When men consider a vocation to the priesthood, they can’t help but think about what it is they will have to give up in answering this call from God. In the case of Father Jacek Mazur, he gave up more than most but if you asked him, he’d tell you that what he has gained in the process has been more than he could have ever imagined.

Jacek Mazur was born in the town of Paczkow in Poland. He is the oldest of three children and his parents, two sisters and most of his extended family members still reside there. When he was about 16 years old, he felt God’s Grace touch him and he knew he wanted to become a priest. He remembers being very positively influenced by his teacher, Father Peter.  Jacek attended the local public school so it seems very strange that a Catholic priest would be teaching there but because Poland is 95% Catholic, religion is taught in all the schools. As Father Mazur explains, “They see it as something beneficial for society as a whole.” He recalls that Father Peter was very much like the late Pope John Paul II in that he enjoyed spending time with young people, hiking, and participating in outdoor activities. Father Mazur added, “He was a marvelous young priest who changed my ideas on the priesthood concerning what a priest can be and what he can do.”

He entered the Pallotine Seminary in Poland.  At that time, Pope John Paul II was encouraging young priests and seminarians in Poland to go west and evangelize. As a seminarian he thought that was good advice for someone else. In 1998 he made his first trip to the United States when he went to Chicago to study English. He was not in a very good section of Chicago and his experience of America was less than positive. When he returned to Poland, God sent people into his life who wrote letters encouraging him to come back to the U.S. They told him he would be helpful to immigrants and that he was very much needed in America. God revealed to him that the United States was where he needed Jacek to serve. Jacek did not agree with that plan at first but eventually decided to follow God’s will rather than his own. He said, “God is always showing me bigger horizons. He has constantly challenged me over the years. I love challenges, they keep me going.”

So he changed the course of his priestly studies and entered Orchard Lake Seminary in Michigan, where many seminarians from Poland study while adjusting to the United States. Once there, he had many choices of dioceses to which he could apply. His classmates were shocked to learn he passed up places like Venice, Florida, Houston, Texas and Los Angeles, California to go to Buffalo. He had visited Buffalo twice and found that he loved the people and felt very much at home when he was there. He remarked that, “This diocese has given me so many opportunities; I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.” He also mentioned that he has many wonderful places to visit now that his classmates have chosen other locations.

Father Mazur was ordained a deacon by Bishop Mansell in 2003. He spent a year at St. Andrew’s in Kenmore and still keeps in touch with many of the friends he made there. After he was ordained to the priesthood in 2004, he returned to Poland to say his first Mass. His wonderful teacher, mentor and friend, Father Peter preached at that Mass. When he returned to Buffalo he was assigned to St. Paul’s in Kenmore for a year and a half. He was then reassigned to St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus in Niagara Falls as administrator for another year and a half.

In 2008 five parishes in Niagara Falls were merged together to form the new parish entity of Divine Mercy. Father Mazur was appointed as Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish and considers it a very successful merger. They were able to use many of the statues and other meaningful things from the five parishes that closed so that everyone had something of their own to add to the new parish. Divine Mercy has a vibrant choir, bereavement group, religious education, and a growing St. Vincent de Paul group. They have a food pantry to help local families as well as social events and prayer time together. In May of 2011, Father Mazur was given the additional assignment of Pastor of St. Mary of the Cataract Parish in Niagara Falls. He is currently the Pastor of both St. Mary and Divine Mercy Parishes.

Father Jacek enjoys hiking, music, and animals. He has a dog and a few doves as pets. He also likes meeting new people and traveling. He has been back to Poland a few times to visit his family. He celebrated his sister’s wedding and a year later baptized her daughter. He would like to visit more friends around the United States and see more of his family in Poland but his new position keeps him very busy.

He very much enjoys his priesthood. Celebrating the sacraments and being there with people who are in need of the assistance of a priest are most special to him. He wishes he had more time for counseling people who need help. Father Mazur was involved with WLOF Radio twice a week as a talk show co-host. When he was first approached to do this he said it was the last thing he had considered doing. He felt unprepared and nervous because he is not a native speaker but the more he did it, the more comfortable he became. This is another activity he finds he can’t do any more because of the business of parish life. He has been asked to speak at a Divine Mercy Conference in San Diego, California and is very excited about participating in that. When time permits, he would like to become involved in prison ministry so he can further promote the teachings on the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ.

As mentioned before, Father Mazur enjoys challenges. He feels that the priesthood is very mentally and physically challenging. There are many things a priest has to deal with that can be uncomfortable but each new challenge brings an opportunity for growth. One of the biggest challenges he finds is bringing lapsed Catholics back home to the Church. He finds that there are many reasons why people leave the Church and he feels it is very important to do everything he can to welcome them back home.

“Don’t be afraid to say ‘yes’ to Christ” is the advice Father Mazur would give to a man considering the priesthood. He adds, “If you hear his voice, pay attention! Don’t try to put it aside.” He feels that God has a plan for everyone’s life. By answering “yes” to His call, you will find the happiness you seek. If you ignore it, you may end up being unhappy because you are not doing what God intended you to do. He recommends that men pray for an increase in virtues and pray for the courage to say “yes” on a daily basis to God’s will. He admits it is not easy to say “yes.” Sometimes God demands so much. As in his own life, God asked him to leave everything behind to follow Him… literally!

If one thing is for sure, Father Jacek Mazur is very happy being a priest. He feels it is an adventure and he exclaimed, "I thank God every day for giving me this opportunity to serve Him and His people, to be a part of His Church and work in His vineyard. It's been nothing but a great experience and I would never want to do anything else. I love where I am, the people I serve and what I do."

One step at a time, one day at a time – that is how Father Paul Bossi takes life. He is currently the pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. Looking back on his 42 years of priesthood, it is easy to see how each step of his life has been guided and inspired by God.

He grew up in St. Lawrence Parish on East Delavan in the Pine Hill section of Buffalo. His mother’s family owned a commercial construction company. It was started by her father who moved from Canada to the USA in 1917 and started the company in 1925. His mother worked as a bookkeeper and his father worked as a bricklayer. His father came to Buffalo in 1936 from Detroit, Michigan and in 1939 he married the boss’s daughter and young Paul arrived, after his older brother, in 1944. His parents were very devout Catholics. His father was an usher and active in the Holy Name Society. He always wore a coat and tie to church, and their faith was a big part of their family life.

After graduating from 8^th grade at St. Lawrence, Paul attended Canisius High School. In his senior year, he and six others from his class felt called to the priesthood and decided to apply to the Jesuit Order’s junior seminary. Paul was advised to spend some time in college first before entering the Jesuits. So he attended Canisius College and continued to discern his vocation to the priesthood there. He then thought about the priests who had influenced his life, Monsignor Leo Pulling, Father Harry Melly, Father Daniel Myszka and others who were a wonderful example to him when he attended St. Lawrence elementary school. Father Kerrigan at Canisius College told him to ask himself, “What is the essence of priesthood?” He thought about it and what was drawing him to this vocation. The charisma of the Jesuits leaned more towards teaching, missionary work, and education while the charisma of the diocesan priest was more centered on ministering to the daily needs of God’s people and to the liturgical life of the Church.

On a cold February evening in the middle of philosophy class during his second year at Canisius College, Paul was hit by the thought, “I need to make a decision now about what I want to do for the rest of my life.” He came to the conclusion that God was calling him to become a diocesan priest. The time seemed to fly between that February evening and the beginning of the next school year. He left Canisius College and entered St. John Vianney Major Seminary in East Aurora. He recalls praying to Jesus on the first night in the seminary, “Lord, you got me here, I don’t know how I got here so quickly and I don’t know if I should be here but, Lord, I’ll take it one day at a time with you.”

Father Paul was ordained in 1969 along with 23 other men for the Diocese of Buffalo. His first assignment, as was common in that day, was for one year in what was called the Missionary Apostolate. Back in the 1940’s Bishop John O’Hara saw a need for greater evangelization in the southern tier in the areas of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties. Many small churches were started in those areas and for many years, until 1970, the newly ordained priests staffed them. Father Paul was sent to St. Jude Church in Sardinia, New York. Once a week all the new priests met at the parish of Blessed Sacrament in Delevan, New York to share their experiences and receive whatever guidance was necessary from the director. Father Paul had never lived in a rural area before and was a bit nervous and uneasy about the move. But, fortunately, he found the people very warm and welcoming. It was a wonderful year.

His next assignment was to St. Rose of Lima Parish in North Buffalo as an associate pastor. There were three priests in residence which was the norm because of the large amount of priests in the diocese at that time. He spent six and a half years under two pastors who helped and guided him in his ministry. In 1976 a classmate who was teaching in a diocesan high school, which was one of 27 diocesan high schools, asked him to consider teaching at Baker Victory High School in Lackawanna. Thoughts of his original intent to enter the Jesuits were still in the back of his mind and he thought, “I wonder if I could teach?” He agreed to give it a try and very much enjoyed the experience. Besides teaching, he was also the Guidance Counselor. He lived with six other priests during that time and found their companionship to be a wonderful source of support and affirmation. He helped out on the weekends at Our Lady of Victory Basilica and after two years at the school, the pastor, Monsignor Robert Murphy, asked him to become the parochial vicar to that parish. During the six years he spent at OLV, he was able to make some meaningful contributions. He was put in charge of overseeing the replacement of the church pipe organ. Having played organ in churches during high school years, he was familiar with many of the aspects involved. While at the Basilica, Father Paul also saw the need to minister to the many pilgrims who came to visit the awesome Church and grounds inspired by then Venerable Father Nelson Baker. He started by introducing a visitor’s book so people could sign in and to record their visit. This became helpful in requesting donations later to provide for the upkeep of the Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity facilities. Father Paul also created, with the assistance of the institution director, Monsignor Robert Wurtz, a three-fold brochure about the parish and its history which he placed in all the area hotels. This promotion increased the attendance of visitors. The gift shop was re-opened and enlarged, tours were given by a group of volunteers and now many people come to this destination to witness the great inspiration of Father Baker’s dream.

