The joint Ascension and Resurrection Parish Faith Formation celebrated the 3rd Sunday of Advent (December 15) by bringing joy to our homebound parishioners by signing Christmas cards. Families also decorated ornaments and brought hats and mittens for the “Tree of Warmth” giving tree.
Bill Brach in progress with filing the second appeal to the Buffalo Diocese for Ascension Parish. Submitted Photo
While members of Ascension Parish attend the remaining noon mass on Sundays, they are clinging to an appeal process that has reached the second phase in steadfast efforts to fight the Buffalo Catholic Diocese’s attempts to permanently close the doors of Sacred Heart Church in Batavia.
The group Friends of Ascension has been working to keep members informed, signing petition mandates, contributing through participation and financial support, and not letting the light die out at their south side parish.
Longtime member Nancy Brach sent out an email this week providing an update to all.
“Thanks to everyone who has assisted us in this process. This includes our core group, parishioners, those who signed mandates, who attended events and masses, who wrote letters, who volunteered, who proudly wore their buttons, who provided information for our appeal, who publicized the challenges we are facing and who encouraged and supported us in this effort,” she said. “While our main focus is keeping our church open, there is much more to this fight. It is about how the Diocese, and Dioceses across the country, are treating their parishes. And we are not so unaware that we do not realize that some churches should close, whether because of their physical condition, their financial viability or their underutilization.
“But to close healthy churches that are needed, cared for and loved in their communities is another story,” she said. “It is clear that individual parishes are being closed due to the transgressions of the Diocese.”
She referred to a “Buffalo News” article quoting attorney Ilan Scharf about the Diocese, defendants in sex abuse lawsuits that have their own assets, including cash investments, and real estate, that should be considered in any settlement discussions.
“If the diocese is going to survive as an entity, other parishes, even those without claims directly against them, can make a contribution to help fund a settlement,” Scharf said. “It’s been done in every other settlement across the country.”
While this may be legally correct, it is ethically wrong to punish people for the sins of others, Brach said.
“It is obvious that she is just looking for a bigger pot to divide among the legal team and those she is representing,” Brach said. “But she intends to take the money from people who are not responsible for the crimes. That is wrong.
“We hope we will be successful in our appeal,” she said. “But it is also important that we can serve as an example of standing up for what is right and that we can encourage other parishes to fight back, instead of giving up.”
Liz Zilbauer of Save Our Buffalo Churches posted to that article and also emailed the Ascension group her thoughts about the situation with the Diocese and notion that other parishes can help to pay for these ongoing sex abuse lawsuits.
“Claimant attorney Ilan Scharf is quoted as explaining Canon Law allowing for 'the assets of merged or suppressed parishes to be used elsewhere within the diocese.' What? Used elsewhere? Actually, with each parish, a separately incorporated entity, the sale money and assets of a parish belong to that parish unless and until that parish is (legitimately) extinguished and its property sold,” Zilbauer said. “Then that money can go to the bishop, but only under certain circumstances, and when legitimate grave cause justifies the closure."
Zilbauer concluded that there is no grave or just cause in the great majority of these closures or that a grave cause could actually have "been accurately determined by the process inflicted on us.”
She included an excerpt from an appeal letter to the dicastery that a canon lawyer encourages parishes to send. It "really sets the record straight" regarding "what is legitimate here and what is not," she said.
“In his decree for [name of] Parish, Bishop Fisher notes the need to amass a substantial sum of money to settle numerous civil claims in Federal Bankruptcy Court, and that the possibility of alienating [parish's] properties has been suggested,” she said. “We strongly object to the potential of our longstanding parish community being sacrificed to satisfy the temporal and pecuniary obligations of the diocese for civil claims that are unrelated to the actions and activities of our parish community. We have informed the Bishop of this objection within our appeal letter.
“I think we diocesan parishioners need to be vigilant against the loopholes ripe for exploitation suggested by ‘net assets’ especially considering it seems to have been the plan all along to use the settlements as pretext for a mass-reduction of footprint … continuing to threaten the parishes, and in fact, deepening the threat, when they have less and less rational/practical justification for doing so,” she said. "Ironically, this is happening during the Christmas season and at the door of the 2025 Jubilee Year — which is defined, in part, by a forgiveness of all debts. It will be during this year that the diocese doubles down on the collection of debts we neither owe nor they have any right to take.”
This second step of an appeal went to the Holy See, which has 90 days to respond. If Ascension receives a denial or no response, it can appeal to the Church's Supreme Court, the Apostolic Signatura, which follows its own regulations “in a different process that requires appellants to hire an advocate in Rome approved by the Signatura.”
There is no strict timeline or constraint for the response, and the Signatura may give extensions during this process.
For previous story about the process and remaining church mass, go HERE.
For the last decade, Lisa Wittmeyer has come to know Sacred Heart and Ascension Parish as her home church, and she is not about to give it up easily, she says.
Although the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo had issued orders to close the parish in November, Friends of Ascension filed an appeal -- and are "packing the mass" --to stall that measure in an effort to remain open permanently.
“We had written the first appeal, and the time expired for the bishop to answer, and we have 10 to 15 days for the next appeal … we are to file that next week.We are still packing the mass; there’s one mass at noon on Sunday, the worst possible time, but there’s 200 in attendance; it’s been standing room only,” Wittmeyer said Thursday to The Batavian. “We’re still supporting the church, we just had a bake sale, we’re still hosting Bingo. We do have a lot of revenue, we were very fiscally responsible with our money. Right now we are kind of in a wait-and-pray; they can’t close us while we’re in appeal. We’re doing what we can to ‘Pack the Mass. We’re wearing the buttons.”
