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On an unusually warm December day, Bishop Richard J. Malone opened the doors of St. Joseph Cathedral and welcomed the Year of Mercy in the Diocese of Buffalo. Opening the "Door of Mercy" symbolizes the welcoming of all to the Church.

Father Leon Biernat received a papal honor, making him a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

As the world (and the Diocese of Buffalo) begins to celebrate the Year of Mercy, Bishop Richard J. Malone discusses the mystery of mercy through passages from the Pope in a new "Consider This."

"Jesus is the reason for the season." How many times have we heard this saying and and wondered where Jesus is among all the twinkling lights, merry tunes, and bustling shoppers rushing home with their treasures? Community and civic light displays are everywhere, but where is Jesus?

St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, has scheduled a number of celebrations during the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Sister Dorothy Feltz, SSJ, keeps herself busy these days. When she's not at the Lighthouse cleaning the Clarence retreat facility, she's with her faith-sharing group at the Williamstowne Apartments. Then there are those fundraisers for Future in Our Hands, and, of course, the monthly prayer and reflections sessions, and let's not forget those book discussions in Cheektowaga.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at the noses, and Father Bill Quinlivan singing about the birth of our Lord. The season has arrived.

Sister Marianne Ferguson is a retired sister of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities in Williamsville. A native of the Buffalo area, she attended elementary school at St. Margaret School in North Buffalo and graduated from Bennett High School in Buffalo. Although she no longer received religious education in her public high school, she remained active in her faith by attending Mass and religious education classes at the nearby St. Joseph University Church in Buffalo.

On Sunday, Dec. 13, Bishop Richard J. Malone will open the "Door of Mercy" at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, signifying the beginning of the Jubilee Year of Mercy for the Catholic Church. The doors symbolize the welcoming of all to the Church. The ritual will take place at the 10:30 a.m. Mass. All are welcome.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - Pope Francis has officially commenced the Jubilee of Mercy, calling those who pass through the newly-opened Holy Door to rediscover God's mercy and experience the mystery of his love.

The altar at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Bowmansville received a dedication courtesy of Bishop Richard J. Malone, in which he spoke of the meaning of the altar in Catholic churches, the then-coming Christmas season and the ways in which both are important to Catholics. Bishop Malone gave the church's new wooden altar, adorned with a depiction of the Last Supper, a special blessing on Dec. 5.

The Diocese of Buffalo held its second annual Xtreme Games and Expo, and cats everywhere are grateful.

The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collections will be held this weekend, December 12 and 13, in the Diocese of Buffalo. Now in its 28th year, the appeal is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) and offers support for senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose communities lack sufficient retirement funding. Some 33,000 women and men religious past age 70 benefit.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Church Pop) - Sir Alec Guinness is one of the most recognizable actors of the 20th century. While he appeared in lots of films over the years and won many awards, he is best known as having played Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.

The opening of the Year of Mercy within the Buffalo Diocese will be take place on Sunday, Dec. 13, with Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard J. Malone at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo. The Holy Door of Mercy will open during this Mass.

A family from St. Stephen Parish on Grand Island got to meet Pope Francis in Philadelphia for the pope's first-ever visit to the United States in September. Mary and Marty Bobak meet Pope Francis and watched as he gave a blessing and kiss on the forehead to their youngest daughter.

The 26th Annual Night of Prayer will be observed Tuesday, Dec.8, at 9 p.m. to Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 1 a.m., Feast of the Immaculate Conception with the Feast of St. Juan Diego.

Dec. 1 is Giving Tuesday, a worldwide effort designed to encourage people to donate charitably after several days of shopping and sales from Black Friday to Cyber Monday.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has named three new pastors and two new administrators for area parishes.

LANCASTER — St. Mary of the Assumption Parish will hold sessions for the intergenerational faith formation program Generations of Faith from Saturday, Dec. 5 through Monday, Dec. 7 at the parish center.