Once again it was time for Father Paul to move on to another location. In 1984 he was asked by Bishop Edward Head to become pastor of Holy Cross Parish on the lower west side of Buffalo. Father Paul had been ordained for 15 years by that time but, because of the large number of priests in the diocese, it was unusually early to become a pastor. It seems strange today as many men are named pastors after only a few years of priestly ministry because of the shortage. Holy Cross Parish was a good fit for Father Paul because of his Italian heritage. It was originally founded as an Italian parish but then included many Puerto Rican families. Although he did not speak Spanish, Father Paul learned enough to be able to say Mass in that language. He very much enjoyed ministering to the people of the parish. The Italian families had spaghetti dinners and St. Joseph’s tables and with Father Paul’s blessing, the Puerto Rican families enjoyed dances and other religious and cultural activities like the “Children of Mary” group and the annual Posada. They got along together and often experienced each other’s cultural celebrations. Father Paul remarked about the unity of the parish. “It was just a matter of loving people and being with them as they celebrated the things they found important.” While he was there he began another Legion of Mary group which he also started at St. Rose of Lima and Our Lady of Victory. They were all very open to this great devotion to Our Lady.

While at Holy Cross, Father Paul helped start a new regional school that would serve the students of all the parishes in that region, now referred to as a cluster of the new vicariate. There were quite a few parish elementary schools that had closed and he worried about what would happen to the families of these parishes who wanted a Catholic school for their children. After meeting with all the parish leaders in the region, they came to the conclusion that it would be best to have one new school supported by all. Catholic Academy of West Buffalo was very successful from the start, at first with an enrollment of 600 students. Two sites were needed to accommodate everyone. Today, after 23 years, the school is still strong with about 225 students but only one campus at the location of the former Cathedral School next to Blessed Sacrament Parish on Delaware Avenue.

Social justice issues are of great important to Father Paul. He became involved in remedying situations involving the marginalization of members of his community while at Holy Cross. Block Clubs were started to deal with rising crime rates in the area and to give the residents a chance to take ownership of their problems. Due to certain needs in the 1990’s, Father Paul became involved with a group called VOICE-Buffalo in an effort to bring attention to the needs of the people living in poverty and crime areas. He points out that the Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization on the planet and feels that we need to take the Gospel values to the streets. The Church has a strong social justice theology that goes back to Pope Leo XIII and right up to the present with many documents given by our United States Conference of Bishops and our late Holy Father Pope John Paul II. He stated that, “Our Church should strive to be involved in issues outside the doors of the church which impact and affect the poor and marginalized.” Influenced no doubt by the time he spent at Our Lady of Victory, Father Paul noted that Father Baker saw the needs of his day and sought to help people. He saw abandoned children and youth and so took them in at an Orphanage and Protectory. He saw the need of unwed mothers and so started the Infant Home and later started a maternity hospital, and more. Toward the end of his life in his 90’s, Father Baker said that if the Lord had given him more years he would have built a home for the elderly and started a junior college so as to meet the educational needs of everyone from early childhood on.

In 1995, when Monsignor Paul Juenker was retired as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, the site of the Catholic Academy of West Buffalo, Bishop Edward Head asked Father Paul to take over that parish as pastor. The bishop knew that Father Paul was instrumental in the creation of that regional school and wanted someone there as pastor who had a vested interest in preserving it. When it was started in 1988, it was the only regional school in the nation. Bishop Head was very proud of its existence and saw the value of it succeeding. Father Paul now acts as Canonical Administrator for the school. Students in the school come from 27 different zip codes and 25 different parishes. The students are the largest recipients of the Bison Fund Scholarship program in the Western New York area.

As far as his priesthood is concerned, Father Paul states that, “I am very happy in my ministry!” He feels that there is such a variety of experiences every day. “There is always something new in parish work,” he added. In his days at St. Rose of Lima, he was also involved with a group of priests who formed a vocation team and spoke at local high schools to promote vocations to the priesthood. He very much enjoyed talking to young men about being open to the possibility of God’s call to them as priests. He gave talks with priests from different religious orders such as Franciscans, Maryknollers, Divine Word Fathers, Oblates, Barnabites, Jesuits, and others. Monsignor Richard Nugent was the Diocesan Vocation Director at the time and asked Father Paul to join. They would each talk about life in their situations as priests so as to give the young men a more complete vision of what priesthood is about. Father Paul would often tell the students, “You may not feel as if God is calling you to the priesthood. If it’s not you, the guy next to you might have a vocation. Pray for him.” He would pray with the group, “Lord, you’re calling some here to the priesthood. We pray that they could be open to your invitation.”

The loss of population in Western New York, as well as the shortage of priests, has created some problems for the priesthood. The financial aspects of being a pastor is challenging with less people contributing to the needs of the parish. Many priests now live alone in a parish, and that is a challenge. Father Paul finds that this can hinder a sense of support and companionship that he enjoyed as a younger priest. Father Paul encourages priests to become involved in groups that are formed to bring them together in a spiritual environment such as Emmaus and Jesus Caritas groups. He finds that Jesus Caritas group which he belongs to is a wonderful blessing for his ministry and his priesthood. He recalls that he was also involved in an ecumenical spirituality and prayer group which included laity, nuns, and protestant ministers. Their meetings consisted of prayer and discussion. This provided him with a bond to other religious groups within his community. Contributing much to the needs of the Church, Father Paul was involved in the Church Musicians’ Guild as moderator for over 18 years. He was elected to the Priests’ Council and the Priests’ Personnel Board. Bishop Henry Mansell and Bishop Edward Kmiec appointed him to multiple terms as the Episcopal Vicar of Northwest Buffalo.

“The Lord is ever active calling men to ‘Come follow me,’” exclaims Father Paul. He advises men to pray about it, think about it, and ask the Lord how they can be generous back to Him with the blessings they’ve been given. He believes men should consider themselves disciples of the Lord wherever they are. Some are being called to be full time disciples for the Lord, but every Catholic is called to live out their faith in one way or another – as consecrated religious or as husbands, wives, or single people. If you find yourself called to the priesthood, Father Paul suggests, “Take it one day at a time. God will give you the grace you need to get through every day.”

Thoughts of the priesthood began to surface for Father Sibby when he was in the fifth grade at Holy Cross Grammar School. The Felician Sister who taught the class at Holy Cross Parish School on the West Side of Buffalo gave her students an assignment to write an essay about what they would like to be when they grew up. Young Sebastian, known as Sibby, wrote about the possibility of becoming a priest. He went on to graduate from Bishop Fallon High School and continued his studies at Canisius College. He very much enjoyed his freshman year at Canisius but somehow felt something was missing. Studying Law and Accounting kept him busy but he also found time to be involved in parish life at Holy Cross Church. As a youngster, he was very positively influenced by the exemplary priests he encountered at his home parish such as Msgr. Joseph Gambino and Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti as well as the Caligiuri brothers – Anthony and Angelo – and the Amico brothers – Richard and Charles – two sets of brothers who became priests. The wonderful influence of those priests helped Sibby to be open to the call from God that led him to speak to Msgr. Lorenzetti about the possibility of looking into the priesthood. Sibby went to visit Wadham’s Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, NY with the then vocation director, Father Theodore Kraus. He began his sophomore year there and upon graduation went on to Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora where he received his Master of Divinity Degree.

Nearly thirty years have passed since his ordination to the priesthood on January 30, 1982. Father Sibby fondly remembers his early assignments to Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Orchard Park where he spent five years as a parochial vicar as well as the seven years he spent in the same capacity at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Hamburg. After spending a year and a half as a parochial vicar at Christ the King Parish in Snyder, he was assigned as Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Dunkirk where he spent five years and then to St. Peter Parish in Lewiston where he was the pastor for twelve years.

One of the challenges he finds about the priesthood concerns the current shortage of priests. When he was ministering in parishes back in the 80’s and 90’s, there were usually two or three priests in residence at a parish. It was helpful to have the support and fellowship of other priests in day to day ministry. It was during this time that Father Sibby served in his various assignments with Monsignor Thomas Beasley, Monsignor Donald Armbrewster, Monsignor Jim Licenthal, and Fathers Jerry Sheehan, James O’Connor, Paul Litwin, Robert Hora, and Michael Oliver who helped support and shape him in his ministry and priesthood. For the past seventeen years, Father Sibby ministered as the only priest in the parish communities of Holy Trinity and St. Peter as pastor. During this time he was dependent upon the parishioners to assist him in building up the Body of Christ in these parishes for it is impossible for one priest to do it alone. Father Sibby underwent various knee surgeries in 2008 to 2010 and has just completed a three month sabbatical which dealt with wellness in the areas of health, nutrition, physical fitness, grief and loss and spirituality. He feels it is important to find a balance between time for God, time for ministry and time for one’s self. When one of those areas is ignored, the other two will suffer. When there is a good, healthy balance, things work much better.

In September of 2011, Father Sibby was asked by Bishop Kmiec to assist Father Mark Wolski at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Hamburg, a place he knew well. He exclaimed, “It was an easy decision for me to say yes to Bishop Kmiec since I spent seven wonderful years there.” Father Mark was ministering alone in that large parish since the departure of Father Jim Kirkpatrick who moved on in August to further studies at Catholic University. Father Mark welcomed the help Father Sibby could provide as a seasoned priest of the diocese.

