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As part of the Diocese of Buffalo, Catholic Cemeteries serves as a means for members of the community to mourn, bury and pay their respects to their departed loved ones. In serving the same clientele, Catholic Cemeteries has formed a strong bond with Stone Art Memorial Company Inc., the 160-year-old business that specializes in unique stonework to be put in cemeteries, mausoleums and other locations.

On the afternoon of April 26, Bishop Richard J. Malone received a special gift, a prayer book containing a compilation of prayers from the St. John the Baptist Parish community in Kenmore, from three of its parishioners. The bishop met with Ray Metzger, treasurer of the parish's Holy Name Society; Mary Porter, who originally came up with the idea for the book from her sister, a former Sister of St. Mary of Namur, and Porter's grandson, Ethan Franz, currently a fourth-grade student at St. John the Baptist School.

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, Bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs have issued a joint statement in response to Sunday's attack on worshipers outside a mosque in London.

Franciscans from all corners of the nation arrived in Buffalo to be inspired and enlightened at the annual Franciscan Federation Conference. Over 250 sisters, brothers, priests, and a few seculars who have answered the Third Order Regular call gathered at the Adam's Mark in downtown Buffalo for the weekend beginning June 16.

LEWISTON, NY - Under a clear blue, nearly-summer sky on Monday morning, students at St. Peter R.C. School broke ground for what will be the school's new playground. One student per grade was selected via a lottery to participate in the actual digging, each donning a matching shovel and hard hat. Construction of the playground will begin over the summer and means students should have a dedicated space for outdoor learning, active play, team sports and physical activity by the first week of the next school year.

Father Charles Zadora has a pretty low-key outlook of his 50 years as a priest.

On the first floor of the Catholic Center in downtown Buffalo, the Catholic Union Store offers a wide selection of books, gifts, statues, rosaries, cards, priests' vestments, Bibles and various other Catholic and Christian goods. In February, the store held a grand re-opening celebration with Bishop Richard J. Malone in recognition of newly finished renovations that will allow it to better serve the community.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (CNA/EWTN News) - Next year's synod, which will focus on young people, must address their most pressing problems, including indifference and disillusionment, U.S. bishops said at their annual meeting on Wednesday.

Father John Timon, a Vincentian priest, arrived in Buffalo in June 1847 to establish a new Catholic diocese in Western New York. He would serve as the first bishop of the diocese, ushering in religious orders, developing health care, and creating a Catholic identity for the city that would remain 170 years later.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has announced several clergy assignments including naming a new rector for St. Joseph Cathedral.

Vatican City (CNA/EWTN News)- In his message for the first World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis said that the suffering and broken bodies of the poor are where we encounter the body of Christ - and to know Christ we must know the poor.

As a conclusion to the large-scale renovations that took place at St. Mark Parish in North Buffalo over the winter, the parish will welcome the nearing of summer with a formal dedication to the updated church's interior.

It's time again for the annual Catholic Communication Campaign, the campaign that connects people with Christ. Each year, on the second weekend of June - June 10 and 11 this year - parishes throughout the diocese participate in this second collection which helps the men and women in the Office of Communications bring the Good News to you.

In its role in serving the Catholic Church in Buffalo, Daybreak TV Productions, part of the Office of Communications' job is to ensure it distributes not just entertainment, but accurate information about the Catholic faith to audiences. Since videographers, producers and others in the field of communications are laypeople and usually not as well versed in theology as clergy and men and women religious, this has led to collaboration between Daybreak staff and other departments in the Catholic Center.

In the diocesan Office of Communications, a variety of individuals with talents in the fields of writing, editing, copyediting and videography work together to produce Catholic media for Western New York and the rest of the United States. For Daybreak TV Productions, part of the office, one individual who makes things happen every day as a jack-of-all-trades is Ann Przybylski, whose official title is that of administrative assistant and bookkeeper, but her actual job behind the TV scenes consists of much more than this.

If you have ever turned on the television to see one of Buffalo's priests celebrating Mass, you can thank the crew of Daybreak TV Productions. The video-producing arm of the Diocese of Buffalo records over 300 liturgical celebrations every year at the Our Lady Chapel of St. Joseph Cathedral, just a couple of miles from their downtown Buffalo studios.

It's always nice to get to know the people you work with, especially when you are all working toward a common goal: spreading the news and ministry of the Catholic Church. Some people may call this evangelization. Me, personally, I like to call it "talking about my job."

I am writing this column on May 20, the 45th anniversary of my ordination as a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston. Never did I imagine then that today, 45 years later, I would be bishop of Buffalo, preparing to ordain four fine young men as priests for our diocese of Western New York. Over and over again I have learned that when we pray "Come, Holy Spirit," we had best be prepared for surprises!

There are two sides to Father Jeffrey Nowak. Not quite Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, more like Father Jeff and Captain Facebook. Both have the same purpose - to deliver the word of God. That is why the diocesan Office of Communications has named him honorary chairperson of the Catholic Communication Campaign.

Bishop Richard J. Malone and Catholic Charities of Buffalo officials are asking for help as the organization struggles to reach this year's $11 million goal with the 2017 Appeal entering its final month.

