From the Desk of Fr. Ron...
as published in the bulletin dated May 28, 2023

Wednesday, May 17th, multiple priests met with Most Rev. Michael Fisher, Bishop of Buffalo, Fr. Peter Karalus, Vicar General, Fr. Bryan Zielenieski, Vicar for the Renewal, and the Vicar Forane of the Diocese of Buffalo.  At that gathering, 10 New Family Pastors were named, also 15 Senior Parochial Vicars, 13 Parochial Vicars, and 8 priests who will function as Teams in Ministry.

Our Parish Family is family No. 15. Our family is yet to be named but includes Nativity BVM, Our Lady of Peace, St. Mary Swormville, and St. Teresa in Akron.  As of July 1st, our new family Pastor will be Fr. Thomas M. Mahoney.  Fr. Tom, a former accountant, was ordained a priest in 2015 and served his first four years of priesthood at St. Gregory the Great.  He was then appointed Administrator of St. Peter Parish in Lewiston and is currently the Pastor of Infant of Prague in Cheektowaga. 

Within our parish family, Fr. Walter Szczesny and Fr. Art Mattulke will remain and have been appointed Senior Parochial Vicors of the family.  A "senior parochial vicar" is a former pastor who has relinquished his position as pastor to work along with another priest who has been apointed a family pastor. Fr. Luke Uebler will be leaving St. Mary Swormville and taking up his new role as Pastor of a Family in Lewiston.

Joining our family wil be Fr. Joseph Franz, who was ordained in June of last year. Fr. Joseph spent his first summer serving at Our Lady of Victory Basilica and then returned to St. Mary's Seminary & University for futher studies and received his licentiate degree in spirituality.  He has now returned to begin his life of ministry within our Family of Parishes. 

We pray for and welcome our new Family Pastor Fr. Thomas Mahoney and priests of our family, Fr. Walter Szczesny, Fr. Art Mattulke, and Fr. Joseph Franz.  Thank you, Lord, for Your blessings. 

The month of June will be a month of transitions as Fr. Mahoney visits all the parishes and has dialouge with our currenty respective pastors and administrators.  As stated before, the hard date of transition will be July 1, 2023.  However, because of our Missionary Cooperative Guest, my last weekend liturgies will take place on the June 18th weekend.

Fr. Ron

Welcome, Fr. Mahoney!
Photo from www.wnycatholicarchive.org