Father Sibby and his younger brother, Joe, were blessed to have parents (Nick and Connie) who enjoyed 58 years of marriage. Their father passed away in February of 2010 and their mother still lives independently in the family home in Tonawanda. Father Sibby enjoys spending time with his mother and she enjoys his company along with having someone to cook for from time to time. He enjoys cooking himself as well as rooting on the Buffalo Bills and Sabres and the New York Yankees. Listening to music and reading books provide much needed relaxation for Father Sibby. For the past sixteen years, he has enjoyed the company of two golden retrievers. Harley was around for thirteen years and now Sonny is three years old. He feels that, “golden retrievers are wonderful dogs because they love you unconditionally.”

When Father Sibby was younger, he and his father spent a lot of time working on cars together. This proved to be a special bonding time for both of them. Father Sibby has owned with his dad a few classic cars such as a ‘57 Chevy, ’69 Chevy Malibu Convertible, ’73 Corvette and a ‘64 Corvette. He is now the proud owner of his “dream car” a 1955 Chevy which has been completely restored. It is a modified hot rod and he enjoys driving it and taking it to car shows and car cruises. He has even won a few awards for it.

Father Sibby enjoys his priesthood very much. He feels there is nothing he would rather do. He finds it extremely rewarding, “being able to minister to people by celebrating the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.” He feels, “The gift of Jesus Christ, his body broken, his blood poured out for us, and sharing in the ministry of Christ to do what happened at the Last Supper is the greatest blessing I can receive as a priest.” He also finds it important “to meet the needs of God’s people to the best of his ability, to reach out to the sick, the poor, to work with children and to assist people in their struggles.” Father Sibby finds celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation to be a most humbling experience as we are all in need of God’s mercy, forgiveness and love in our lives. It is through his ministry that he prays that he is able to bring God’s blessings and love to others.

Men who are discerning the priesthood, in Father Sibby’s opinion, need to reflect on why they are being called to this ministry of priesthood. They need to make sure the reason they want to be a priest is to follow the way of the Lord; to imitate him and be his disciple in the world today. “Hopefully a man considering priesthood has a positive relationship with the Lord in prayer; is not just full of book knowledge but wants to become a true minister of the Gospel; due to his experience of the Sacraments, his spirituality and his commitment to serve the People of God and remember that Christ came to serve and not be served,” explains Father Sibby.

Father Sibby describes his thirty years of priesthood as "positive, fruitful, life giving years for me and hopefully for those to whom I have ministered." He continued, "My priesthood has been a blessing filled with joys and sorrows, with successes and failures, filled with many friends, a gift and true calling from God who has blesed me in abundance." He looks forward to many more years of ministry and asks for your prayers for him as he prays for all the People of God in our Diocese.

Coaching baseball and residing in a hospital have a much less tragic connection than might be thought of when talking about the life of Father Duke Zajac. One did not lead to the other but both have provided much joy and fulfillment for Father Duke.

As a young boy, Richard Edward Zajac and his brother, Robert, spent a lot of time working at their father’s grocery store. The Black Rock Food Center was one of many businesses in the area that provided for the needs of the community. Close by were a drug store, appliance store, sports equipment, pet, and shoe stores. As Father Duke puts it, “The stores back then were like community centers. Anything you needed to maintain your life was within walking distance from your home.” Everyone knew each other and felt comfortable sharing their joys and sorrows, accomplishments and problems. The gamut of life walked in and out of the family store every day and as young Duke listened to all of it, he thought that someday he’d like to be able to help people with their problems. That, combined with the inspirational leadership of Father Walter Matuszak at Assumption Parish led young Duke to consider the priesthood as his life’s vocation. He attended Assumption Grade School and helped out as an altar server as well. Then it was on to the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary High School where he was one of 120 boys who began that freshman year. In 1967 he graduated from high school with a class of 70. In 1971 he earned a B.A. in Philosophy from St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora, now called Christ the King.

It was during his time in undergraduate school while working at his father’s store on summer break that his life would turn to baseball very unexpectedly. Duke was asked by the local optometrist and Assumption School Board President, Dr. Stephen Gladysz, if he would coach baseball for the boys at Assumption. Duke had played some baseball but didn’t consider himself a great player. He probably never would have taken up coaching had he never been asked but as he puts it now, “That asking opened a door to my life that has been unbelievably rich and rewarding.” He agreed to coach that summer and it changed his life. For the next fourteen summers and the fall as well, he coached various teams including the parish school team at St. Ambrose, his first assignment. He got to know the boys well and performed many of their weddings when they got older. Among them was Mike Buczkowski, the General Manager of the Buffalo Bisons, as well as Mike’s daughter whose wedding he performed years later.

After receiving a Master of Divinity Degree from St. John Vianney Seminary in 1975, Father Duke spent a year and a half as a deacon at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Depew and was ordained to the priesthood in May of 1976. His first assignment was as Associate Pastor of St. Ambrose Church in South Buffalo. Father Duke and the newly appointed pastor of the parish, Father Bill Stanton, arrived at their assignments the same day. The parish was in great need of renewal and together, Father Bill and Father Duke began the process. Father Duke was told earlier that, “Your first assignment makes or breaks you.” Looking back, he feels that the seven years he spent at St. Ambrose made for an extremely positive experience. When talk of reassignment came in 1982, Father Duke was greatly saddened. Facing the reality that he had to move on was very difficult. While coaching a baseball game at St. Ambrose he received word that the next chapter of his life was about to begin. An opportunity had become available earlier that summer to do Clinical Pastoral Education at Mercy Hospital, a prerequisite for certification for chaplaincy. Father Duke had taken advantage of it not realizing that an assignment to a hospital would be in his immediate future. That assignment to Sisters Hospital would lead him to help people who were in great need of comfort and that took a little of the sting out of leaving St. Ambrose. After all, that was what attracted him to the priesthood in the first place.

From 1982 to the present, Father Duke has been a Chaplain at Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo. Twenty-nine years of service to those in need has brought him great satisfaction. He is a member of several boards including American Veterans Post #45 Parochial Baseball League, of which he is the current president, The Amherst Meals on Wheels, Baker Victory Services and Timon/St. Jude High School. He is the present Chairperson of the Medical Ethics Committee at Sisters Hospital and also a member of the Priests’ Council of the Diocese of Buffalo, the Ecumenical Commission of the Diocese of Buffalo, the Perinatal Bereavement Network of WNY, the Ethics Committee of the Catholic Health Care System, the Small Grants Committee of Sisters Hospital Office of Development, the Alumni Association of Buffalo Seminaries and the Catholic Health System Long Term/Home Health Care Ethics Committees. He is also a former member of several organizations.

For Father Duke, the best part and the most difficult part of priesthood are both contained in two things. The first has to do with relationships. He loves dealing with people and has made many lasting friendships throughout his priesthood. Nevertheless, it is often difficult to be with families going through tragedy such as the loss of a child in an accident or due to illness. It is also hard to deal with the many issues that surround broken families. It can be both gut-wrenching and fulfilling at the same time to minister to those in need. The second is preaching. Father Duke spends at least 24 hours preparing a Sunday homily. Besides saying Mass at the hospital, he helps out at St. Joseph Hospital and St. Ambrose Parish on the weekends. He loves to preach and he uses imagery to assist in making his point. When he was in grade school, a priest gave a homily at a May Day event. The priest used the imagery of a beatnik to lead into a description of various species of birds and how they relate to us. Father Duke recalled being fascinated with what he had to say. It made such an impression on him that he decided he would try to make his sermons as interesting as possible when he became a priest. Father Duke enjoys attending lectures and retreats at the Chautauqua Institute at least once a year.  As much as he loves preaching, it is a lot of work and extremely time consuming to produce the type of homily he desires. Throughout his years at the hospital, Father Duke has mined the fields of great preachers from the past whose books he has read and continues to read in the middle of the night after answering a call to minister to someone in need. Not able to immediately fall back asleep, the reading of those sermons serves as “wind down” from the call before he can fall asleep again.

Once inside Father Duke’s office and living space at Sisters Hospital, those things that are most important to him become very apparent. His walls are filled with pictures of family and baseball coaching memories, including a large photograph of a scene from a Diocesan championship game. Among the many awards he has received was being named Man of the Year of Parochial Baseball in 1974, 1990, and 2010. He also wears a ring he was given when he was inducted into the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame for his 40 years of administration of the Parochial Baseball League. The wall space that is left is filled with books he uses as references for his well thought out homilies. He has even authored a few books of his own filled with the best of his homilies called, Life Injections/Connecting Scripture to the Human Experience, volumes I, II and III. He has also written a book with Robert Duggan called Living the Word/Not Only on Sunday.

Father Duke recommends to anyone considering priesthood that they make it a way of life, not just a job. It can’t be something you do just on Sunday and then put aside for the rest of the week. He expressed, “It will bring you tremendous joy as well as pain. You’ll be tired but it will be because you’ve put effort into things that really matter.”

On May 29, 2011, Bishop Edward Grosz will celebrate forty years as a priest in the Diocese of Buffalo. Forty years of a life spent learning and teaching, shepherding and serving in so many capacities.