Almost immediately, the Friends of Ascension was formed after the Diocese began announcing local closures, which originally did not include Sacred Heart. Once that Southside parish was placed on the chopping block, members rallied to form the group and began to file paperwork for a nonprofit organization.
They wanted to ensure that mass and church events were continued to be supported, which has included faith formation for kids and adults, although it has mostly been kids in attendance, getting them ready for their sacraments, Wittmeyer said.
“We’re still doing holy communion, baptisms, weddings, funerals, all of that is till going on,” she said.
Confirmation class is part of church school for grades two through 11, and includes penance, communion and confirmation, so nothing is getting lost in the shuffle of the Diocese and appeal actions, she said.
As a child, Wittmeyer attended St. Joseph’s School and Church. After graduating from high school, she eventually moved to her father’s home parish, St. Anthony’s. It was there that she got married and had her boys baptized, so she has already experienced the closure of a church that meant something to her and many other members.
Wittmeyer then discovered Sacred Heart and doesn’t want to see this gem close or go back to St. Joe’s, she said.
“As long as we are in the appeal, they cannot close us. The surprising part was, we were not on the chopping block, that’s the surprising part, it wasn’t part of the original plan … (and later) they said then why not close Ascension, and we can go to Resurrection, which is St. Joe’s. But we’re two very different churches. St. Joe’s doesn’t have a church hall. I think the difference in our churches is that we’re smaller, we’re very welcoming, we’re very homey, we are like a church family,” she said. “At St. Joe’s, the acoustics are horrible, it’s hard to hear in there. It’s not aesthetically pleasing … it’s not as personable as Ascension. There’s no hall to fellowship in. I don’t want to lose another church. There is room for two Catholic churches. We used to have four, so I think we can definitely have two.”
The Diocese had given reasons of lack of financial means and participants as potential reasons for closure, both of which are not true at Ascension Parish, she said. The 4 p.m. Saturday mass was taken away, and it was “very popular,” leaving only the one Sunday mass, which people have steadfastly attended, even having to set up chairs in front when the pews fill up, she said.
“We are using the church, supporting the church, hosting activities. We are still fighting the fight,” she said. “I have hosted for the past three years the lenten soup supper on Wednesdays. It’s open to the public, and it’s very popular. We donate the funds to different charities. I hope to do it again, and I’m sure we’ll be open through then.”
A cocoa and caroling event scheduled for Thursday was canceled due to the snow that blew in Wednesday night. Members hope to reschedule it.
In the meantime, the second step in the appeal process is to send it on to the Holy See, which has 90 days to respond. Suppose Ascension receives a denial or no response. In that case, it can appeal to the Church's Supreme Court, the Apostolic Signatura, which follows its own regulations “in a different process that requires appellants to hire an advocate in Rome approved by the Signatura.” That means use of funds likely for an attorney to represent Friends of Ascension. There is no strict timeline or constraint for the response, and the Signatura may give extensions during this process.
Ascension Parish is not alone with its appeal to the Diocese. St. Brigid’s in Bergen has also filed an appeal, which has kept its doors open to date. Church member John Cummings didn’t want to comment too much about that process, other than it could take a year, and that it “has to really be fought for.”
He has been more immersed in a project to bring solace to the congregation and world at large with a musical production inspired by his son Ryan, who came up with the idea in time for Christmas.
The Cummings family formed a namesake band with family and friends 10 years ago, performing barbershop type and 50s-60s melodies, and this year Ryan suggested a more universally comforting number to embrace all that’s going on in the world today: “Let There be Peace on Earth.”
A video was recorded at St. Brigid’s with the Cummings family, including son Johnny on piano, community members, Byron-Bergen Central School music teacher Joe Paris conducting the group, and school students and alums.
“It’s just a conglomeration of people in general in the Byron-Bergen community,” the elder John said. “It’s just for everything in the world, life in general. Ryan just thought it would be a great song to do right now. They used the church to do it; it gave a beautiful background.”
The Cummings Family and Friends band performs annually and invites the community to attend, whether it’s at their home or at the Bergen park.
Parishioners of Ascension Parish mailed their appeal to the Bishop on October 28 requesting that he keep our parish open.
This is only the first step in the process. We want to thank all the folks who worked on the appeal, that helped to publicize our situation, that gathered and signed mandates, and that are supporting us, and praying for us.
We are grateful to all of you. Please remember to attend Mass at our church, to donate to our parish so we can pay our expenses, and to join us for activities and events.
Reminder, we pray the Rosary weekly at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evenings in the church. All are welcome.
For more information visit our Facebook Page - FriendsofAscension or email us at FriendsofAscensionParish@gmail.com.
On October 20, Resurrection RC Parish and Ascension Parish Faith Formation students and families heard a presentation from Janice Spiotta, who percent went on pilgrimage to Italy.
In anticipation of All Saints Day on November 1, Janice enthusiastically inspired the group with powerful messages about the faith of St. Frances of Assisi and soon to be a saint Carlo Acutis, to be known as the first millennial saint.
Ascension Parish Community, part of Sacred Heart Church in Batavia, has been slated to close Nov. 22 per the Diocese of Buffalo. Friends of Ascension are still collecting affidavits, due Friday, for an appeal to be filed to save the parish. Photo by Howard Owens
Still hopeful that there’s a way to save Ascension Parish from closing next month, Connie Bruggman worked this week to correlate the nearly 250 affidavits from members to prepare for an appeal to the Diocese of Buffalo.
