St. Mary of the Angels Parish has been a fixture of the Olean community since the current church was built in 1915. The parish will celebrate its 100th anniversary in September with a Mass and concert. Part of the parish's celebration includes a series of ongoing renovations that have been paid for by the parish's centennial capital campaign with funding from the donations of various benefactors.

Bishop Richard J. Malone visited Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parish (St. Joseph worship site, 1413 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls 14301) on Sunday to rededicate the St. Joseph Church site and celebrate the completion of the painting of the church which included several murals.

Bishop Richard J. Malone says parish communities are the heart of the church in "Consider This."

ELMA — Music, classic cars, numerous raffles and delicious food offerings will highlight the 78th annual summer picnic at the Church of the Annunciation, 7580 Clinton St. The event kicks off on Friday, Aug. 14, and concludes with a grand drawing the evening of Sunday, Aug. 16.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has informed members of two parishes in Kaisertown that their faith communities will be linking, effective Oct. 1.

Our Lady of Victory Basilica plans big fun, big music and big giveaways at its annual lawn fete.

We stopped by Our Lady of Charity Parish (which combined the St. Ambrose, Holy Family and St. Agatha communities) in Buffalo for their annual Summerfest Thursday through Saturday. Relive the party with our new photo gallery by clicking here.

Bishop Richard Malone shares some characteristics that make a good parish in a new episode of his weekly YouTube show, "Consider This."

Agriculture has been a thread woven throughout the history of St. Mary Parish in Pavilion from its earliest years to the present. The small country parish had its roots in the Irish immigrants who were escaping the trials of the Potato Famine in Ireland. Many settled in the area because they were assured work at the Brooks Farm.

Last year, part of Buffalo history made its way to St. Pacificus Oratory in Humphrey.

The Our Lady of Charity Parish Summerfest will take place on Thu., July 23 through Sat., July 25 at St. Ambrose Church, located at 65 Ridgewood Road, Buffalo. The annual event benefits the entire parish, which includes the former parishes of St. Ambrose, Holy Family and St. Agatha's.

This month, St. Mary Parish in Swormville will continue a long-standing tradition that dates back to the 19th century, as well as a newer one that will keep Western New Yorkers on their toes. At 7 p.m., on Friday, July 17, the parish is hosting its Chowder Chase annual 5K Run/3K Walk, There will be an outdoor Mass at 6 p.m., Saturday, July 18, and the 166th annual parish picnic from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., Sunday, July 19.

Judging by these pictures, people had a lot of fun at the St. John Paul II Church lawn fete in Lake View July 10-12. Check out our photo gallery here.

Throughout the Diocese of Buffalo, evangelization has taken on new life with the recent Catholics Come Home campaign, a media effort to welcome back fallen-away Catholics. However, evangelization must begin in individual parishes for them to continue thriving. One such person responsible for this Church mission is Adam Pasternack, director of evangelization at St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda.

From his earliest days, Father Dawid Krzeszowski had much in common with one of the newest saints of the Catholic Church. Now parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist in Kenmore, Father Krzeszowski was born in Poland near the birthplace of St. John Paul II. Today, he continues to share his faith and his heritage with many American parishioners.

Many Western New Yorkers remeber November 2014 because of the several feet of snow that blocked doorways and stranded motorists. For Father Marcin Porada, parochial vicar at St. John Gualbert Parish in Cheektowaga, that November was a time of new beginnings as he came to the United States from Poland.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the 16th-century hermit who founded the Society of Jesus, also designed the "Retreat in Daily Life." St. Michael Parish in Buffalo regularly offers these directed, group retreats at its downtown church.

The Medina Sandstone Society has honored St. Louis Church, the oldest church in the Diocese of Buffalo, by inducting the church into its Sandstone Hall of Fame as an "outstanding example of Medina sandstone."

Bishop Edward Grosz will be the principle celebrant for a Mass honoring the 150-year legacy of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Williamsville on June 28 at 11:30 a.m.

Even in an institution with 2,000 years of tradition, things can move pretty fast. To keep up with the frequent changes in parish staff or Mass times in the Diocese of Buffalo, the diocesan Office of Communications offers an online Directory of all things Catholic.

St. Amelia Parish refused to let a little snow prevent people from attending Mass. The Tonawanda parish started a parking lot ministry to make sure the elderly and disabled could safely enter the house of God.