Bishop Grosz is the middle child of three sons born to Joseph and Helen Grosz. He shares a birthday with Monsignor Nelson Baker. Both were born on February 16 although Father Baker had the date some 100 years before Bishop Grosz. Young Edward Grosz grew up in Buffalo’s Black Rock section and attended Assumption School. When he was in the second grade the Felician Sister who taught him used to leave candy bars in his desk leading him to believe he was the “teacher’s pet.” She used to tell him, “Someday, Edziu, you are going to be a priest.” He was also greatly influenced by  Reverend George P. O’Neill. Bishop Grosz carries a prayer card from the funeral of Father George in 1975 because Father George had such an impact on him as a spiritual director and mentor. Another priest who made a huge impression on Bishop Grosz was Father Daniel Pokornowski. He was on the faculty at the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary in Buffalo when young Edward applied. Father Dan knew Edward before joining the faculty and saw a priest in the making. When Edward didn’t perform well on the entrance exam due to extreme nervousness, Father Dan recommended he be admitted anyway. “It was God’s plan”, remarked Bishop Grosz, “If he hadn’t been there I wouldn’t have gotten in and I might have become a tire salesman or something instead of a priest!” It was then on to St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1971 by Bishop James A. McNulty at St. Joseph New Cathedral, Buffalo.

For five summers Bishop Grosz attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Liturgics. In Buffalo he was assigned to Transfiguration Parish on the East Side of Buffalo where he served as assistant pastor. Following that, he was assigned assistant pastor at St. Luke’s and Blessed Trinity parishes, both in Buffalo. He also served as weekend assistant at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Buffalo. His pastorates included St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Cheektowaga, St. Stanislaus Kostka and Holy Trinity Parishes in Niagara Falls, and St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Parish in Buffalo. In 1996 he was named episcopal vicar of the Western Niagara vicariate and served in that capacity until his appointment in October 2003 as pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in Buffalo. He then served as episcopal vicar of the Southeast Buffalo Vicariate.

In addition to his parish assignments, Bishop Grosz had significant experience in administrative positions. From 1975 to 1980, he was the executive secretary of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission. In 1976, Bishop Edward D. Head named him director of the Diocesan Office of Worship, a position he held for 14 years until he received his first pastorate at St. Philip the Apostle Church. In November 2003, he became the chaplain of the Western New York Division of the Polish American Congress.
 
Bishop Grosz held and continues to hold a number of positions on local, state and nation-wide boards and committees. Among those, he was the diocesan coordinator for the visit of Pope John Paul II to Toronto as well as coordinator of pilgrimages to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D. C.

In 1987, Bishop Grosz became the official liaison between the Diocese of Buffalo and the Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Community of Buffalo. He received bi-ritual faculties from Rome giving him the ability to minister in Ukrainian Byzantine parishes on occasion. He has also been very involved in dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Polish National Catholic Church.

Bishop Grosz was named a Monsignor on October 15, 1988 and was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buffalo and Titular Bishop of Morosbisdo by Pope John Paul II on November 22, 1989. He was ordained a bishop and installed to these positions at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo on February 2, 1990.

Despite his many other obligations, Bishop Grosz found time to write columns and articles for religious publications. He wrote a liturgy column for the Western New York Catholic, the monthly Catholic newspaper of the Diocese of Buffalo, and publications including The Priest, Pastoral Life, Modern Liturgy, Maria Legionis, Priestly Heart newsletter, Comfort My People newsletter, Eucharistic Minister, and The Catholic Digest. The Bishop has also authored two books, Celebrating the Marian Year (United States Catholic Conference, Washington, DC, 1987), and I Come to Serve (Pueblo Publishing Company, New York, 1987), as well as the booklet, “Walking With Jesus, The Way of the Cross,” (Pauline Books and Media, Boston MA, 1999).

On May 24, 2004, the College of Consultors of the Diocese of Buffalo elected Bishop Grosz diocesan administrator while awaiting the installation of Bishop Kmiec. For 11 years, he served as chaplain for the Villa Maria Motherhouse of the Felician Sisters in Buffalo.

When asked why he became a priest, Bishop Grosz named three main factors that influenced his life and ultimately his decision to answer “yes” when God called. First was the wonderful way the priests at his home parish of Assumption interacted with their parishioners, old and young, when he was growing up. They were there for more than just Sunday Masses. Those priests took part in everything from teaching religion in the school, to attending baseball games, treating altar servers to special outings, and in general, being present to the people to whom they ministered all week long. The second was the influence of the Felician Sisters who taught in school. “The Felician Sisters taught respect and were present wherever and whenever needed,” commented Bishop Grosz. Third was the encouragement of families and lay people in the parish. Families respected the priesthood and encouraged vocations in their own sons.  Parishioners often mentioned to young men, like Bishop Grosz, that they thought they would make good priests. These three factors combined to nurture vocations and can serve as suggestions to promote vocations today.

Bishop Grosz enjoys his role as spiritual guide and hopes he is an inspiration to those with whom he interacts. He feels it is a privilege to administer the Sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist. It is of great value to him to be with people when they are most vulnerable and hurting as well as when they are joyful in their celebration of the Sacraments. He finds it challenging to balance his daily schedule with what is expected of him. Bishop Grosz feels that today, more than ever, people need good priests modeling virtuous lives for others. “We are battling so many negative aspects in our society today such as secularism, modernism, and anti-religious sentiment” laments Bishop Grosz.

To someone considering the priesthood, Bishop Grosz begins by asking, “Where is the spirit leading you? Why do you think you’d like to be a priest?” This gives a point of departure from which he can proceed to help them discern. He always advises them to become more prayerful. He suggests they give God more of their time by attending daily Mass as often as possible, getting involved in parish life wherever feasible and talking to priests they admire. He also feels it is very important for priests to tap those who seem to be heading in the direction of priesthood on the shoulder to encourage that possible vocation. It is the responsibility of priests to create an environment where the seed of vocation can grow. As he put it, “Priests beget priests.”

Bishop Edward Grosz is very happy being a priest. He says, “There are good days and bad days like in any life. There are moments when you feel like you’re on Calvary and moments when you feel like you just emerged from the tomb.” Overall, the feeling is one of fulfillment and joy in a life he wouldn’t trade for any other.

A native of Limanowa, Poland, Ryszard Biernat grew up on a farm the second youngest of nine siblings. As a boy, thoughts of the priesthood never entered his mind. His family was not overly religious. They attended Mass on the weekends and he went to religious education classes because all the Catholics in Poland did, but he didn’t get involved much beyond that. “Church in Poland is very different than it is here,” recalls Fr. Ryszard, “It’s very formal. You go to Mass in a suit and tie and there aren’t a lot of social things. The priests really don’t mingle with people, where here it seems the priests and bishops are more accessible to the people.”

He earned a degree in electrical engineering but reminisced, “I wasn’t sure what to do with my life. I was finishing school and I wasn’t sure where to go from there.” Little did he know at the time that God had big plans for his future and was about to let Ryszard in on those plans. At 20 years old, he recalled, “I went for a walk in the woods one night, kind of searching for some direction. That’s when I felt God’s presence. It’s hard to explain the experience in words, but it was very powerful – the most powerful experience I’ve ever had of God in my life. It certainly changed me and changed my path.” After that, thoughts of becoming a priest became stronger. He attended seminary in Poland for two years and explained, “Our bishop was encouraging us to look into other dioceses because our diocese in Tarnow had too many priests. That is why I chose to come to the United States.”

Ryszard arrived at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, MI in 2002, a Polish seminary where both English and Polish were spoken. He stayed for two years and then transferred to Christ the King Seminary in the Buffalo Diocese. “Christ the King was challenging for me at first, mostly because I wasn’t used to reading and speaking in English exclusively. Getting used to the culture differences was tough as well. It helped that Christ the King was a smaller seminary, because I could get more individual attention, which was helpful, and because I could get to know everyone. When I started having American friends that I could socialize with and share experiences with was when I really started liking it here.”

While studying at Christ the King, he experienced a variety of parishes during the summers between semesters including St. Francis of Assisi in Tonawanda, St. Martin de Porres in Buffalo and St. Mary of the Angels in Olean. He spent his time as a transitional deacon at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Depew. He also served at the Franciscan Center in Buffalo, a temporary shelter for troubled young men, and participated in the Central City Practicum, a field education experience in social outreach on Buffalo’s East Side. He spent a month in silence one summer at a Trappist Abbey in South Carolina. “The silence was wonderful; it wasn’t hard at all for me. It gave me time to really re-examine my call to the priesthood, which I had never done to that degree before, so having that time to reflect on it really deepened my relationship with God.”

Fr. Ryszard was ordained to the priesthood August 8, 2009 by Bishop Edward Kmiec. After celebrating his first Mass at St. Francis of Assisi in Tonawanda and then another Mass at St. Mary of the Angels in Olean, he returned to Poland to celebrate Mass and enjoy a long awaited reunion with his family. His first assignment was as parochial vicar at Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Orchard Park. It was there that he had the opportunity to rekindle the hobby he enjoyed as a youth, beekeeping. When he was in sixth grade in Poland he saved some money and bought his first bee hive. He maintained it until he left for the U.S. in 2002 at which time his mother took over the responsibility. There was enough land at Nativity in the cemetery to set up a hive again, so Fr. Ryszard got right to it. He was transferred to St. Amelia’s Parish in Tonawanda on September 11, 2010. The bees remain in Orchard Park but Fr. Ryszard says he can still check on them when needed.

Besides beekeeping, Fr. Ryszard enjoys snowboarding, cross country skiing and rollerblading, all sports he picked up since he arrived in the United States. He also likes to keep in shape by lifting weights. The winters are long and he feels it’s best to find ways to enjoy them. He also owns a Yamaha motorcycle, something he always wanted to try and now really enjoys. Recently, he has decided to learn Latin and German. He is a man who likes to explore his many interests.

The celebration of the Eucharist is what he enjoys most about the priesthood. He notes without hesitation, “I feel most secure, most myself, most at peace right there behind the altar.” He finds that it can be challenging to deal with so many people who all have different expectations concerning their priests. One person likes humor in the homilies, another does not. Another thinks, “Why would I bother coming to Mass unless it’s going to last at least an hour?” while someone else wants Mass to last just fifteen minutes. Fr. Ryszard believes you can’t please everyone so you have to meet them where they are and go from there. He also finds the ministry places many demands on his time, however, it is all time well spent.