“I'm correlating all these affidavits now; they want them in chronological order, and I put them all alphabetically, thinking that will probably be the way to do it. And we have to have three copies of each, so we have, it's close to 250, so I just finally got them all copied. They have to go in with the appeal. We're hoping to have it going by Friday because it has to be within ten days that it’s filed with the diocese,” she said Monday, a day after learning about the Diocese’s decree to close Ascension on Nov. 22. “We’re hoping that our appeal will be taken and that we will be saved, is what we're hoping for. So, it's happened in other states that have had this issue, and the appeal has gone through. So we're hoping that it will show that we are willing to take care of our church and fund it, you know, use it and take care of it.”
She’s been collecting signed affidavits as part of a core group of members, Friends Ascension, working to fight the Road to Renewal plan to close and merge Ascension into Resurrection Parish. The affidavits, also called procurator mandates, are still being collected until Friday. They may be obtained at the group’s social media page.
After a decree was read in church this past Sunday, the group posted the letter with the statement:
“At the close of Mass today a letter was read pertaining to the future of Ascension Parish. This letter was to be made public. The feeling was one of sadness and grief that was felt throughout the church as parishioners exited. Our resolve is to not give up and an appeal will be submitted. Please continue to pray and support us as we work together to keep Ascension Parish open.”
A group from St. Brigid’s Parish in Bergen is following a similar process of appeal since that parish is also facing closure and merge with Our Lady of Mercy in Le Roy.
The Batavian contacted St. Brigid’s office in an attempt to talk to someone about that appeal effort; however, the message was conveyed to Father Scott, who returned the call.
He emphasized that “no priest wants to do this” to a church family.
“And seeing the people that they care about hurting,” he said. “You know, it’s a very difficult process for everybody, and yet they seem to think that the Diocese is somehow enjoying this or something. They make it sound as though it’s a vicious attack against them. And while it may seem that way, no bishop or priest is interested in doing these things, it’s not something that we want.”
If the bishop does not reverse the decision to close, the parish can then file an appeal to the Vatican, he said, which is “delaying the closure, but may not save it” from eventually being closed. In fact, if the Diocese follows the process correctly, “the Vatican is going to respect the decision of the bishop to keep things closed,” he said.
“And just because it’s appealed doesn’t mean that it’s going to work, and they’re going to keep the church open. I think that that’s something that a lot of people don’t quite understand, is you’re asking them to look at the process, and if there was a problem with the process, sure, you keep the church open, but the Diocese could reinitiate that process, correcting what they did wrong,” he said. “So it’s delaying the closure, but it may not save the church from closing eventually, I think.”
He cited the lower number of sacraments—no first communions in 2023—given at Ascension Parish or St. Brigid’s versus other more robust sites, including 25 at Resurrection in Batavia, and that 75% of St. Brigid’s congregation is an older community of age 66 and up, with no weddings since 2017.
He said it’s not just a matter of selling the building for money or the lack of priests but also about the low number of sacraments performed at the sites chosen to be closed. The Diocese has also apparently considered getting the most bang for its buck.
“We’re supposed to be splitting expenses, and St. Brigid’s pays 18% of the secretary's salary, 18% of the bookkeeper's salary and 20% of the priest’s salary. But by rights, they should be paying 50%, but if they were paying more than 18 or 20%, they wouldn’t have enough money to pay their bills.”
Ascension has reported a healthy savings account of $1 million, and Friends of Ascension is urging parishioners to continue supporting the parish through attendance, volunteer efforts and donations.
Despite those reasons that Father Scott cited for closure, that’s not what is on the minds and hearts of faithful Ascension members, such as former trustee Bill Brach. And he’s not giving up.
“You’ve always gotta hope,” Brach said, adding that he’s encouraged by the history of other parishes that have filed appeals from around the country, and input from the Save Our Buffalo Churches group that has been providing advice and information.
In its communication this past Sunday, the Diocese filled four pages with “the facts” about Ascension Parish being born of the journey of faith and grace on April 1, 2008, and then becoming part of Family #12 on the Road to Renewal, via the Diocese’s direction, in September 2022.
“The Road to Renewal has allowed the diocese to gain a more realistic picture of the financial and sacramental situations in its parishes. Ascension Parish has been identified as a community that could benefit from being joined by its sister community in Batavia. Additionally, due to our need to amass a substantial sum of money to settle numerous civil claims in Federal Bankruptcy Court, the possibility of alienating this property has also been suggested,” Father Michael Fisher said in the letter.
“THE ARGUMENT: The reshaping of the diocese to prepare it for more effective ministry in the future requires a certain consolidation of resources. The goal of the Road to Renewal is to reduce the strain on our already limited number of priests while at the same time uniting communities to foster a greater drive to ‘go out to all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation’ (Mk 16:15). Part of this process requires the merging of parishes and the overall reduction of physical worship sites throughout the diocese,” Fisher stated. “Looking at Ascension Parish in particular, the research and consultation done by the Office for Renewal and Development has revealed that this community would be better served by joining its resources to Resurrection Parish in an extinctive merger.
“On 27 August 2024, the presbyteral council met at the Catholic Center of the Diocese of Buffalo. At this meeting, I consulted the council about the possibility of merging Ascension Parish into Resurrection Parish, Batavia. Rev. Zielenieski pointed out that there would likely only be three available priests (1 Diocesan and 2 Mercedarians) serving in Family #12 by 2030. Resurrection Parish was also considered to absorb the territory of other nearby parishes so as to centralize pastoral ministry and increase efforts for evangelization. This proposal received nearly unanimous support from the members of the Presbyteral Council present on 27 August.
