Western New York Catholics Dwindling – Many Parishes Closing | Buffalo Real Estate

Western New York Catholics Dwindling – Many Parishes Closing

Catholic Churches in WNY In reading Don’t Blame Diocese for Church Closing which is in the Buffalo News Everybody’s Column on January 1st by Martin E. Bartnik a thought occurred. It made me stop and think for a few moments. I have wanted to write about this for some time, but my thoughts were mixed.

I have to agree that what the Catholic Diocese is doing is the right thing. Imagine if our Government was as brave and took such a hard look at their expenses. Change is happening here in . Some see it a sign of the times, other are shaken to their very core.

Adaptation = Survival

Western New York Catholic Churches are closing their doors in Western New York in large numbers. But if you look at the demographics, it is a reflection of who is not attending, either they have moved away or just stopped attending church. Western New York was an immigrant community for many years. The Catholic Church was the center of many of the immigrantsâ€™ lives.

It is no wonder this topic is so hot, these Churches were these immigrants life line providing education, spiritual support and community. The face of the community is changing and you have to recognize that the Catholic Church in Western New York is different today than 30 years ago. There is not the large immigrant population coming to Western New York today. The Catholic Church is simply recognizing that fact and adapting to the circumstances.

The gas bill still has to be paid. The result is that Parishes are combining or closing. What was once vibrant community centers are now seen purely as excess Western New York Real Estate. With so many people leaving Western New York and not the wave of immigrants to fill their place Western New York is changing dramatically. Much to the dismay of the highly ethnic parishes, which much of their identity is tied to their church.

The Catholic Diocese doing the best thing they can. The responsible thing in fact. “It is examining its resources and responsibilities, and honestly deciding and acting to deliver the best possible service in the most efficient way possible.” said Martin Bartnik in his editorial. It is not their fault that people are not attending Church regularly, and the Diocese is reacting to what is, not what they hope to happen. In doing so, the initial shock and pain will dwindle and perhaps these new combined communities will be able to build and grow.

So like so many other aspects of life in Western New York we see that there are many changes, not only for Catholics but all members of our community. This is just the first wave of changes that we will see in the coming years in Western New York. All important in the rebuilding of the cities ofand .

Thank you for visiting our Buffalo Real Estate website. If you enjoyed this Best Buffalo Homes post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed to get the latest Buffalo Real Estate News from your Buffalo Realtor, Colleen Kulikowski & the Best Buffalo Homes Team! Need help right away? Call us at (716) 650-0051 to speak with us. Search all homes for sale at www.SearchBuffaloHomes.com in the Greater Buffalo region.