He encourages those considering priesthood to “give it a shot!” He feels that at some point you have to make up your mind so why not enter the seminary and give as much time to God as possible in discernment? The time spent at the seminary will never be wasted because you develop as a person so you don’t lose anything. He also feels that it is better to look into it than to always wonder if you should have.

Finally, Fr. Ryszard relates that he could have been happy doing a lot of things, beekeeper, farmer, chemist…but none of them would have been as fulfilling for his entire life as the priesthood.

I was born in Buffalo in 1928, the fifth of six children. My parents were immigrants from the Sicilian region of Italy. They were both very devout Catholics from the town of Mussomeli, well-known for its fervent Catholicism and as a nurturer of numerous priestly vocations.

Growing up in Holy Cross Parish on Buffalo's lower West Side, I became an altar server in fifth grade. I greatly admired the priests of the parish, especially Father (future Bishop) James Navagh, Father (future Monsignor) Joseph Schieder, Father (future Bishop) Pius Benincasa, and Father Raymond Bosch. What impressed me particularly was their happy spirit and how generously they treated us altar servers with parties, picnics, movies, and sports. Little wonder that more than a few of us boys decided to enter the Seminary.

At the time Holy Cross Parish had no parochial school but provided a thorough catechetical program, staffed by the dedicated Missionary Sisters of the Divine Child. Classes were held twice weekly for one hour right after a full day at the public school.

After sixth grade, I transferred to the St. Louis Parish parochial school. This meant walking a mile to and from school, even though I was only eleven years old. There were several of us doing this from Holy Cross Parish so it was no great chore. There, in grades seven and eight, I was taught by the equally dedicated Sisters of St. Joseph. The eighth grade teacher, Sister Gregory, was widely known for fostering priestly vocations.

At the age of thirteen, I began high school studies at the "Diocesan Preparatory Seminary" (then called the "Little Seminary of St. Joseph and the Little Flower"). There I spent four happy years of high school and one year of college. We were given an excellent education, integrated with athletics and many other activities. The staff of priests was exemplary.

In 1946, shortly after World War II, at the age of eighteen I was sent with two classmates to Rome at the Urban College (Seminary) of Propaganda Fide for seven years leading to priestly ordination. The Seminary is located on a hill facing the Vatican. From my window I could see St. Peter's Basilica and late into the night the light in the window of Pope Pius XII.

The seminarians were from about thirty-five countries - all living together as brothers. The superiors couldn't do enough to provide a genial atmosphere. These were among the happiest years of my life.

Of course, from Rome I enjoyed occasional visits to my parents' birthplace in Sicily where I met my grandmther - in her upper nineties - and other close relatives. This proved to be a very important influence in my life, retracing my roots and discovering how deeply religious they were.

I was ordained a priest in Rome on December 21, 1952. I celebrated my first Solemn Mass in Mussomeli on Christmas Day. The day before, the whole population of twelve thousand turned out to greet the "new priest." If the Pope himself had visited the town, the reception could not have been more solemn.

Upon my return to Buffalo, I served in three parishes over five years before being sent once more to Rome, this time for two years leading to a doctorate in theology in 1960. These were especially exciting times, coinciding with the first two years of the pontificate of the charismatic John XXIII.

Returning to Buffalo in 1960, I began teaching in various seminaries: the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora, and various places abroad. Since 1990 I've been a theology professor at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.

At the age of eighty-two, I look back over fifty-eight years of priesthood with gratitude to God for the grace of achieving not only one but both of my boyhood dreams - to be a priest and to be a teacher.

W. Jerome Sullivan was born to the family of a traveling salesman and along with his older sister and two younger brothers, moved five times before the age of nine. His father worked as a pharmaceutical salesman covering a large area of New York State. Finally settling in Williamsville, Jerry was influenced by Msgr. George Zimpfer, a pastor of great vision at SS. Peter & Paul Church, who built a strong Christian community and was in many ways ahead of his time.

The Catholic faith and music, always present in his home, were very instrumental in forming young Jerry. His mother, Gertrude, a teacher, served as organist and choir director at their home parish, St. Felix in Clifton Springs, NY. His father, William, a natural salesman, was successful because he cared for all he encountered on his routes. As he got older, Jerry would travel with his father during the summer months to help with the driving. He remembers that his father knew the daily Mass schedule for all the areas he visited and made good use of it. This attention to faith undoubtedly influenced Jerry’s future vocation choice. The Sullivan home was often the gathering place for the entire neighborhood, hosting daily softball games during the summer months.

When he was 14 years old and in the eighth grade, Jerry’s teacher asked the class if anyone was interested in taking the entrance exam for the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary. Young Jerry’s hand went up. His friends were a little surprised but he felt it was something he really wanted to do. After six years there, the future Fr. Sullivan completed his college education at St. Bernard’s in Rochester in 1958. He was then assigned to the North American College in Rome to begin theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 20, 1961 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Not long after, in 1962, he received his Licentiate in Sacred Theology.

He then returned to the Diocese of Buffalo and began his ministry in the missionary apostolate at St. John Fisher Parish in South Dayton. Within a short period of time he was asked to return again to Rome to continue his studies. In 1966 Fr. Jerry earned his Doctorate in Church Law from the Lateran University in Rome. It was exciting for him as a young priest to be in Rome while the Second Vatican Council was in session. Returning once again to Buffalo, he served as Assistant Chancellor for the diocese putting to good use his Doctorate in Canon Law. He had a real desire to work with the poor, so in 1969 Fr. Jerry began twenty-one years of urban ministry in parishes, first as a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Buffalo until 1974, then as administrator of Queen of All Saints in Lackawanna until 1980, along with Assumption in Lackawanna until 1977, and as pastor of St. Mary of Sorrows in Buffalo from 1980 until 1990. He was given the title Monsignor in 1988 and served as Vicar for Central City from 1987 to 1988. While serving in the city, Fr. Jerry encouraged neighbors to come together and organize themselves uniting for such issues as municipal housing tenants’ rights, a just share of government presence and funding, equal opportunities for minorities throughout the area, in short, advocacy for those whose voices needed to be heard. He also enjoyed singing with the Central City Choir. His time spent in urban parishes was a blessing not only to the people he served but to himself as well. He said, “I originally came into Central City that the poor might hear the Gospel. I realized more each day that it was most often the poor who lived the Gospel and made it clearer for me.”

From 1990 to 2007 he served as Pastor of St. Mary of the Lake Parish in Hamburg. He successfully led the growth of that parish in the building of a new church facility. During his time as pastor, he also served as Coordinator of the Priests’ Personnel Board from 2003 to 2009. He served on the boards of Catholic Central School, Christ the King Seminary, and Immaculata Academy. In other service, he has been on the Diocesan Review Board since 2005, a Consultor for the Diocese of Buffalo since 2006, as well as Bishop’s Liaison for Retired Priests, positions he presently holds. He served in various other capacities during his priesthood, too many to name here. He was also honored at the Cure of Ars in 2004.

Family has always been important to Fr. Jerry. They are mostly concentrated in the Depew and Rochester areas and his brothers and sister have brought the joy of thirteen nieces and nephews and twenty-three great-nieces and nephews into his life. He also enjoys being involved in the continuing formation of priests. During his time in the Chancellery when he didn’t have the benefit of a parish, the well-being of his brother priests became a focus.

The early exposure to music as a child with his mother’s influence and later as an adult with the influence of his talented brothers and sister, continues to be a source of enjoyment for Fr. Jerry. His favorite kind of music is jazz and classical. He also enjoys sports, especially baseball and golf, reading, in the areas of religion and history, and he loves to travel – especially by car. Maybe because of all that time spent with his father along the sales route, he exclaimed, “I love to drive!”

Working with the poor in the inner city really helped Fr. Jerry feel closer to Jesus. When he reflects on the best part of being a priest, he remembers spending time with people who had so little and yet loved God so much. They had no place else to go but to God and it was God who saw them through. Praying and singing with them during the celebration of the Eucharist at Mass was a very powerful experience. There were also times when Fr. Jerry found himself with people who were at the lowest points in their lives because of tragic events. Seeing parents grieving over the loss of a young son, yet still strong in their faith, gave Fr. Jerry a renewed sense of his own faith. He remembers in so many cases feeling privileged to share in these times and, “being grateful that God had intervened” in situations that seemed impossible to survive. “Blessed are the poor…” takes on a whole new meaning. He recalled, “You’re so close you can touch God’s grace.”

The challenges of priesthood, for Fr. Jerry, involve stressful times such as the building of a new church when it doesn’t seem financially attainable and having to take action when people use poor judgment and need to be corrected. It is often difficult to unite opposing groups of people who have to learn to get along or deal with administrative paperwork that seem endless.

Of course every vocation has its challenges – married, single or religious life. Fr. Jerry asks men considering the priesthood, “Why not go for it?” It’s hard to know what the ministry of a newly ordained priest will look like in the future but when Fr. Jerry began in the early 1960’s during the start of Vatican II the future was uncertain then as well. He recalls the words to an old hymn, “We’ve come this far in faith, leaning on the Lord” and feels that if we trust in God, there is nothing to fear. Fr. Jerry exclaims that through it all his priesthood has been a most rewarding time.