“Having heard the Presbyteral Council on this issue, I have chosen to merge Ascension Parish into Resurrection Parish in accord with canon 515 §2. Thus, having done the requisite consultations and having gained the required consents, I, the undersigned Most Reverend Michael W. Fisher, Bishop of Buffalo, exercising my ordinary power in virtue of canon 515 82, do hereby decree that Ascension Parish, Batavia be merged into Resurrection Parish, Batavia and Ascension to be extinct thereby.”
Resurrection Parish will be the recipient of Ascension Parish's net assets and liabilities, he said in the letter. The territorial boundaries of Resurrection Parish will include the entire city and town of Batavia east of Kelsey Road and Wortendyke Road and that part of the Township of Stafford that is north of Route 5 and west of Byron-Stafford Road.
“The intentions of the founders and donors regarding the temporal goods and patrimonial rights proper to the extinct Ascension Parish, insofar as they exist, must be respected. In addition, the temporal goods and patrimonial rights, and obligations of the extinct Resurrection Parish must be defined and allocated according to the norm of law,” he said.
Brach read and tried to decipher the letter, but he couldn’t determine exactly how the Diocese arrived at its decision.
“They didn’t come out with a real reason. It says right in Canon law you can’t close a church because of lack of clergy,” he said, also referring to the federal bankruptcy court. “Well, you know, we've got this chapter 11 bankruptcy thing going, that's like, you know, that's not my chapter 11 bankruptcy, that's your chapter 11 bankruptcy. So, yeah, they really didn't give solid reasons why they want to close the church. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors, but there’s not a lot of substance.”
There’s a process of three different appeals that takes it from a local level to another notch up the chain of command, with the final appeal to the Vatican.
It’s certainly worth the time and effort, he said.
“I don’t think it’s hopeless,” he said. “I think the Diocese has shown enough mismanagement that the appeal will go through.”
He cited Father Scott’s forewarning that ‘you’re going to waste your money’ by hiring an attorney to file an appeal to the Vatican when and if necessary, but Brach’s research has shown some areas of the country, such as in the Diocese of Cleveland, where almost every parish that went through an appeal process won, he said.
After the Vatican reversed the closures of 13 churches in the Diocese of Cleveland, Bob Kloos, vice president of Endangered Catholics, characterized the reversals as "the most stunning" actions in Catholic American history,” according to an online article for Sojourners.
"It's incredible," Kloos said. "Rome is saying to this bishop and to all the bishops: 'You can't close churches just because you don't have the money or the staff.' Budgetary constraints can't be used to suppress parishes."
That’s what Brach and Friends of Ascension are counting on. He questioned why the parish was given Nov. 22, a Friday, as the closing date. Father Scott explained that it’s the last day of the liturgical year before the first Sunday of Advent and that a new liturgical year begins.
Given that appeals will be filed, there may be delays, but Father Scott said whenever the final service takes place, it won’t be ordinary. It will be a time of “celebration” of that particular parish's history and meaning and “emphasize the impact” it has on the community. Parish members are likely to disagree with the celebration component.
As for the property of Ascension and Sacred Heart Church, about four statues have been returned from St. Joseph’s, including the black Madonna, Bruggman said. Parish members had questioned clergy about statues having been removed during a meeting in September, and the items have since been returned.
The new logo created for Friends of Ascension (Parish) in Batavia that is on the group's new social media site.
After about a dozen years volunteering as trustee of Ascension Parish with no mention of time restrictions or regulations, Bill Brach was abruptly issued his walking papers from the Rev. Bernard Nowak, he says.
Brach, who was raised a Catholic, attended Catholic schools, was married at the church and given his time and efforts to the Diocese-based religion, doesn’t exactly feel the support is mutual.
Both the State of New York and the Diocese of Buffalo appoint trustees for either one year or in practice for three to five years. Effective today, Oct. 8, 2024, your time of service ends. Be assured of our prayers and commitment to the church of Buffalo; looking forward to your continued participation in the mission of the Diocesan church.
Rev. Bernard Nowak, Vicar Forane
“We had a couple of conversations, and on Oct. 4, he called and said I can be a trustee or pursue the appeal, but I can’t do both. I said let me look into it a bit further. There is no way they can take your rights away as a parishioner, so I got back to him last Monday with an email asking what article of Canon law you are citing?” Brach said to The Batavian Monday. “He showed up in my driveway Tuesday (Oct. 8) with a letter and said you have been a trustee too long, and as a trustee, you have to support the Road to Renewal. I feel betrayed. I reached out to them for help, and I felt they’d be on board and I got stonewalled.”
Road to Renewal, aka support the merger of Ascension with Resurrection Parish and stop working to retain Ascension as its own entity. When he reached out for supporting church records to learn more, he wasn’t given anything, he said.
In her letter of concern and agitation to Father Nowak, Parish Council Member Connie Bruggman asked him why he was removing Brach, especially given that she believes trustees at Resurrection Parish have been in place longer than him and that his removal now leaves no one in place since there was already a vacancy of a trustee at Ascension.
“It seems you have an issue with Ascension Parish asking for help and questioning this Road to Renewal,” she said. “When will the trustee position be filled, who is signing our checks, how are our bills being paid? Are you putting us in the position to fail so it will be easier to close our parish?”
The Batavian wanted to ask those questions, but the church office was closed on Monday because of the holiday.
The Batavian asked Brach via email about clause § 91. Government of incorporated Roman Catholic churches, which states: The term of office of the two laymen trustees of an incorporated Roman Catholic church shall be one year. Whenever the office of any such layman trustee shall become vacant by expiration of term of office or otherwise, his successor shall be appointed from members of the church by such officers or a majority of them.
