As a kid, I remember going to the Clinton Bailey Farmer’s Market with my folks. Mom would get a few eight quart baskets of over ripe fruit, which is just perfect for jam; and dad would grab a bushel of tomatoes. When we got home mom, Grandma De Angelis and I would start the canning process. For the tomatoes, my job was adding a teaspoon of salt and a basil leaf into each glass jar. When we made jam, I got to smooch the fruit with the potato masher.

There are many interesting facts about Vacation Bible School. According to a Google timeline, the first Vacation Bible School was opened in 1894 by a Methodist preacher and his wife. It is reported they used music, crafts, storytelling, and games to explain scripture teachings which were traditionally learned by listening to a Sunday sermon.

Three dads will be ordained in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo on Saturday, May 29, at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo. Through the imposition of hands by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, these men will become permanent deacons, joining 125 other deacons in the diocese.

Michael T. Dulak (left), Donald C. Weigel Jr. (center), and  Samuel Pellerito (right) have diligently studied for years to reach this point. After five years of discernment, including supervised pastoral field ministry formation, they’ve reached their goal of being ordained to the diaconate and will be assigned to diaconal ministry in a parish, health care or educational setting, or prison ministry. In addition to their church responsibilities, these deacons will maintain their secular jobs.

The Bishop’s Committee Visitors will hold their annual day of reflection on Tuesday, May 18, at St. Philip the Apostle Church, 950 Losson Road, Cheektowaga. Msgr. Dino J. Lorenzetti will speak on “the challenge to women striving for holiness in a world promoting pleasure, power and popularity instead of values that are eternal.”

The program is open to both men and women and begins with registration at 9:30 a.m. Msgr. Lorenzetti will be the morning speaker and will be joined by panelists, Denise York, director of youth ministry at Immaculate Conception Parish, East Aurora, Michelle Staskiewicz, parishioner at Our Lady of Pompeii, Lancaster, and Sister Therese Chmura, CSSF, pastoral associate at St. Andrew, Sloan. 

This year’s Diocesan Marian Tribute will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 2, at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo. This special prayer service is to honor Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, will preside at the service and Father Edward F. Jost Jr., pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Parish, North Tonawanda, will serve as the homilist.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec announced that Father Ronald P. Sajdak, pastor of St Martin de Porres Parish, Buffalo, is also the new director of the Office of the Propagation of the Faith. The office’s mission is to assist the people of the diocese, young and old, to develop an authentic missionary spirit by encouraging the support of missionaries throughout the world with prayers and sacrifice, assisting them financially and welcoming them on visits home. Ordained in 1996, Father Sajdak previously served at St. John the Evangelist, Buffalo, and St Bernadette, Orchard Park.

The diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities and Baker Victory Services are sponsoring a Mass for all those who have been touched by adoption -- birthparents, adoptees, adoptive parents, grandparents and other relatives.

The Mass will be held on Saturday, April 24, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory Basilica, Ridge Road and South Park Avenue in Lackawanna.

Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany will be the keynote presenter for the annual Parish Study Day, Wednesday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.

Attendees will learn how the Gospel continues to inspire people of faith to live a life of witness, the essential link between evangelization and social justice, and practical ways how the Catholic social mission attracts conscientious young adults to our Church.

Bishop Hubbard is chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace and formerly served as chair of the Bishops' committees for Marriage and Family Life, Human Values, and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, welcomes visitors to our Web site who are looking for information about Holy Week, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday services at nearly 200 worship sites throughout the eight counties of Western New York.

Click here to connect to a listing of parishes in the City of Buffalo.

Click here to connect to a listing of parishes outside Buffalo.

Click here for a map and directions to every worship site in the Diocese of Buffalo.

You can also find information about parishes throughout the United States by visiting Mass Times.

"We have met a number of individuals who are so grateful for the assistance they received at Catholic Charities."  Sister Mary McCarrick, OSF, interim director.

Catholic Charities officials celebrated the progress of the 2010 Appeal after concerted volunteer efforts during Appeal Week across the Diocese of Buffalo. As of March 28, the 2010 Appeal in support of Catholic Charities has raised $ 8,095,433.47 in cash and pledges or 77.1 percent of the $10.5 million goal.

The Appeal continues through June 30, the end of Catholic Charities’ fiscal year.

Meanwhile, St. Amelia School students announced that their “Save Your Favorite State” quarter-collecting campaign for the Appeal brought in $3,524, raising $1,000 in one week and exceeding their 2009 total of $3,453. Each class chose a favorite state, and for three weeks students collected quarters from those states. Presenting the school’s final tally were Gabrielle Guzda and Nicholas DiNardo, fifth grade students.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec recognized the work of the volunteers in making the announcement of the 2010 Appeal progress to date.