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As high school juniors and seniors grapple with college decisions, they may be surprised to find a promising career path is already in their hands in the games and apps they play for fun and rely on for everyday life.

STREAM integration at St. Mary's Elementary School is in its fourth year. "Through planning, organization, and professional development for our teachers, we now fully integrate STREAM in all classes every day," said Becky Hoag, coordinator for St. Mary's Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics program. In the classrooms, teachers engage students in project-based learning experiences which allow for cross-curricular integration of topics and themes to be learned.

Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity has promoted Eileen Hudson, CFRE, to director of Mission Advancement, and promoted Tom Lucia to Director of Annual Giving. Hudson will provide strategic direction for mission advancement activities across the footprint of OLV organizations including major, planned and corporate foundation fundraising programs that benefit the missions of the Homes of Charity, Baker Victory Services, and OLV National Shrine & Basilica and OLV Elementary. Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity (HOC) promotes Tom Lucia to Director of Annual Giving.

The Catholic Center is in the process of throwing out Styrofoam food containers for the last time. In an effort to be more ecologically friendly, the downtown office has decided to replace Styrofoam with compostable paper products in the cafeteria.

World Youth Day 2019 opened Jan. 22 in Panama City, Panama. Over 150,000 registered for the event, which ran until Jan. 27. This year's event conflicted with the American school year. As a result, the Diocese of Buffalo did not plan a pilgrimage to the Central American city.

Father Edward R. Czarnecki, who served several parishes across Erie County, died March 17, 2019. He was 78 years old.

While rummaging through the basement of Corpus Christi Church, Father Michal Czyzewski, OSPPE, pastor, found a rolled up canvas under some trophies. Unrolling it, he discovered a painting of St. Joseph and a mystery from the past.

Sister Marie McTarnaghan, who taught in Catholic schools for almost 40 years, died March 9, 2019. She was 86.

Christ the King Seminary will host a dinner lecture and a retreat this April on the seminary's East Aurora campus.

As the Hispanic/Latino Commission began planning for the Lenten Retreat that the Office of Cultural Diversity sponsors every year in Spanish, the first Gospel of the Lenten season, Mark 1:12-15 became the theme for the retreat this year.

Some might call him a man of faith. The Jewish community calls him a hero. His family calls him papa. He will be remembered as a man who allowed God's light to shine through him.

A nationally-recognized advocate for racial justice, Sister Anita Price Baird, DHM, will share her insights with friends of the SSJ Sister Karen Klimczak Center for Nonviolence at the Center's 12th annual event on April 7. SS. Columba-Brigid Church, 75 Hickory St., Buffalo, will host the gathering at 3 p.m. A reception will follow in the parish hall.

On March 17, 2019, Bishop Richard J. Malone will be the main celebrant, on the second Sunday of Lent, for the annual St. Patrick's Day Mass.

Sister Mary Frances Welch, OSF, formerly known as Sister M. Peter, died Feb. 18, 2019, at the Health Center in Stella Niagara. The longtime teacher was 91 years old.

For five days at the beginning of February, almost 600 Catholics joined together in Washington to pray, learn and advocate for the least among us. This was the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering of 2019, and it was attended by many of us from Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the USCCB, St. Vincent de Paul Society and a host of others.

Join SS. Peter & Paul Parish as they bring national brand "ChristLife" to Hamburg for a parish-wide Lenten opportunity to personally encounter Jesus in your life through ChristLife.

A group of eight high school students held and examined a human brain as part of a Catholic Health MASH Camp. These daylong field trips to local hospitals introduce students to careers in the health care field.

With a Southern Hey y'all, author, speaker and podcast host Sonja Corbitt took to the stage to speak to other Catholic women about their role as a human monstrance. Corbitt, along with Father David Richards, served as special guests for the annual Catholic Women's Conference hosted by Catholic Women of Buffalo Inc.

A large congregation came to St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo on the first Sunday of Lent, March 10, as Bishop Richard J. Malone celebrated Mass for the Rite of Election for Catechumens and Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates.

You are invited to explore Lent with three dynamic ladies on three Wednesday nights at Immaculate Conception. Eileen Warner, Ann Marie Eckert and Kathleen Heffern will explore the topics of Almsgiving, Fasting and Prayer respectively.

Team Pierogi, a diversified group of committed pierogi artisans, that gather for fellowship, fun and pierogi.

Catholic Health is sponsoring a free women's health fair on Wednesday, March 20, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at St. John Maron Church, 2040 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville. The event will include live presentations, health screenings, demonstrations and informational displays.

Christ the King Seminary has announced the appointment of Brian Bajzek as a full-time faculty member. Bajzek is now assistant professor of Systematic Theology and director of Pre-Theology at the seminary.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page." That proverb, attributed to St. Augustine, the great fifth-century philosopher and theologian, holds much truth. Travel is often an eye-opening, mind-expanding experience that cannot be duplicated. For those who have been blessed with the opportunities to visit foreign lands and cultures, their journeys end up changing them for the better and increasing their understanding of the beauty and diversity of the world and the Church.

In the more than 30 annual Washington, D.C. Marches for Life I have participated in, I always think the current march is the largest ever. But since accurate figures are hard to come by, it usually comes down to taking a good guess.

If you asked the average Christian if he or she is a disciple of Jesus, I think the answer would be "of course I am." But how many of us really know what that means? Or what it entails?

Students at St. Benedict School in Eggertsville celebrated Catholic Schools Week in late January in a unique way. Nancy Grant's religion classes created beautiful quilts, weaving a collaboration of art, religion and math. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders each incorporated a different theme for their creations.

Frequent acid reflux and heartburn can not only be painful, but can be a sign you have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Acid suppressing drugs sometimes help, but advancements in medicine have led to the development other treatment options too.

Next to Advent and Christmas, Lent is one of the most celebrated and revered seasons in the year of the Catholic Church. Almost everybody knows the basics about Lent: that it begins on Ash Wednesday, lasts several weeks in which people routinely "give up" something, and concludes on Easter Sunday with a celebration of the Risen Christ.

SWORMVILLE - The St. Mary's faith community announces its first meat raffle, organized by the St. Mary School Home School Association. With an event that is popular throughout the area, the meat raffle will feature a variety of meats from Latina Boulevard Foods, raffled off by Mike "The Meat Man" Demmin's team.

The mood was festive, hearts were joyful and the spirit of giving remained strong at the annual Gala 22:6 - A Celebration of Catholic Education, held Thursday, February 21st, at the Buffalo Convention Center.

On Ash Wednesday, March 6, Bishop Richard J. Malone will distribute ashes at St. Joseph Cathedral during the 12:05 p.m. Mass. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the most holy time of the year for Catholics.

The Society of Our Lady of Divine Mercy is sponsoring their seventh bus pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Shrine for Oct. 4, 5 and 6 for St. Faustina Day.

Many people on hearing the name Sisters of St. Mary of Namur immediately ask "Where is Namur?" In these days when knowing our roots is so important, this international congregation looks back 200 years to its founder,

Each liturgical season has its own sacred landscape traversed by prayer, ritual and tradition. The Church stands at the threshold of a new season with challenging terrain, the desert of Lent.

Our Lady of Charity Parish in South Buffalo is hosting a special time for people to "Come and See ..." how the parish is alive and growing.

When crisis hits, how do you hold on? What role does faith play when suffering?

Getting excited about God is a good way to spend the Lenten season. As the years go by, our faith can grow dull. We may need a new infusion of grace.

Msgr. James N. Connelly, who served the Diocese of Buffalo for nearly 70 years, died Feb. 24, 2019. He was 97 years old.