The idea of becoming a priest wasn’t even on the radar when Francis Patrick Melfi was a young boy. The youngest in the family of seven, he grew up in Olean with three sisters and three brothers. “I was an altar server growing up but can’t say I was a model altar server,” recalls Fr. Pat. After high school he spent four years in the Navy. During those four years he remained close to his Catholic Faith. Fortunately for him, there were Marines aboard the ship he was on and typically a priest was assigned to the Marines. When they were out to sea the priest would say Mass every day and Pat would make it a priority to attend. Going to Mass helped him feel connected to home which was a comfort when dealing with being so far away.

Thoughts of the priesthood began to surface after the Navy when he deliberated about what to do next. At the time he was living in Richmond, VA attending college. He felt close to the Franciscans having been baptized by a family friend who was a Franciscan and growing up in Olean so close to St. Bonaventure University. He went to Washington, DC to speak to friars from a branch of the Franciscans called the Capuchins. They sent him to Cleveland to learn more about their order but that didn’t seem to feel right to him at the time. Pat returned to school and graduated with a degree in Mathematics. He took a few education courses before graduation so that he could teach math but never really felt “on fire” enough about the subject to do it justice in the classroom.

Whenever he visited home, he would attend Mass and speak with the parish priest. The priest asked Pat if he had ever considered the priesthood and encouraged him to give it another try. This time, Pat looked into the diocesan priesthood. He moved into the John Paul II Residence in order to more seriously discern the possibility of this vocation. While there, he attended classes at Canisius College to fulfill Philosophy and Religious Study requirements. It was a valuable year spent there but after it was over he didn’t feel called to enter the seminary.

After obtaining a degree in Civil Engineering, Pat went to work for the State of New York as an engineer designing bridges. During his years with the State, Pat found the job rewarding in the sense he was able to make a contribution to his community. He always remained close to his faith, becoming involved in various ministries at his parish and keeping in touch with priest friends he had made.

A defining moment came in the 2000 Jubilee Year, when he and a friend from work decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was led by three Dominican Priests and included a trip to Rome as well. Fr. Pat remembers that while in the Holy Land the Bible “came alive” because he was walking in the very places Jesus walked when he taught and preached. Rome was very inspiring as well and it was on this pilgrimage that he began to think, “Yeah, I could do this!” About the time he returned, Catholic radio was entering the air waves and he found himself listening and learning more about his faith. Another co-worker had mentioned about becoming a minister and Pat thought, “Me too!”

In 2001 he made the call to Fr. Leon Biernat who then was the Vocation Director for the Buffalo Diocese. In May 2001 he ran into Fr. Joe Gatto whom he knew from the John Paul II Residence and told him he was thinking about entering Christ the King Seminary. Fr. Joe said, “Well…what are you waiting for???” Pat had the small matter of a house to sell and a job to put on hold. He would need to enter the seminary in August which gave him only three months to sell his house. It seemed that the right time had finally come as he signed the contract for the sale of the house the day he headed out to the seminary.

As he looks back, Fr. Pat remembers feeling God was always there with him. He credits his faith to his father. After dinner and the chores were finished, his father would often sit and read the New Testament with Pat. His father would explain anything that seemed hard to understand in an effort to endear his son to the Word of God.

When he entered Christ the King Seminary there were eleven other men in his class. As time went by, a few left, got sick, entered other dioceses, etc. and by the time he was ordained on May 27, 2006, there was only one other priest ordained with him, Fr. Todd Remick. Fr. Pat remembers feeling overwhelmed in a good sense. He was really touched by it all especially when the other priests in attendance approached for the “laying on of hands” during which they prayed over him. He felt a special bond with his fellow brothers in Christ.

Fr. Pat spent the first three years of his priesthood as a parochial vicar at St. Christopher in Tonawanda and was named to his current position of Pastor of Our Lady of Peace in Salamanca and St. Patrick in Limestone in 2009. As a priest, Fr. F. Patrick Melfi finds it a privilege to be with people in their time of need. In situations of bereavement he feels it is not always easy to know what to say but just being there helps to comfort people. He very much enjoys celebrating the Eucharist and bringing people together as well. He finds it challenging to be a pastor after only three years of priesthood, but with the challenge comes the sense of bringing people closer to God. Fr. Pat also mentioned the administrative end of being a pastor can be challenging as decisions have to be made that affect the whole parish.

Fr. Pat enjoys exercising and reading as well as golfing and keeping up friendships with fellow priests and others. He advises those considering priesthood to be open to the idea and to allow themselves the opportunity to explore it. Listen to the advice of people you trust and don’t just rely on what you are thinking and feeling at the time. There will always be challenges no matter what vocation you choose in life. Rely on your faith and take the time to find out what God intends for you. As he reflects back on all the starts and stops along his way to the priesthood, Fr. Pat feels that he really can’t see himself doing anything else.

Sometimes what looks like a detour in a person’s life actually ends up being part of God’s plan all along. Fr. Ron Sajdak’s road to the priesthood seemed to take a detour away from a religious order vocation to a secular life of serving the poor, only to end up back on a different road to a diocesan priesthood vocation.

Born and raised in Sloan, NY near Cheektowaga, Ronald Sajdak was the youngest of four children. He attended St. Andrew Grade School and credits his experience there as having influenced him greatly in his desire to become a priest. As early as the second grade he felt called to the priesthood.

After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School, he entered Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, eager to continue on that road to the priesthood. During his junior year of college he attended a retreat at a Carmelite Monastery. At that retreat he felt a strong sense of belonging even though he had no knowledge of what they were all about. He attended another retreat a year later and came to the conclusion after hearing a talk about the “Thirst for God” that he needed to spend more time developing a better relationship with Jesus Christ before moving forward towards ordination. He really wanted to slow down and get to know the Lord better, so instead of going to Christ the King Seminary to continue his studies for diocesan priesthood, he applied to the Carmelite Monastery with the intention of becoming a religious order priest.

In 1977 he left Buffalo and moved to Boston, MA where he entered the community and spent two years as a novice. After professing his simple vows, he relocated to a monastery in Washington, DC where he began graduate studies at the Catholic University of America. In 1983 Ron felt that his need for contemplation and time spent seeking a deeper relationship with God had been met and what he needed now was a little “reality therapy.” He decided to leave the religious community but continued to live in Washington for the next ten years.

He worked with the homeless poor at S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) and also as the Director of Religious Education and Worship at the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Tacoma Park, MD. While at Our Lady of Sorrows, he began a vibrant Youth Ministry Program reaching out to immigrant African, Haitian, and Island Youth. He also promoted Multi-Cultural/Multi-Lingual Events and Celebrations. In May of 1989 he attained a Masters in Theological Studies from Washington Theological Union Seminary.

In 1990, while listening to an African American priest preach during Mass one Sunday at a “Rejoice” Conference for African American Catholic Gospel Musicians held at Howard University, Ron felt God asking him why he was sitting there in the congregation when God needed him up front doing what the priest was doing.  At first he thought, “Been there, done that!” but in time he continued to feel God calling and decided to give the priesthood another look.

The thought of returning to Buffalo, after being away so long, made him a bit uneasy. He had grown so much in the time he had been away. He felt that if he returned, he might not be welcomed back and some may treat him as if he were still the boy who left so long ago. In a dream he saw his deceased father with his arms opened telling him, “Never be afraid to come home.” It was a difficult decision to make as Ron loved the work he was doing and the friends he had made but he remembers thinking, “God, if you haven’t already given away what you wanted me to do, I’m ready now.” He applied to Christ the King Seminary and upon being accepted decided to return home.

In May of 1995 he earned a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry degree from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora. He was ordained a Transitional Deacon on June 24^th, 1995 by Bishop Henry Mansell and ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Mansell on May 4^th, 1996.

He spent time as a deacon and also his first year of priesthood at St. John the Evangelist in Buffalo. He was then assigned to St. Bernadette in Orchard Park from August 1997 to July 2002. Fr. Ron became pastor of St. Martin de Porres in the city of Buffalo in July 2002 and that is where he currently resides.

Fr. Ron has held several positions throughout the diocese in conjunction with his desire for peaceful relationships among all God’s people. He was Programs Director of the South Buffalo Ecumenical Association from 1995 to 1997, a member of the Hamburg Association of Churches and the Hamburg Ministerium from 1997-2001, reorganized the Justice and Peace Committee at St. Bernadette Parish in 1998, was a board member of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Buffalo (IHN) 1998-2002, and has been chaplain for the Buffalo Catholic Worker from 1997 to the present.

While he was serving as parochial vicar at St. Bernadette, he was led by the Spirit to minister to African refugees arriving in Buffalo and formed what now is known as ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa. Over the years, this ministry has helped African refugees from Sudan locally with humanitarian assistance, welcomed and assisted African clergy, and has worked internationally.

Through his years as Pastor of St. Martin de Porres, the church community has welcomed three African Bishops to visit Buffalo, participated in digging a clean-water well, and the building of a young women’s dormitory at the St. Charles Lwanga Butende Technical Institute in Uganda. In April of 2009 Fr. Ron returned from a mission trip to Sudan Africa where he and “Lost Boy of Sudan,” Fidele Diing Dhan broke ground for a new medical clinic in the Village of Koiyom, Aweil State, Southern Sudan. Bishop Edward Kmiec has also appointed Fr. Ron Chairman of the Justice & Peace Commission of the Diocese of Buffalo in 2004, the Clergy Personnel Board in January 2010 and most recently, Director of the Pontifical Mission Society/Buffalo in March 2010.

Had it not been for the “detour” he took on his road to the priesthood serving the poor in Washington, Fr. Ron might not have been inspired to “reach out” as he has to such a vast global community.

Having been ordained for 14 years, Fr. Ron feels that there are many aspects of the priesthood he enjoys. At the top of the list of his Sacramental joys is the Eucharist. He also very much appreciates the beauty of “Laying on of Hands.” Fr. Ron loves to watch God work in healing ministry. On Sunday morning, the 9:30am Mass at St. Martin de Porres is vibrant and spiritual as is the congregation. There are no missals in the pews; instead you’ll see bibles. The chapter and verse of each reading is announced and the congregation is encouraged to go directly to the bible to find it.