Has the term ever been discussed or been an issue before?
“That's standard wording; I've seen it a number of times. As a trustee, I had to be re-appointed every year, so the Diocese was well aware of how long I had served,” he said. “I stopped getting my letters of appointment several years ago (after serving about ten years) when this ‘Road to Renewal’ process started. We questioned it at the time but did not get a response other than ‘keep doing what you're doing.’”
That was something Father Scott said during a prior meeting with parishioners in late September after he laid out the issues before them about a potential merger, and he was asked what they should do. "Keep doing what you're doing," he said.
Meanwhile, an undercurrent of support has been building towards survival. A core group of parish members has been zealously gathering signatures—more than 225 as of Monday. A letter was distributed after Sunday’s service (see below), and there’s a social media site already in place with information and affidavits for those wanting to print out and sign a copy.
The letter distributed on Oct. 13:
To all Parishioners and friends of Ascension Parish,
We are a core group, Friends of Ascension Parish. We have been working with Save Our Buffalo Churches.com. Please check out their website. Their mission statement is “The goal and reason we are all here is to SAVE SOULS through helping the Parishes in our Diocese stay open under Canon Law.” We want to fight to keep our church open and not to have to be sold, will you help?
We need to prove to the Bishop that we are not going to just accept his verdict. We have been told that if we use our church, fund our church, and take care of our church, we cannot be closed. Just this last Tuesday, Rev. Bernard Nowak dismissed our only Trustee, Bill Brach. We have been functioning with just one trustee since last February, which is against the law. Bill has been asking to fill this open position and to have regular Trustee meetings, with no response. Now we are left with no representation or oversight.
We are asking you to attend any event we have, contribute to our church (this means if you attend another mass, that you use Ascension envelopes and if you don’t have an envelope, that you place your contribution in an envelope marked Ascension Parish) and if you are asked to help clean or do a small repair of the church, please consider saying yes.
We are looking into establishing a not-for-profit organization, to accept donations to help keep our church open.
There are Affidavits out for signatures, have you signed one yet? Please contact me to get a copy. We have over 200 signatures so far, we need as many as possible.
Please help us to keep Ascension Church open. Thank you.
Connie Bruggman, Member of Friends of Ascension Parish
The core group is also in progress with filing as a not-for-profit and seeking advice from the Save Our Buffalo Churches group, whose goal and reason “we are all here is to save souls through helping the parishes in our Diocese stay open under Canon Law.”
The Diocese has issued an official order that parishioners are not to conduct any business “used for recourse” on parish/school property or any such activities in support of recourse against a merger or closure, so group members are being cautious not to conduct any of their business on church property. The letter was distributed on the sidewalk this past Sunday, Bruggman said.
“It is important for us all to utilize our time and efforts to assist parishioners in understanding the need for the Road to Renewal and to support the process of building a productive transition team,” the Rev. Peter Karalus said in a letter sent to the Fathers.
To further muddy the waters of the situation, nothing can be done until a sexual abuse case in Buffalo is settled, and it has been five years in litigation so far, Brach said.
“I don’t see this getting settled in the next few months. They freeze the assets of our parish and can’t do anything with the finances of the parish,” he said.
What happens next? It’s a waiting game while they continue to gain momentum, Bruggman said.
“Until the bishop puts the decree out, then we can get the appeal in motion,” she said. “We’re trying to get the not-for-profit. It’s a little bit hopeful now because people are saying, yeah, we want to fight; they didn’t know we were fighting this.”
Father Scott speaks to a gathering of about 150 people Thursday evening at Ascension Parish in Batavia. Photo by Joanne Beck
Tempers flared Thursday at a southside fellowship hall during an emotional and lengthy meeting about the impending closure of Ascension Parish.
Father Scottston Brentwood, aka Father Scott, fielded questions and assertions from a room full of about 150 unhappy congregants, including parish member Ed Kosiorek, who said he had gone through this before. He joined Ascension after St. Mary’s closed.
“Why are we not a part of this?” Kosiorek said. “There's a cover-up. We're not getting the information, okay? We just went through a major cover-up with the sexual abuse situation, and we didn't get the information we needed. Now we're going through the parish. I think nobody's being transparent. No one is putting the facts out there. Everyone in this room is a thinking adult, and if they are given the facts, they'll comprehend it, and they will sort it.”
Like it or not, he got the facts eventually during a slide presentation of financial and statistical considerations that put Ascension in the red, at about a 10% operating deficit, with decreasing numbers of youth and sacrament participation. UPDATED: The parish apparently does have $1.5 million of savings. Distance to the various church locations was also a factor, with the end result sounding like a simple math equation.
“You get two parishes, four worship sites and three priests, that is it,” Father Scott said.
After taking it on the chin for two and a half hours, he empathized and said that “no priest wants to close any churches, and I’m closing five.”
“It is not easy to say to people that a place that matters so much to them, you have to be the name that's attached to that final act. As I said in the very beginning, it's not something I would have wanted any priest to go through. It wasn't something that I have even chosen,” he said. “It’s one of those where we have to remember that this process has been up and down and all these other things. And even, I mean, I'm trying to be as honest as I can, I have been frustrated with the Diocese in the way that they've done things. I myself have said openly in the churches, in meetings and everything else, that I think things should have been done in a different way. But I did not have the decision in any of that, how they did it, how they rolled it out, how they expressed it.”
A few congregants stepped forward to commend him for his willingness to represent the powers that be.