An annual Advent tradition and prayer service will again take place at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, and will be open to members of the community.

A 100-year-old crucifix in St. Josaphat Parish in Cheektowaga saw the completion of a much-needed facelift with the help of some artistic talent.

Vatican City, Nov 22, 2015 / 11:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis condemned the "senseless violence" of Friday's terrorist attack on a hotel which killed at least 22 people in Mali, and prayed for the "conversion of hearts."

Parishioners of SS. Peter and Paul in Hamburg with its newly formed environmental committee hope to promote greener living and reflect the message of Pope Francis in his most recent encyclical.

Vatican City, Nov 19, 2015 / 09:58 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his homily Thursday, Pope Francis said that just as Jesus wept for Jerusalem in the day's Gospel reading, he continues to weep today, because the world has rejected the path of peace in exchange for war.

We have all been horrified by the senseless terrorist attacks in Paris. Join me in fervent prayer for victims of the massacre, for justice for ISIS leaders and killers, and for world peace.

BALTIMORE, MD. (CNA/EWTN News) - In a historic statement outlining the challenges pornography poses to the family and individuals as well as the tools available within the Church and society to combat its negative effects, the U.S. bishops say they have created a resource for healing and mercy.

TONAWANDA - When Jeremiah Martinez was 3 years old, his mother enrolled him in a tap dance class to help his motor skills. Twelve years later, his love of and devotion to dance led him to win fourth place in a recent national solo dance competition in Hollywood, Fla., sponsored by American Dance Awards.

Opera Sacra, the longest continually producing opera company in Western New York, began in 1975, founded by Father Jacob Ledwon at the former St. Joseph New Cathedral in Buffalo. Choosing works that center on religious themes, it has been presenting major productions for 40 seasons in many Western New York churches and schools.

BALTIMORE - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a formal statement, "Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography," at their annual Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, November 17.

In the six days that Pope Francis visited the United States, he was able to command the attention of virtually everyone in the country. By spending time in the nation's Capital, the home of the United Nations and Wall Street, and the birthplace of American freedom, he was able to speak to and reflect on the great icons of what it means to be American.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA) - Leading Catholic bishops met with President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday and had a discussed a number of issues including religious liberty, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops confirmed.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - The acts of terrorism which took place in Paris Friday night are the latest part in what Pope Francis has called a "piecemeal World War III," describing the attacks as "inhuman."

Washington D.C., Nov 11, 2015 / 04:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Proposed federal anti-discrimination rules could threaten the religious liberty of health care providers and also infringe on the privacy of patients, lawyers for the U.S. Catholic Bishops have warned.

Becoming pregnant while facing an uncertain and unstable future forces women to make one of the most important decisions of their lives. The diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities is now working to build a ministry that hopefully eases the stress of that decision.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - For Pope Francis the dinner table is a key place to strengthen family bonds and foster a sense of "togetherness," which he said can often be thwarted by an excess attachment to technology.

On Wednesday, Nov. 11, The Frontline Faith Project is sponsoring it's fourth annual "An American Moment" to honor the men and women of our Armed Forces, past and present. This event will include one moment of silent prayer — prayer to thank our military for their service, to pray for the peaceful repose of those who have died, and to pray for the intentions of those still living. This event will take place at noon in each respective time zone, all across the world, on Veterans Day 2015.

CHICAGO, ILL. (CNA) - Fans of the Food Network's competitive cooking show "Chopped" can look forward to a special appearance on Monday night's episode - Sister Alicia Torres, a Catholic religious sister from the Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago.

South Buffalo's Richard Jeffers, a parishioner at St. Martin of Tours, was called to serve the United States taking photographs in World War II.

Each year on Veterans Day, the United States honors its men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. Richard Jeffers, 93, a parishioner at St. Martin of Tours in South Buffalo, is one of the approximately 16 million Americans who served their country in World War II. He served in the Army Air Forces as a photographer from 1944-45.