," the bishop added. "We are on our way. We are arriving at some positive conclusions and I am optimistic that over time, it will become even more evident that a lot of thought, very hard work and extensive prayer went into this document that is the blueprint for the future of our Church here in Western New York."

The plan focuses on seven areas of mission: spiritual revitalization, parish life, lifelong faith formation, finance and administration, Catholic elementary school education, community involvement, and outreach and ministerial leadership.  Click here for complete story

The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, established on April 23, 1847, comprises the westernmost counties of New York State, which include: Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, Chautauqua, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Allegany. The Diocese covers 6,455 square miles and has a Catholic population of  702,884.