“You truly had nothing to do with this decision to close our parish, and you're taking a lot of the brunt of the heat for it. So I just want to say thank you for at least hearing our concerns and letting us come to you when we're upset. I think what I can speak on behalf of all of us for is, at no point did Bishop, or anyone who was front facing at the Diocese say, we're prayerfully considering all counter proposals. If your parish wasn't on the initial list, be prepared, because that might happen,” Christina Bucciferro said. “And I think when we weren't on the initial list, we as a parish family were not prepared for us to close. And then on a random Tuesday, while I'm at work, all of a sudden see that my livelihood, my family's livelihood, in generation, it's just gone.
"And then I have to, like, snap out of it and be at the bank and be okay. And that's not okay. There was no communication from the Diocese that we were going to close, and that's not fair.”
Bucciferro likely represented many people there: she was baptized at Ascension, was a cantor, and sang in the choir for 20 years. It isn’t just a church, but part of her life and soul. In a letter she penned to the Diocese, she says that angry, disappointed and heartbroken don’t even sum up how she’s feeling.
While no one liked the idea of closing, they were most disgruntled about how it all happened, she and others said.
Fran Mruczek, a lifelong member who was baptized at Ascension, said that things seemed to work out fairly well for Father Scott, who she thought was to be in rotation yet she hasn’t seen much of him except for one Christmas Eve service.
“However, you you were able to stay just in Le Roy and in Bergen, and I understand that it worked out good because, you know, you get to know your parishioners better,” she said. “But how did that get by the sidelines?
“And as far as priests, I know there’s a shortage of priests. I know you’re overworked and everything … there are a lot of retired priests who would be happy to help out, and I know that’s the bishop, the Diocese; they just don’t want you to have anybody to make things easier for all the parishes, not just this parish, for all the parishes.”
She gave an example of a retired priest who has returned to work in Oakfield. Father Scott said not everyone who retires is physically able to return.
Another member suggested that if priests were allowed to marry, there wouldn’t be a shortage because there would be more priests taking the job. And there wouldn’t be sex scandals. The closures are so that money can be used to pay off pedophile priests, another said.
Father Scott wanted to address those points, he said.
If that was the case, then why are there shortages in Anglian churches? he asked. Why are there shortages of priests who are married and openly gay?
Why do Anglians have a shortage? The Methodists have women ministers and married ministers, and they have a shortage, he said, listing other denominations with similar issues. Why do they all have a shortage if the fix is to get married?
“These are Bandaids that aren’t going to work. It isn’t about being married or unmarried. It isn’t about women or men or all the other things. The answer comes down to commitment, because you don’t see people committing to marry Jesus,” he said. They’re living together and having kids together, but they won’t say yes. You have people interested in religion, interested in God, but they don’t say yes. You have to convince people that we need people who are committed to the gospel, and those are the ones who are going to be the good priests.”
Important points emphasized during the presentation were that every parish had an opportunity to present counter-proposals at the gatherings of the family leadership, and everyone had an opportunity to present as many proposals as they desired. St. Brigid presented two, not one proposals, whereas Ascension presented only one, he said.
Consideration was given to Max. Kolbe in East Pembroke primarily because of the distance to other parishes and faith formation. Finances were and are not the primary focus of the Diocese on the “Road to Renewal,” but the continuation of the faith for the future is, he said.
As for any kind of timeline of what may happen when, Father Scott had no definitive answer about that.
“When it comes to timelines, at the moment, we do not know. When we do know more that will be communicated immediately to everybody when we have an idea of what's going on, because when it comes to the next steps, the bishop has to issue a decree that actually closes a parish. Once that decree happens, there's a difference between when a parish is being merged and when a parish is closing canonically, which is different than the civil organization, which is the parish according to the state and others,” he said. “When we are merging a canonical parish into another, all of the assets are frozen from the parish, meaning they are not to be used for anything that do not directly relate to this parish. For example, if it merged today, you've still got to pay for electricity, you've still have to pay for water, you still have to heat the building at least minimally to keep the pipes from freezing, all of that stuff so the money that is frozen would only be used for paying the bills ... it would not be used to pay anything outside of this parish complex. When the merge happens, all records go to the parish that you are merged into. And we take very good care that that happens very safely, and we do it in a way in which nothing will be lost."
All records, including baptisms, confirmation, marriage, will be preserved in fireproof and waterproof bound books, he said, and may be obtained upon request.
And what if parishioners don’t want to close? They can fight it, he said. Parishioners can appeal the Vatican, but they need to know two important factors: it’s a costly endeavor, to the tune of potentially $10,000, according to another similar case; and there’s no guarantee that they will win.
One parishioner who did not want to disclose his name said that he is ready to pony up his share to save the parish. It would be worth the $10,000, he said. There was already a plan in place to gather signatures for an appeal.
“We do have a core group working to save the parish,” Pat Becker said, directing attendees to go into the parking lot after the meeting to sign a petition if they wanted to participate. “This group is willing to do whatever it takes to save our church, but we can’t do it without all of you.”
“So after this meeting, if everybody would head that way, we have a mandate that gives that core group the power to make necessary decisions, to do whatever they need to do, to fight, to save Ascension Parish. So we are asking you to please do that,” she said.
After all was said and done, Father Scott shared a somber thought about the deeper effects that the mergings and closings could have on people.
“The thing that bothers me the most is the number of people that will use this as an excuse not to go anywhere. I'm not saying that they're going to go to another church, or they're going to go to the Protestants, or they're going to go here. The ones that will use this as an excuse not to go anywhere.I don't think you guys know the charism of my particular community. It's the redemption of those captives in danger of losing their faith. Well, how many people are going to be losing their faith as a result of this process? And it's the charism of us to try to help them and save them and all that other stuff,” he said. “And I have in the back of my own mind all of these people that are going to, for whatever reason, be choosing to abandon their faith. And I have to try to, in my own conscience, understand how that works. And that is something I said from the beginning, is how many people are going to use this as the excuse not to continue on. And that bothers me a lot.
