Pope Francis visits the United States - For full diocesan coverage of the U.S. papal visit, check out the Western New York Catholic's website at http://www.wnycatholic.org. Read and watch Bishop Malone's dispatches from Washington, New York City and Philadelphia on our diocesan site at http://www.buffalodiocese.org and follow the diocese on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Papal Visit 2015. Time Warner Cable News will provide complete coverage of the Pope's visit to the U.S. on various media platforms. Channel 199 will air non-stop papal coverage, including daily recap shows and national call-in shows, September 20-27. Channel 1020 has begun on-demand coverage, including pre-visit preparations, documentaries and previous papal visit programming, and will continue through November 30. The cable outlet will feature coverage with a local perspective on their news channel as well as a special papal visit section on their TWC news app. Visit http://www.twcnews.com/papalvisit, beginning September 1, for a video chronicle of the Pope's visit.

Live Mass with Pope Francis on St. Leo's Large Video Screen. Everyone is welcome to come and pray for families with Pope Francis at St. Leo the Great Church, 885 Sweet Home Road, Amherst on Sunday, September 27 at 4pm. Mass will be projected using a newly installed HD projector onto a large video screen that retracts when not in use. This technology will also be used during the parish's "Plus 10 Sunday" program to present topics of the Catholic faith in a visual way. We encourage you to join us, bring a friend and to please bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. There will be exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament as we pray for families with the Holy Father. For more information, call St. Leo's at 716-835-8905.

Position Available. St. Joseph Center for Spirituality, 4975 Strickler Road, Clarence is looking for a part-time bookkeeper 3-4 hours per week. Flexible schedule; rate of pay $10 per hour. Duties include preparing and submitting cash disbursements and cash receipts on a weekly basis, preparing monthly financial statements, maintaining billing statements. Basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel is preferred. Please contact Suzy Shallowhorn, Director for the St. Joseph Center for Spirituality, via e-mail at sjcsadmin@stjosephsctr.org.

Presentation on Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence. St. Joseph University Parish, 3269 Main Street, Buffalo has invited Mary Travers Murphy, the Executive Director of the Family Justice Center, to speak in our Community Room on September 21 at 7pm. She is an energetic, knowledgeable, and passionate presenter. The topic is: Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence, a serious problem plaguing our society. All are welcome to attend. Names are not needed but the Wellness Cabinet would like to plan for the evening's handouts and light refreshments. Please call our Parish Nurse, Ann Marie MacIsaac, at 716-833-0298 ext. 318 and leave a message that you are planning on joining us.

Evening Adoration & Holy Hour for Peace on Thursday, September 24 from 6-7pm at St. Andrew's Church, 1525 Sheridan Drive, Kenmore. In a world which all too often seems consumed with violence and strife, we invite you to make a difference by sharing in an hour of adoration and prayer devoted to peace.

St. Greg's MOMS Ministry - because Motherhood Matters! Register today as we kick off the new year as Mothers Of Mercy (MOMS) on Friday, September 25 from 9-11am at St. Gregory the Great, 200 St. Gregory Court, Williamsville with a Back to School All-American Breakfast! Free childcare is available by reservation for MOMS members of any age and every stage! We offer many social gatherings outside of our monthly meetings including a MOMS Book Club, playgroup, Faith & Film discussion nights and Works of Mercy. All moms are always welcome. You are not alone; you are a mom, you are valued and you matter! For more information or to register, contact Dawn Iacono, Chair, at stgregsmoms@gmail.com or call/text 716-207-5172. Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us!

Mount Mercy Academy's Open House will be held on Sunday, September 27 from 1-3pm and Tuesday, September 29 from 4-7pm. All young ladies in the 4-8th grade and their families are invited to tour our facilities and see how exciting and rewarding a Mercy education is. We look forward to your visit. If you cannot make the dates, please call the Admissions Office at 716-825-9796 ext. 320, for a personal tour. Visit our website at http://www.mtmercy.org.

Peace Pole Prayer Service. Join the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph for our annual Peace Pole Prayer Service based on Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si, on September 29 at 6:30pm at 5229 South Park Avenue, Hamburg. Be energized and inspired by the words of Pope Francis, "The entire material universe speaks of God's love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains - everything is, as it were, a caress of God." Call 716-649-1205 with number attending.

Anointing of the Sick Healing Mass in honor of St. Peregrine will be held on Thursday, October 1 at 7pm at St. Francis of Assisi, 4263 St. Francis Drive, Hamburg and Wednesday, October 7 at 7pm at Good Shepherd, 5441 Tonawanda Creek Road, North Tonawanda. Father David Bellittiere and the Friends of St. Peregrine cordially invite those afflicted with cancer or need special healing, who wish to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to attend one of these healing Masses. For further information, call 716-283-0011 or visit http://www.stperry.org.

Immaculata Academy to hold Open House & Food Truck Derby. Potential parents and students are invited to attend Immaculata Academy's annual Open House! Meet current students, faculty, and coaches while touring the campus and learning more about what Immaculata Academy has to offer. New this year is a Food Truck Derby in conjunction with the event. Come for a tour and receive a voucher towards the trucks (1 per family). Open House will be held on Thursday, October 1 from 5-8pm and Friday, October 2 from 4-7pm at the Academy, 5138 South Park Avenue, Hamburg. Please call Andrea Drabik, Admissions Director, at 716-646-9942 or visit http://www.immaculataacademy.com for more information.