For most practicing Catholics in Western New York, going to Mass involves a short walk to the church on their corner, or a brief drive to a neighboring town or city. For Daniel Gangi, a parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in LeRoy and a grand knight of the Knights of Columbus' Edward Powers Council in LeRoy, going to church involved attending Mass in every church in the eight-county Diocese of Buffalo.

Father Ronald P. Sajdak will be embarking on what he calls an "exciting venture."

A year ago, Father Jacek Mazur, pastor of St. Mary of the Cataract and Divine Mercy Parishes in Niagara Falls, was looking for a program to reach the youth of his city parishes. He wanted it to be fun and faithful to the teachings of the Church. Father Mazur knew that many children were not getting much exposure to the faith, and this new youth ministry might be a "candle in the darkness."

While a difficult topic, the prospect of end-of-life care is one nearly everyone must face at some point. In order to make choices easier for local families, the Respect Life Committee of Our Lady of Pompeii Parish in Lancaster has organized a conference designed to inform families about caring for aging or ill family members with dignity and in accordance with Catholic teaching.

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston, directed by the Barnabite Fathers, has the opportunity this year of celebrating the golden anniversary of the laying of the dome chapel's cornerstone in 1965, and the ruby (40th) anniversary of the dome chapel's designation as a basilica in 1975.

More than a hundred people went to Mass first thing Saturday morning in North Buffalo; not just for the Eucharist, but also to show support for the Catholic teaching on life and marriage. Bishop Richard J. Malone noted the consistent attacks on pro-life beliefs and traditional marriage resembled the work of Satan as he presided over a Rosary Novena for Life and March for Marriage celebration at St. Rose of Lima Parish.

Buffalo Bishop Richard J. Malone and the Office of Pro-Life Activities invite all to participate in prayer for a culture of life at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, at the Rosary Novena for Life Mass at St. Rose of Lima Parish, 500 Parker Ave., Buffalo. All priests and deacons are invited to concelebrate and vest for Mass.

Sacred Heart Parish in Lakewood will host the Donut Man, who teaches children how to fill the holes in their lives. Rob Evans will perform at Southwestern School in Lakewood on Sunday, April 26, at 5 p.m.

Throughout the Christmas season, the Diocese of Buffalo participated in a large-scale television and social media campaign called Catholics Come Home which intended to welcome Catholics who have fallen away from the faith for various reasons and no longer attend Mass on a regular basis.

For Catholics who would like to gain a better understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in their prayer and faith lives, the diocesan office of Charismatic Renewal is sponsoring a Growth in the Spirit seminar on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish in Lancaster.

Bishop Richard J. Malone is happy to welcome the Pauline Fathers (the Order of St. Paul the Hermit) in the leadership of St. Stanislaus Parish, 123 Townsend St., Buffalo, effective Apr. 12, Divine Mercy Sunday.

The 2015 annual Rosary Novena for Life commences on Saturday, March 28, with 8 a.m. Mass at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Parkside and Parker avenues, Buffalo, and will continue on one Saturday each month through November.

The following liturgies are scheduled for Holy Week at St. Joseph Cathedral.

The Camerata di Sant' Antonio will perform at Blessed Trinity Church in Buffalo on Sunday, March 29, as part of the church's Trinity concert series of beautiful music in a beautiful space.

Bishop Donald W. Trautman, bishop emeritus of Erie, Pa., will return home to the Diocese of Buffalo in March to lead a Lenten retreat at Immaculate Conception Parish in East Aurora on March 15, 16 and 17, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Parishioners of Ascension Parish in Batavia will host a St. Joseph Table on March 15. The St. Joseph Table will be catered by Bing's Restaurant. Donations from the event will be used to care for the poor.

As the season of Lent progresses, so will a Lenten tradition at a Southern Tier parish. For years, Holy Name of Mary Parish in Ellicottville has maintained a yearly Lenten prayer cross, which remains common among the parishioners as well as visitors to the region's popular ski resorts.

St. Casimir Church in Buffalo will hold its annual Heritage Events program throughout March.

Our Lady of Charity Parish in Buffalo will offer the Novena of Grace from Wednesday, March 4, through Thursday, March 12, at the St. Ambrose worship site at 65 Ridgewood Road.