“And I can say, as hard as this may be to believe, that bishop Fisher is the same way, I know that you may not believe me, but I've had many conversations with him. And as I said before, I've known a lot of bishops in my time, believe it or not, and I don't like a lot of them. I do like him. He genuinely has the concern for what's going on, and he's trying to do what he can with whatever information is available, and all these other things, and it's hard to make those big decisions, and I know it bothers him to do that,” he said. “It's one of those where a decision has to be made, and he happens to be the person who has to do it. Ultimately, it's hard, and I know that it's hard for you guys. I know that it is. I'm there with you. I don't want anything to happen either, but I can't change that.”
Christina Bucciferro thanks Father Scott for leading the meeting and answering questions Thursday. Photo by Joanne Beck
The history of Sacred Heart Church began in 1904 when Reverend Peter Pitass was assigned to organize a new parish that would serve the Polish people on the south side of Batavia.
Father Pitass bought a house on the corner of South Jackson Street. The first floor was rebuilt into a sanctuary, and the second floor was a residence for the priest. A barn was rebuilt for the school.
The parish grew and needed a new home.
In 1917, the Church moved to the corner of Sumner Street and Swan Street. He purchased about half an acre of land on that corner from Edward Suttell, enough for a church, a school and a social hall.
Building materials were so expensive the parish built only the basement. That was then used as a church until a better one could be built.
Starting in December 1928, Reverend Stanislaus Cichowski served as pastor for the next 26 years.
During March 1942, Tonawanda Creek rose in the worst flood in Batavia's history. The Church was underwater for weeks, destroying everything except the cement foundation. Reverend Alexander Jankowski succeeded Father Cichowski in building and rebuilding the Church and school.
In 1954, Reverend Leo Smith blessed the cornerstone of the Church, which was to be built on the foundation that had been in place since 1915.
In 1966, the congregation burned the mortgage they had taken out to fund the Church and surrounding buildings.
There was also a large open play area to hold Sacred Heart’s Lawn Fete in July.
In 1974 the school closed, and the parish men built a large social hall on the north side, transforming the former school building into the Sacred Heart Community Center.
The little Church that took many years to build is now facing the last chapter of its life as the doors will be closed permanently.
When this happens to your church, you lose the memories of baptisms, Holy Communions, Confirmations, weddings, anniversaries, and funerals.
One memory I will always treasure was going to Mass with my father-in-law, Henry Starowitz. I was so proud to walk down the aisle with him. By this time, he was legally blind, but somehow, he would stop at every pew and say hello to a fellow parishioner. He counted the pews.
Sacred Heart is my church.
My Mass was at 4 p.m., and I always sat in the pew near the Paul Starowitz stained glass window. That is where my mother-in-law and father-in-law sat. Most people had a pew they called their pew.
Sacred Heart Church was where I would sit in front of my friend, often called St. Patty. I always looked forward to seeing her at Mass. I would go to the Sacred Heart Statue and light my weekly candles with a Peca-Starowitz tag on my candle.
This church was where our grandchildren were baptized.
The Easter season was when, years ago, a life-sized statue of our lord was laid out on its side during the Easter Vigil. I have to admit that it was a little scary, especially for our daughters.
We loved the Sacred Heart Lawn Fete because it was a lawn fete run by the parishioners. It featured a golumpki dinner, waffles, Polish and Italian sausage, and the best beer tent. My father-in-law was always in the garage, in charge of the money.
Since I live on the south side, I am privy to hearing the real church bells ring five minutes before and on the hour. I tried to imagine that years ago, those bells called churchgoers to church.
I am writing to ask the parishioners to share their memories of the little church on the south side of Batavia. The one thing we all have in common is the sadness we feel. Sacred Heart Church was just remodeled; financially, it is a secure church. Today, I went by the church to take a picture of my church, and a gentleman was mowing the lawn. He looked at me and asked me to hold on; he would move so I could take a picture.
I say this with tears in my eyes and sadness in my heart. Goodbye, Sacred Heart; our loss saddens our hearts.
No one knows the church’s fate and the surrounding building, except we will not have our church on Sumner Street as our church.
Our Faith Formation programs at Ascension Roman Catholic Community and Resurrection RC Parish kicked off on Sunday, September 8 with Mass, a family lunch, meetings, and fun games!
Congratulations to the Confirmation candidates of Resurrection, Ascension, and Our Lady of Mercy Parishes who were confirmed land sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit by Bishop Michael Fisher of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo on May 13 at Our Lady of Mercy in Le Roy.
The Code of Canon Law for the Catholic Church summarizes Confirmation as follows:
"The sacrament of confirmation strengthens the baptized and obliges them more firmly to be witnesses of Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith."
Confirmation candidates engaged in a year long preparation program sponsored by, which included studying the teaching of the Catholic Church, reflecting on their baptismal promises, and the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Genesee Cancer Assistance will hold its Annual Spaghetti Dinner on Thursday, April 25. The event is held in memory of Joe Gerace, who was a valued and dedicated volunteer to the organization for many years.
This will be a Dine-In or Take-Out event held at Ascension Parish Hall, 17 Sumner St., Batavia.
The menu will include spaghetti and meatballs, salad, bread, and dessert. Tickets are $15 each. There will also be raffles, including wine & chocolate baskets, with tickets available for purchase.