The challenges in Fr. Ron’s life include the re-visioning of priesthood in light of the shortage of priests. Because of the way the world has changed, priests are now being challenged to pastor in new and creative ways to more people. His experiences have led Fr. Ron to look at the way he pastors from a more “missionary” point of view. Lay people are becoming more involved in parish life out of pure necessity. They have a deep respect for the Sacrament of Priesthood in that they recognize that the priest is the only one who can bring us the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Everyone has a role to play in sustaining parish life and now parishioners are being called upon to do their part. Fr. Ron feels that people need to take ownership of their Faith and participating in parish life is the best way to do that. Ultimately, God is in charge!

When he gets time for himself, Fr. Ron likes to read and enjoys seeing movies. He has a real love for live Jazz music. He and his brothers and sister take turns caring for their mother who is in a nursing home. He has an incredible love for the Lord and he feels anyone considering priesthood should share this feeling as well. “You can’t be a priest because of what a priest does, you have to want to be a priest because of who a priest is,” asserts Fr. Ron. Men considering priesthood should have a deep prayer life and should constantly be praying for a better prayer life. They should pray to know God better, pray for Him to reveal Himself more clearly, and to let them know what He wants of them.
 
Fr. Ron thinks the best way to weather the sacrifices you are called to make as a priest is to have a personal relationship with God. It’s about making the distinction between doing the things we want to do and doing the things we are called to do. If you’re only doing the things you want to do, you’ll be doing them alone. If you do the things you feel called to do, you will surely be doing them with God.

While there is no typical "road to the priesthood" story, some involve more miles than others. The journey of Fr. Mark Noonan is both extraordinary and inspiring and the road he followed was filled with twists and turns winding through Belize in Latin America and Rome, Italy before returning back to the Western New York area.

One of eight children, Mark Noonan grew up with five sisters and two brothers in Cheektowaga, NY. His family belonged to St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish in Cheektowaga and he attended school there for grades K-8. He went to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute for high school and graduated in 1994. In 1998 he graduated from the University at Buffalo with a dual degree in Political Science and Philosophy.

As a child, he thought of becoming a priest. This, he believes, was a consideration of many young Catholic boys at the time. Around the age of 14 or 15 years, young Mark’s thoughts tended away from the priesthood and towards girls. During those years he played music and sang at church on Sunday with a group of guys he grew up with, which he credits with keeping him close to God. In high school and college he dated a lot but never quite found the girl he was looking for. After graduating from UB, Mark decided to try law school. He entered Cleveland-Marshall Law School right after college but would end up spending only one year there. Although he was quite successful as a student, God had other plans. When one opens himself up to the will of God, one must be ready to change course mid-stream.

While living in Cleveland, Mark joined a Catholic young adult group and found himself attracted to one of the girls in that group - a beautiful, happy, and deeply committed Catholic; just the type of person he thought could be the one for him. Some people mentioned that she attended Perpetual Adoration at the church they belonged to. They advised Mark that she usually showed up later in the evening to pray. Thinking he would run into her there, he began to go to that chapel late in the evening in hopes of meeting her, even though he did not yet believe that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist. However, every time he went there with hope of meeting her, she was not there. As time passed, and he spent many late nights praying in that chapel, he really began to grow in faith. The more time he spent in that Adoration Chapel, the less he came in hope of finding the girl and the more he began to believe that Christ was truly present before him in the Eucharist.

Just after Easter, during his second semester at law school, he went before the Blessed Sacrament late one evening and felt that it was truly God who was calling him to be a priest. For a moment he thought, “What about law school?” but when the moment passed, he thought, “I’m done with law school; it is over.” Mark commented that, “It was really my belief in the Eucharist that led to my vocation. Once I started to believe what the Church professes, namely that Christ is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist, I knew I could do whatever he was calling me to do. And it was clear at that point that God was blessing me with the call to the priesthood.”

Over the next year as he worked to pay off his student loans, Mark became familiar with a religious order called the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (S.O.L.T.) and decided to join them. In May 2001 he entered SOLT, a missionary community made up of Priests, Sisters, and Brothers. He spent his first year with SOLT teaching in Belize at the mission of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School. In 2002, SOLT sent him to their seminary in Rome. He and the other SOLT seminarians studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (The Angelicum), which is run by the Dominican Fathers. While there he had many incredible experiences including the opportunity to sing in one of the Papal Choirs, to meet Pope John Paul II, and to attend the canonization and beatification of many Saints and Blesseds, including Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. He was there when the Pope passed away, and following his death, Mark waited in line for seven hours to view his body. Upon finally approaching the casket, he spent an hour praying there in the middle of the night. A week later he and his brother seminarians slept on the street in order to attend the Pope’s funeral. Fr. Mark was also present in St. Peter’s square on April 19, 2005 when the white smoke blew from the Sistine Chapel and Pope Benedict XVI was elected and introduced as our Holy Father. During those years Fr. Mark explained that he received countless blessings through the help and guidance of many saintly priests. In June of 2005, he graduated from the Angelicum.

During his time in Rome, Fr. Mark discerned that he was being called to serve as a parish priest. Although he loved the missions and missionary work, he did not feel at that time that he was being called to religious life. He decided to return to Buffalo in order to become a priest for our Diocese. Because of all the training he had already received during his years with SOLT, he only spent three semesters at our diocesan seminary, Christ the King in East Aurora. During his time there he was inspired, yet again, by the priests he encountered in our diocese, particularly Fr. Paul Seil as well as the current rector of the seminary, Fr. Peter Drilling – whom Fr. Mark credits with helping him transition to the diocesan life and into the priesthood. Fr. Mark loved the great fraternity he found amongst the Buffalo seminarians, particularly his friendship with his only classmate, Fr. David Baker. He describes the relationship amongst priests and seminarians as one where “iron sharpens iron.”

He spent the summer of 2006 at St. Joseph’s Parish in Albion and beginning in January 2007 he spent a year at Queen of Heaven in West Seneca. He was ordained a Transitional Deacon on April 20, 2007 and ordained to the priesthood on December 1, 2007 by Bishop Edward Kmiec. Fr. Mark was assigned first to Nativity of our Lord in Orchard Park and then to St. Amelia in Tonawanda where he currently resides.

In thinking about the priesthood, Fr. Mark mentions that being a priest is far better than he thought it would be, yet more challenging as well. He relates, “The day I was ordained a priest I just meant every promise I made so profoundly. I thought of all the great priest-saints who have inspired me, like St. John Vianney, St. Louis de Montfort, St. Edmund Campion and others on their ordination day, and resolved to follow their example and give myself completely to our Eternal Father. As the Second Vatican Council taught, ‘A man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself’, so I strive to give everything in myself to God and in service to his children on earth as a spiritual father. As priests, we belong to Christ so deeply. I just cannot imagine myself not having that depth of relationship with God. My heart is His forever!”

Fr. Mark particularly loves celebrating the Sacraments as they pour out God’s graces on His people. When he says Mass at a nursing home, he sometimes just anoints all the participants when it is over. “They are all so elderly, sick and frail, it just means so much to them. They really love it!” he exclaims. Whenever he preaches on the benefits and importance of going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, he inevitably finds that people thank him in the weeks that follow, telling him outside of the confessional that they had not been to confession in years, but feel their life has been restored to grace and peace through that Sacrament. Above all, Fr. Mark is thankful for the opportunity to be a conduit of God’s grace.

The priesthood is a challenging life as well, one that involves trying to juggle many responsibilities. Fr. Mark feels that there are so many demands placed upon priests today and most people cannot imagine how much they are. He prays daily, and encourages others to pray that more and more young men in our diocese will answer “Yes!” to the call to serve as a priest.

An avid sports fan, Fr. Mark enjoys keeping up with his favorite professional teams including the Sabres, Bills, and Red Sox as well as playing a few sports himself. He likes to golf and he became a pretty solid soccer player during his years in the Seminary in Italy. He enjoys hiking and driving to places that are secluded so he can pray. In Italy he used to enjoy praying in the beautiful churches when no one else was there. He would often pray by the tomb of the patron saint of his home parish, St. Aloysius Gonzaga. He truly believes that prayer is the fuel that keeps him going. He prays a Holy Hour every day and is happy to live the promises of his ordination by praying the full Liturgy of the Hours each day. He commented that “if your prayer life is neglected, your identity will soon disappear and for a priest, nothing could be worse.”

“Guys have no idea how glorious a life it is to be a priest; to be so close to God!” exclaims Fr. Mark. He explained that if a man feels called to the priesthood, he can be assured that it will be the pathway to the greatest happiness. “God’s will always coincides with the deepest desires of our heart, even if we do not initially recognize it. So if you want to be truly happy in life, then seek out God’s will and do it!” However, Fr. Mark is clear to relate that, “men should only make the decision to start out on the path to the priesthood in freedom and without pressure or coercion. Indeed, all of us are free to choose and follow God’s call wherever it leads. Our task is to seek it with a sincere and generous heart. In order to discover God’s plan, you must really look into your heart and ask the deepest questions. God will not fail to answer.”

Fr. Mark invites all to join him each day offering the following centuries old prayer for vocations that more young men in our diocese will respond to the call: O God, who wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live. Grant, we beseech you, through the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, and all the saints, an increase of laborers for your Church, fellow laborers with Christ to spend and consume themselves for souls through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Msgr. David LiPuma will tell you that he probably wouldn't be where he is today if it was not for his grandmother, Grace LiPuma. She truly lived her Catholic faith by incorporating the Gospel values in all she did. She lived next door to David, his parents and two older brothers, and attended daily Mass. From the time he could walk, David would join her. She took young David by the hand and led him to Christ. Looking back, time spent at daily Mass was very influential in his decision to become a priest, as were prayer and time spent together as a family around the dinner table.

