Vatican vetoes Buffalo diocese parish merger, proposed church sale
The rulings follow sustained efforts by local Catholics to preserve the life and ministry of their parish communities.
The Vatican has overturned two restructuring decrees from the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, granting relief to two Catholic communities that had appealed their cases to Rome.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy revoked two decrees issued by Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher, halting a planned parish merger and the proposed sale of another church, WIVB News 4, a CBS affiliate, reported Aug. 13.
The decrees to allow St. Josaphat Parish in Cheektowaga to remain independent rather than merge with Resurrection Parish and to keep Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Wilson open are part of a much broader diocesan restructuring, which the diocese has attributed to bankruptcy, declining Mass attendance, and a shortage of priests. The plan, initially announced in 2024, would merge approximately one-third of its 160 parishes and reduce the number of worship sites by 38%, according to Spectrum News 1.
The diocese said it would abide by the decisions as the affected parish communities move forward.
“The Bishop respects the decision of the Dicastery and will not appeal these decisions,” a spokesperson from the diocese said in a recent statement to WIVB. “That said, these parishes will be closely monitored to ensure that they can remain viable and self-sustaining going forward.”
Carol Hartwig, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, welcomed the Vatican’s decision.
“Oh, we were so excited!” Hartwig told WKBW. “It took us three years of hard work — but it paid off, and the Lord was with us.”
The Vatican previously intervened in appeals arising from Buffalo’s restructuring, temporarily pausing mergers and closures involving 14 parishes in May 2025 while it reviewed their cases, as Zeale News reported.
Our Lady of the Rosary parishioner Mary Moley-Palacios reflected on the recent decision, pointing to the church’s continuing service to the community.
“It was logical to respond this way because the pre-K, the food pantry, and the masses were open 300-plus days a year,” Moley-Palacios told WKBW. “That door opens for something to feed our community, and it made sense to stay open.”