Pre-sale dinner tickets are available online at www.geneseecancerassistance.org, from any Board member, or through the office by calling (585)345-0417. Pre-sale tickets are suggested but not required.
It was a faith-filled Second Sunday of Advent Sunday morning at Ascension Church at Resurrection and Ascension’s combined Faith Formation programs, with:
Card making for nursing home residents
Food and conversation
Discussion about Church and family Advent & Christmas traditions
Catholic Charities of Buffalo announced the members of its Appeal 2024 leadership team which include Kevin Gannon as chair, Michael Noe, MD, MPH as vice chair, Gina Giese as parish and community division chair, and C. Kevin Brayer and David Wolf as corporate division co-chairs.
Submitted photo of Kevin Gannon.
After previously serving as both vice chair and parish chair in recent years, Gannon is taking on the role of chair as the annual Appeal marks 100 years in 2024. Gannon is the chief sales officer of Azeros Health Plans and has more than 35 years of experience as a benefits broker. He is a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and serves as a committee member at OLV Homes of Charity. Gannon and his wife reside in Hamburg and belong to Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Hamburg.
Appeal 2024 Vice Chair Noe is an emeritus clinical professor in the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Submitted photo of Michael Noe, MD, MPH.
Recently retired, he previously served as associate dean for community relations and clinical affairs and director of the school’s residency program in preventative medicine. Dr. Noe also held various senior administrative positions during his career with Kaleida Health. He is a long-time member of the Bishop’s Council of the Laity and serves on the board of directors at Brothers of Mercy campus facilities, at Harvest House Buffalo, and at The Family Help Center. Dr. Noe resides in Clarence and is a member of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Williamsville.
Submitted photo of Gina Giese.
As parish and community division chair, Giese works with both parish Appeal teams as well as Catholic schools, parish societies and other local organizations throughout the eight counties of Western New York. She is a senior vice president and retail regional manager with M&T Bank and serves on the Genesee Community College Foundation board. Giese and her husband, Deacon Walter Szczesny, are members of Ascension Parish in Batavia.
Submitted photo of C. Kevin Brayer.
Brayer returns for his fourth year as corporate division co-chair, to direct a team of volunteer business leaders and develop strategies for seeking contributions from local corporations and small businesses. He is the retired executive director of the St. Bonaventure Buffalo Center and a long-standing parishioner of St. Louis Church. Brayer also serves on the Bishop’s Council of the Laity, the Foundation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, and the board of directors for the Ronald McDonald House. He resides with his family in Buffalo.
Submitted photo of David Wolf.
Also named corporate division co-chair, Wolf is a senior financial advisor with Excelsior Financial. He holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®) designation and has more than 25 years of experience servicing both individual high net worth clients and small businesses. Wolf resides in North Buffalo with his family and are members of St. Mark Parish in Buffalo.
“Volunteers are, and always have been, the backbone of the annual Appeal – their dedication make it happen year after year for the past century,” said Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO, Catholic Charities. “We are grateful for the support of Kevin and the entire leadership team to spearhead our centennial Appeal efforts and look forward to a successful campaign in 2024.”
The annual Appeal, which is celebrating its 100 year in 2024, kicks off in January and runs through June 30. Funds raised during Appeal 2024 support Catholic Charities’ 57 programs and services, along with several ministries through the Fund for the Faith. More than 145,000 people of all faiths were served by Catholic Charities last year. For more information or to donate to Appeal 2024, visit ccwny.org/donate.
Submitted photo of Confirmation candidates from Ascension and Resurrection Parishes.
Press Release:
Congrats to our Confirmation candidates from Ascension and Resurrection Parishes, who made their commitment to this sacrament with their parents and sponsors, today St. Joseph’s Church on the first Sunday of Advent.
Registration is now open for the 2023-24 Faith Formation Program at Resurrection and Ascension Roman Catholic Parishes in Batavia. The parish families are excited about this joint venture to share our Catholic faith with our families and children.
All sacramental preparation classes (Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation) will be offered as well as enriching programs for the entire family.
Classes will begin on Sunday, September 10 at 10 a.m. Mass at Ascension Parish, followed by a pancake breakfast, meetings, and of course, Bingo! Come and join us!
Registration is now open for the 2023-24 Faith Formation Program at Resurrection and Ascension Roman Catholic Parishes in Batavia. The parish families are excited about this joint venture to share our Catholic faith with our families and children.
All sacramental preparation classes (Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation) will be offered as well as enriching programs for the entire family.
Classes will begin on Sunday, September 10 at 10 a.m. Mass at Ascension Parish, followed by a pancake breakfast, meetings, and of course, bingo! Come and join us!
Registration is now open for the 2023-24 Faith Formation Program at Resurrection and Ascension Roman Catholic Parishes in Batavia. The parish families are excited about this joint venture to share our Catholic faith with our families and children.
All sacramental preparation classes (Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation) will be offered as well as enriching programs for the entire family.
Classes will begin on Sunday, September 10 at 10 a.m. Mass at Ascension Parish, followed by lunch, meetings, and a fun kick-off event! Come and join us!
Please contact Jason Smith from Resurrection Parish at resurrectionff14020@yahoo.com or Ann Pratt from Ascension Parish at mgp1731@gmail.com for information.
Fourteen young people from Ascension and Resurrection parishes in Batavia were confirmed by Bishop Michael Fisher during Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo.
Confirmation is one of the seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church.
The newly confirmed were sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to the faith of the Church, signified when the Bishop makes the sign of the cross with chrism oil on their foreheads.
The sacrament of Confirmation represents full entry into the Catholic Church. Each candidate also chooses a sponsor to support them in their faith journey.