Bishop Richard J. Malone said he never sees as many smiles as he does during an Ordination Mass. You can see why in our new photo gallery covering the ordination of four new priests.

Bishop Richard J. Malone welcomed a crowd of nearly one thousand at St. Joseph Cathedral Saturday morning by noting that he rarely sees so many smiles in church as on the day of an ordination. On this day, he placed his hands upon the heads for men as he said the ordination prayer making them priests of Jesus Christ forever.

Cole Webster left a career in hotel hospitality to become a concierge for the Lord. The Buffalo native will be ordained to the priesthood June 3.

WASHINGTON, DC - According to White House officials, President Donald J. Trump is reviewing the United States' commitment to the Paris agreement on climate change. The president tweeted that he will make an official statement on the agreement in a few days.

WASHINGTON, DC - According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate's (CARA) annual survey, 82 percent of the 2017 class of men ordained to the priesthood were encouraged by about four people in their lives including parish priests, friends or other parishioners. The report also says that ordinands were, on average, 16 years old when they first considered a vocation to the priesthood, and religious ordinands reported they knew the members of their religious institute an average of six years before entering.

CNA/EWTN News — It was August in Rome, the dog days of summer, and most people had left the Eternal City for the beach or another summer holiday destination.

Maybe it was one too many holiday dinner parties or those extra calorie-rich culinary treats that leave us feeling a bit more vulnerable to the weight-loss advertisements that bombard us this time of year. 'Tis the season, right? Or maybe, like me, you tend to struggle with body image in a world that's hyper-focused on our physical appearance. It makes no difference if you feel this on occasion or have felt this your entire life. I've gathered some meaningful Bible verses that speak to me about loving my body. Hopefully, they will help you too.

Six diocesan Catholic Cemeteries will celebrate Memorial Day Masses throughout the holiday weekend on May 27 and 29.

It seems evident that Catholic schools are a viable, hopeful alternative to other kinds of schools in our community. But, over the years, it has become increasingly important to point out a significant fact about them. Catholic schools enroll a diverse population of rich, poor, black, white, Catholic, non-Catholic, smart and not-so-smart students.

On June 3, a native of Nigeria will be ordained alongside three other men at St. Joseph Cathedral, when the Diocese of Buffalo will welcome its newest priests to its fold. Currently serving as a transitional deacon, Robert Agbo, who came to the United States and settled in Buffalo in 2013, said he is looking forward to being able to serve God's people in this diocese and celebrate Mass with them in his ministry.

Camp Turner, located in Allegany State Park, is a summer resident camp operated by the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. The camp serves boys and girls ages 7 to 16. The camp strives to foster an emotionally safe culture in which everyone feels welcomed and accepted.

For more than 30 years, Regina O'Connor, 99, has served as a friendly face greeting patients and their families at the front desk of Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo. Since shortly after she retired from her job with U.S. Customs in 1983, O'Connor has volunteered weekly at the same time on Tuesdays, a comforting and familiar presence for the people who have known her for three decades at the hospital.

He's the superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools, but Dr. Kriner Cash spent some time touring Catholic Academy of West Buffalo on Tuesday, May 23. It was an idea inspired months ago during a conversation between Dr. Cash and Bishop Richard J. Malone.

In the shadow of the majestic Our Lady of Victory Basilica resides St. Anthony Church in Lackawanna, a small parish that has ministered to a diverse neighborhood for generations. St. Anthony Parish celebrated their 100th anniversary with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard J. Malone on May 21.

Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Buffalo will be in a better position to help students make healthier choices thanks to a $60,000 grant from Fidelis Care, a not for profit, faith based health insurance company. "They have been most generous," said Sister Carol Cimino, superintendent of Catholic Schools. "What we're trying to do with this particular grant is to change lifestyles and choices that children make."

This summer, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be convening an unprecedented gathering of diverse leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from across the country to assess the challenges and opportunities of our time, particularly in the context of the Church in the United States. An ongoing initiative of the Bishops' Working Group on the Life and Dignity of the Human Person, the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America, will assemble Catholic leaders in Orlando, Florida for a strategic conversation, under the leadership of the bishops, on forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture.

The priesthood is not only in the heart of Father Mark Wolski, it's also in his bloodline. He and his cousin, Father Daniel Fiebelkorn, will celebrate 125 combined years of the clerical vocation for the Wolski family this year.

On Fridays at Immaculate Conception School in East Aurora, teachers, faculty members and volunteers engage students in interactive learning and fun via its STREAM Academies. This includes a variety of age-appropriate and inventive activities that promote learning skills needed to excel in science, technology, religion, engineering, art and math in the Catholic elementary school.

Deacon Luke Uebler, just a month before being ordained a priest to the Diocese of Buffalo, introduced himself as a "Renaissance Man." Articulate and intelligent, the 26-year-old seems to have the credentials of a person who spans genres of interest.

Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, will ordain Rev. Mr. Robert Ikpe Agbo, Rev. Mr. Martin F. Gallagher, Rev. Mr. Luke P. Uebler and Rev. Mr. Cole T. Webster to the priesthood at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo at 9:30 a.m. June 3. Each of the deacons graduated from Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, on May 12 with a master's degree in divinity.