Canisius High School Open House. Canisius High School, 1180 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo will hold an Open House on Sunday, October 4 from 9am-2pm. For more information, please call 716-882-0466 or visit http://www.canisiushigh.org.

Cremation Q&A Seminar. You are invited to attend a Cremation Q&A Seminar on Thursday, October 8 at 6:30pm. This program will cover options for our service and burial, costs involved with cremation, legal forms required and the Catholic view on cremation. All of your questions will be answered and you will leave knowing all of your options. This program is sponsored by the Catholic Cemeteries and Lakeside Funeral Home and will be held at the funeral home at 4199 Lakeshore Road, Hamburg. To reserve your spot, call 716-873-6500.

"Fur"ever in My Heart Pet Remembrance Service. The loss of a beloved pet brings a heartache that needs to be recognized. Through music, poems, and stories we will celebrate the unconditional love they gave to us at this inspirational service on Sunday, October 11 at 2pm. This service will be held at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Elmwood Avenue, Kenmore. Reservations received by October 2 will have your pet's name included in our program book and read at the service (limit 3). For more information or to make a reservation, call 716-873-6500.

Our Lady of Pompeii Societies are sponsoring a Meat Raffle on Saturday, October 10 at 129 Laverack Avenue, Lancaster. Doors open at 6pm, raffle begins at 7pm. Admission includes beer, wine, soda, a hot sandwich or pizza. Reservations accepted for 6 or more. For further information, call Gary at 716-573-5842.

Alumni Mass & Harvest Dinner. On Sunday, October 11, St. John Kanty Church, Broadway (between Brownell & Swinburne Streets), Buffalo will be holding an Alumni Mass with Rare Vintage Polka Band, and a Harvest Dinner to follow. Mass is at 10:30pm. Harvest Dinner includes beef rollups and homemade sides; basket raffle and more. For further information, visit http://www.stjohnkantychurchbuffalo.wordpress.com.

Oktoberfest at Good Shepherd Church, 5442 Tonawanda Creek Road, North Tonawanda on Saturday, October 17 from 5:30-9pm in the Pendleton Parish Hall. Authentic German food, German beer, soda/pop, and desserts. Music by the Bergholz German Band. Theme basket raffle. Parish Hall is handicapped accessible. No tickets necessary; pay at the door. For reservations for tables of 8, call the Parish Office at 716-625-8594.

Immaculate Academy Placement Exam & Review Classes. Immaculata Academy will hold its placement exam review course on November 9, 10, 12 and November 16, 17, 19 from 4-6pm. This six day course covers all essential elements of the exam and includes practice exams. Fee includes the review book. Registration deadline is November 6. Eighth grade students interested in attending Immaculata Academy must register to take the placement exam on November 21 from 8am-Noon. Registration deadline is November 18. Please contact Andrea Drabik, Admissions Director, at 716-646-9942 to register or with any questions or visit http://www.immaculataacademy.com for more information.

The Marriage Counseling Center of Catholic Charities, located in Amherst and West Seneca, has offered marriage counseling for more than 50 years. Couples' treatment, pre-marital counseling and individual counseling for relationship problems are provided by master's level therapists. Interested or know someone who might be? Call our office at 716-839-4406 between 8:45am-4:45pm weekdays. Visit http://www.ccwny.org for more information on this and other services Catholic Charities provides across Western New York.

Calix is a gathering of individuals who want to improve their spiritual program because they are afflicted or affected by the disease of alcoholism. Calix is for people who are putting together a spiritual program which uses the 12 step approach. A journey which brings Step 11 into a deeper and fuller meaning. The Buffalo Unit of Calix Society meets the last Sunday of the month at 3pm in the undercroft of St. Michael's Church Rectory, 651 Washington Street, Buffalo. For more information, contact Rev. Martin Moleski, SJ at 716-888-2383. International website is http://www.calixsociety.org.

If you are a victim of domestic violence and are in need of access to safety planning, spiritual care, legal assistance, limited medical assistance, counseling, law enforcement, the Family Justice Center of Erie County, Inc. "Where Families Come First" is for you! All services are free. All conversations strictly private. For more information, call 716-558-7233 or visit http://www.fjcsafe.org.

Care for Creation. From Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si, Caring for Our Common Home: Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. "Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker" (Wis. 13:5); indeed, "his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world" (Rom. 1:20). For this reason, Francis asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise. (paragraph 12) Action: Go to http://www.usccb.org (website for the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops) and watch the 6 minute video from the Vatican on caring for our common home. It is very inspiring.

Journey Into Love. The Office of Family Life Ministries is looking for married couples to assist with the monthly diocesan marriage preparation program, Journey Into Love. Married couples help by giving a 20 minute talk once or twice a year on essential topics and issues that engaged and newly married couples face. Married couples that support this ministry find it beneficial to their own marriage and their efforts contribute to the strengthening of family life as couples prepare for their marriage. If you are interested in finding out more about this very successful diocesan marriage program, please call the Family Life Office at 716-847-2210.

Give the Gift of True Love! Heart to Heart PAIRS workshops help both men and women learn the tools to communicate skillfully, to problem solve constructively, and to build lasting love in their relationships with their spouse and children. For more information, contact Dan & Irma at 716-652-1203 or email hearttoheartworkshops@yahoo.com.

Marriage Moment. "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited e." (Mt. 25:35-36) Which of these works of mercy do you already do? As a couple?

Parenting Perspective. As the season changes, so do people. Children grow. People die. We drop old habits and learn new ones. Discuss in your family one bad habit each of you would like to get rid of.

*** New Bulletin Announcements will be posted on September 21, 2015.***