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It was just like being back in school for Bishop McMahon High School's class of 1957, who gathered at Classics V restaurant in Amherst for their 60th anniversary reunion. The only difference was they could talk as loud as they wanted, and chew gum and wear makeup.

Dozens of additional students in Western New York will receive tuition assistance to attend a Catholic school next year, thanks to the Upon This Rock campaign. Next September, about $250,000 is expected to be made available for tuition assistance as a first installment from the Upon This Rock capital campaign, which may eventually grant $600,000 in Catholic school tuition assistance per year.

The Diocesan Care for Creation Committee will hold a gathering of parish leaders to discuss best practices for educating the community about protecting the environment. Everyone is welcome to the meeting at Villa Maria Convent in Cheektowaga, Monday, Oct. 23.

After completing an exhaustive search of properties in Amherst, Catholic Health has found a new location to expand much needed chemical dependency treatment services. The new site at 210 John Glenn Drive will enable the health system to move and expand the services it currently offers at 3730 Sheridan Drive to provide area residents suffering from drug and alcohol addiction with easy access to counseling services; medication assisted treatment, including methadone; and primary care services in one, convenient location.

Recently, 4-and-a-half-year-old Giani Rizzo, of Williamsville, came scampering into the brightly-decorated classroom of the Mercy Speech Center to be greeted by Sister Maralynn Sciarrino, RSM, with a smile, hug and welcoming words.

For those who wish to advocate for the pro-life cause in a visual, humanitarian way, the diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities supports training for so-called "sidewalk advocates," people who stand outside of abortion clinics holding anti-abortion signs and praying. These advocates stand in front of an abortion clinic on Main Street in Buffalo early on Saturday mornings, as they will do in the month of October.

It has been 50 years since a group of students at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University experienced the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It was the first known case of a group of people receiving gifts at the same time. That experience spread to other college campuses, spawning the Charismatic Renewal movement in the United States. To mark the golden jubilee, Pope Francis called for a conference in Rome.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - In the wake of an executive order issued by the Trump administration halting federal assistance for certain insurance plans, the U.S. bishops reaffirmed that helping to protect low-income persons and the vulnerable is of the utmost importance.

The Harmonia Chamber Singers, a professional vocal ensemble that performs across Western New York, will be performing at a special concert in Williamsville in October and a Latin Requiem Mass in downtown Buffalo in November.

If anyone can say that he has served God and his country it is Msgr. Dino J. Lorenzetti. The 96-year-old priest will be inducted to the Wall of Honor at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park on Friday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. The event falls almost 75 years to the day that Msgr. Lorenzetti enlisted to the United States Army during World War II.

On World Mission Sunday, October 22, our celebration leads us to hear of our Christian faith - leads us to mission, as Pope Francis explains in his message for this year's celebration.

FATIMA, PORTUGAL (CNA/EWTN News) - On "the day the sun danced," thousands of people bore witness to a miracle that not only proved the validity of the Fatima Marian apparitions, but also shattered the prevalent belief at the time that God was no longer relevant, according to one theologian.

This month, the linked parishes of St. Martin of Tours and St. Thomas Aquinas in South Buffalo will celebrate their Irish-American heritage with Father William Quinlivan. He has invited two Irish retreat ministers, Sister Briege McKenna, OSC, and Father Kevin Scallon, CM, from Oct. 16-19 for a special four-day parish mission retreat.

WASHINGTON-On Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum for all executive departments and agencies on the subject of "Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty". Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has offered the following statement in response:

Our Lady of Pompeii Parish in Lancaster will welcome Respect Life Month by bringing in a Catholic doctor to speak against physician-assisted suicide as part of its Faith Enrichment Speaker Series.

Sister Ann Therese Hedges, SSJ, died Sept. 19, 2017, at the Sisters of St. Joseph Residence in Clarence. She was 87.

WASHINGTON, DC - Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, asked for prayers for favorable weather and assistance for those impacted by devastating fires raging through Northern California.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Fatima appearance, several local parishes will host special celebrations throughout the year beginning this month.

This month on "Our Daily Bread," host Father Paul D. Seil is out of his kitchen and traveling to 208 Stanislaus St., on Buffalo's East Side, to cook in and learn more about the Mother Teresa Home, which has been open for a little over a year now.

Since 1948, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Bowmansville has been the home of one of the first-ever statues of Our Lady of Fatima, sculpted to depict the Virgin Mary as she appeared to the three shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, in Portugal in 1917. As the parish was preparing for the centennial anniversary celebrations to end, Father Robert Zilliox, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus, spoke about the history of the statue and how it came to Bowmansville.

WASHINGTON—On Sunday evening, the White House released Immigration Principles and Policies that are a proposed list of priorities to be considered when working on legislative protection for Dreamers. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, Chairman of the Committee on Migration, issued the following statement urging Congress to "ensure true protection for Dreamers once and for all."

The recent solar eclipse reminded me of another celestial event of a very unique and enduring nature. As you may know, the Church has been celebrating the centennial of the Fatima Apparitions from November 27th of 2016 through November 26th of this year. It was 100 years ago this October 13th that the "Miracle of the Sun" occurred in a field in rural Portugal. This was the last of six apparitions made by Our Lady to three shepherd children - Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta.

WASHINGTON, DC - (CNA/EWTN News).- The Trump administration announced broad new exemptions to the HHS contraceptive mandate on Friday, giving relief to religious non-profits and others with deeply held religious or moral convictions regarding contraception.

Lorrie Clemo, president of D'Youville College, was joined Thursday, Oct. 5, by Senator Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) to announce that the college has received a $100,000 state grant secured by Kennedy. The grant will support the $470,000 renovation of four floors of the college's Marguerite Hall, first constructed in 1966.

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston will hold special events to mark the 100th anniversary of the last apparition of Mary in Fatima, Portugal.

The third annual Blue Mass in the Diocese of Buffalo will take place on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo. The Mass will honor local EMS, fire and law enforcement departments of all faiths who live and work in the diocese. Bishop Richard J. Malone welcomes everyone, from all counties, paid and volunteer staff, families and friends, to attend this special commemorative Mass to honor and thank these men and women for their service to the common good. He will bestow blessings upon all who contribute to public health and safety in the Diocese of Buffalo.

On Sept. 17, Bishop Richard J. Malone made his first visit as bishop to Our Lady of Bistrica Parish in Lackawanna to celebrate the Croatian church's 100th anniversary. In honor of the rich heritage of the community, portions of the Mass were read in Croatian as well as English, and along with Father Christopher Coric, OFM Conv., parish pastor, several Croatian Catholic priests were in attendance.

Christ the King Seminary will host its annual Curé of Ars awards dinner on Thursday, Oct. 5, at The Atrium @ Rich's in Buffalo. This year's event will honor Msgr. Leo F. McCarthy and Father Mark J. Wolski.

Sister Lois Marrah, OSF, died Sept. 24, 2017, in the health center of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity in Stella Niagara. She was 100 years old.

Sister Anne Marie Gastle, GNSH, died Sept. 22, 2017, at the Grey Nuns' St. Joseph's Manor in Meadowbrook, Pa. She was 93.

In a Mass that was celebrated in both Spanish and English, Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, confirmed 15 young people Monday evening at Holy Family Parish in Albion. All 15 are of Mexican descent and their parents are part of the migrant farming community in Orleans and Niagara Counties.

When the Communicators for Women Religious decided to hold their 2017 conference in Niagara Falls, Ont., a group in Erie, Pa., had a crazy idea.

The United States woke up on Oct. 2 to the tragic news of yet another mass shooting, this time as a gunman killed at least 50 people and injured hundreds more during a country music concert in Las Vegas.

Summer in Western New York finds marine forecasts on local weather reports. As local boaters know, serious storms can come up suddenly on Lake Erie. When I hear storm predictions, I am reminded of my own experiences with lake storms and of fear in the face of uncontrollable nature.

Back to school, "Give Back," and Masses, Masses, Masses. Look at some of our favorite memories of September 2017 in our new photo gallery.

WASHINGTON— Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36). It is expected to come to the House floor the first week of October. The bill, introduced by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), proposes a ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks after fertilization.

D'Youville College celebrated its first inauguration in 38 years at Kleinhans Music Hall on Sept. 29, marking a 'passing of the torch' from former president, Sister Denise Roche, GNSH, to Lorrie Clemo, Ph.D. Clemo has been serving in the role of D'Youville's president since last December, with plans to make the college a leader in developing health professional leaders. "That is our goal going forward," Clemo said.

WASHINGTON - On September 27, 2017, the Administration, in a consultation with Congress, proposed to only admit up to 45,000 refugees to the United States in fiscal year 2018. This Presidential Determination (PD) for Refugee Admissions is the lowest since the founding of the program in 1980 and marks the second consecutive year that the new Administration has reduced the PD. Currently there are 65 million displaced people and 22 million refugees worldwide.

A Western New York musician who studied in the Vatican has found success as a choir director at the University of Notre Dame. J.J. Wright, who released his most recent album, "Vespers for the Feast of the Transfiguration," last month, spoke about his lifelong interest in music and accomplishments with the Western New York Catholic as he began his new position at the prestigious Indiana university.

Little Portion Friary, the quiet house on Main Street just a little north of Buffalo's Medical Campus, serves people in need. But right now, the friary has a need of its own - volunteers.