As far back as Fr. David can remember he was involved in one way or another at his parish. He was baptized in 1960 at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish by the then newly ordained Msgr. Robert Wurtz. From childhood, his life was enhanced by great models of priesthood. Msgr. Wurtz, who was there from the beginning, later became a great friend and mentor. Another positive role model was one of the Associate priests who served at Our Lady of Pompeii, Fr John Sardina. One Mother's Day before David had even made his First Communion, Fr. Sardina took him by the hand and led him to the sacristy. He put him in a surplice and cassock and David joined his two older brothers as an altar server. From that point on he recalls that he wanted to become a priest. He later told Fr. Sardina that he put him in his first surplice and cassock and he is still wearing it to this day! He attended elementary school at Our Lady of Pompeii and went on to St. Mary's High School, also in Lancaster. During elementary school and high school, he worked as a paperboy.

After high school, he entered Wadhams Hall Seminary-College in Ogdensburg. Tragically, while he was there his mother passed away after a battle with cancer. Five months later, his father died from a heart attack. His grandmother then became both mother and father to David and his two older brothers.

He furthered his education at the North American College in Rome, Italy, where he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University and San Anselmo University. On his ordination day, July 25, 1987, Fr. David remembers leaning over to hold the hand of his then 87 year old grandmother. He thought, "You're the one who led me by the hand to this church and now you're here to see this!" She lived to be 104 years old, almost twenty years after Fr. David's ordination. He smiles as he recalls that she wanted to make sure he was well grounded in the priesthood before going on to her eternal reward. That year there were five men ordained to the priesthood by then Bishop Edward D. Head. Each man was ordained on a separate day in his home parish.

After ordaining Fr. David, Bishop Head assigned him to serve as parochial vicar at St. Leo the Great Parish where he spent three years. He was then assigned parochial vicar and assistant to Bishop Edward M. Grosz at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Cheektowaga where he spent another three years.

In 1993, he became acting director of the Office of Worship and Catechumenate. He became director in 1995. Fr. David was given an additional assignment in 1993 as chaplain to the Carmelite Nuns at the Monastery of the Little Flower of Jesus on Carmel Road in Buffalo. To this day he celebrates Mass there and it is one of the highlights of his priesthood. The Carmelite Sisters are very dear to Father David and they hold a very special place in his life and ministry as a priest.

Bishop Henry J. Mansell announced in 1997 that he was appointing Fr. David LiPuma to the positions of secretary to the bishop and vice chancellor. Eleven years later, Fr. LiPuma still serves in that capacity. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec bestowed upon Father David the title Monsignor in 2008. Having joined many years ago, he became a fourth degree Knight of Columbus in 2008 as well. 

Msgr. LiPuma enjoys many aspects of his priesthood. When he was assigned to parish life, he loved the give and take with people. Greeting people at the doors of church, being with people during good times and in their struggles, getting to know them and becoming a part of their lives were all extremely rewarding aspects. He finds being secretary to the bishop a very unique ministry. Father David enjoys visiting the parishes of the diocese with the bishop for Confirmations and other special occasions. He views parish life as the heart of the diocese. His admiration is great for the priests who minister in our parishes day in and day out working with people and being present and Christ-like to them often quietly and without a lot of recognition. As a priest you get to bring Christ to the people through the Sacraments, and most especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and you, in turn, bring the people to Christ as they grow in their faith and knowledge of God and the Church. He feels it is a great life!

The priesthood also has its challenges, especially in the very secularized society in which we live today. Father David realizes it is important to be real with people and sometimes difficult to deal with so many different personalities. You have to be secure in yourself and realize that you can't please everyone. Fr. David finds it disappointing that fewer and fewer Catholics participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is so healing and helpful and yet people have lost sight of its value. There are so many distractions in people's lives. A real challenge of priesthood, according to Fr. David, is trying to help people see the Church as relevant in their lives. He believes that if people felt more connected to the Church, they would be more interested in coming and being a part of it.

Physical exercise is an important part of reducing stress for Fr. David and walking provides much needed relief. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends and traveling.

All in all, Msgr. David LiPuma finds his life as a priest to be very satisfying and meaningful. As a Catholic who believes in the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, being called to the priesthood is an honor and a privilege. At the end of the day it's rewarding to be able to say you have given your life to God. He often finds that he helps people in ways that he isn't always aware of just by being present to them. Fr. David believes that a good prayer life is irreplaceable. One's relationship with Christ is the most important connection he will ever have and spending time in prayer is the best way to nurture that bond. Without it, priests as well as lay people can become empty and ineffective.

If you've ever seen him in action, you can't help but appreciate all that it takes to make the events of the bishop look so seamless and smooth. Led by the hand of his grandmother to Christ, he now lends a hand as a servant of Christ to others.

A self described "people person," Msgr. Rupert Wright loves his priesthood which is certainly evident in the number of other priests as well as lay people he has positively influenced.

He was born on January 16, 1930 and grew up in Jamestown, NY. The first-born son of an English-Irish father, Rupert Aloysius Wright, and an Irish mother, Catherine Barrett Wright, he would later be joined by two brothers, Richard and Julian. His father operated a clothing business, Wright's Fashions, and the family lived in the same home in which his mother, Catherine, was raised. Eventually, Richard became an orthodontist. He and his wife Carolyn live in Fredonia, NY. Julian, who died suddenly at the age of 50 in 1986, was owner and manager of the family business, now called Wright's Suburban Stores in downtown Jamestown, the Lakewood Mall and the Millcrest Mall in Erie, PA.

Young Rupert attended SS. Peter and Paul Parochial School in Jamestown. The Sisters of Mercy, who taught him throughout elementary school, had a great influence on his formation leading to his priestly vocation. He attended Jamestown High School and was accepted at Georgetown University to study Law. Two factors came into play which changed his plans concerning Georgetown. First, he received a state scholarship which restricted the colleges he could attend to those in New York State. Second, and probably most importantly, he attended a men's retreat at the Columban Center in Derby, NY toward the end of his senior year in high school where he felt he was being called to the priesthood. Msgr. Wright considers senior year in high school to be a very "touchable moment" in life for most as it is then that people begin to seriously consider what they would like to further study and some day become. He enrolled in Niagara University for two years in the College of Arts and Sciences and then entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Angels located on the campus of Niagara University. The Seminary predates the university itself. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1952 and after four years as a seminarian, was ordained a priest on May 26, 1956 at St. Joseph's New Cathedral by Most Rev. Joseph A. Burke, D. D.

Fr. Wright's first assignment was to the Missionary Apostolate. He was named Chaplain of Cattaraugus and Allegany Indian Reservations and Administrator of St. Isidore Parish in East Otto. In Lent of 1957, he was assigned to St. Stephen Parish on Grand Island as an associate to Msgr. Edward Schwegler. After Monsignor Schwegler was critically hurt in an automobile accident, the young Fr. Wright became the administrator and ran the parish for five years. For the next five years he was Parochial Vicar at St. Mary Magdalene at Fillmore and Urban on the east side of Buffalo. At the time, it was an old German Catholic parish of 1,000 families but changing times have resulted in its current status as the Antioch Baptist Church. From Buffalo's East Side, he moved to South Buffalo in 1968 as Parochial Vicar at St. John the Evangelist. The pastor at St. John's was ill and Fr. Wright was challenged to supervise the building of a new convent.

While serving as Parochial Vicar at the various parishes, Fr. Wright took on additional responsibilities in the diocese. He became the Diocesan Director of the Legion of Mary from 1967-1973, a member of the Senate of Priests in 1970, serving as its president from 1973-74. In 1973 Bishop Head appointed Fr. Wright to a one year term on the College of Consultants. At that same time he was serving on the Priests' Retirement Board and a year later on the Priests' Personnel Board.

He suffered deep personal loss in 1973 with the death of his mother and in 1975 with the death of his father. 1975 also brought good news when Fr. Wright was appointed by Bishop Head to his first pastorate at St. James Major in Westfield and then in 1977 as the Coordinator of the Priests' Personnel Board. He received his first papal honor in 1980 when he became "Rev. Msgr." Rupert Wright. In 1982 he went on to become the second pastor of St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda, one of the largest parishes in the Buffalo Diocese. He continued to serve the diocese outside of his busy life as pastor in 1982 by becoming a member of the Diocesan Finance Council. From 1985-86 he served on the Pastoral Council. From 1984-89 he was a member of the Priests' Council and from 1984-86 was Coordinator of Region 17 (now referred to as "Vicariates" rather than "Regions"). In 1986 he became a member of the Television Advisory Board. Also, that year he would experience the tragic and sudden death of his younger brother, Julian.

He served as pastor to the 3,000 families of St. Amelia's for 12 years. By that time it had become the second largest parish in the diocese. In 1994 at the age of 64, Msgr. Wright moved on to become pastor of the largest parish in the diocese, St. Gregory the Great, with its 5,000 families. Some were surprised that he would want the responsibility of such a large parish but he commented that, "In this day and age, it's easier to run a big parish than a small one. There are pressures, yes, but you have bigger staffs and a bigger pool of volunteers." No doubt, his earlier experience of running parishes when the pastors became unable to do so, prepared him well. He was very appreciative of the help he received at the parishes he served and never hesitated in listening to good advice. He cited God as the most important thing and only reason for parish administration and organizations.

A humble, inspirational, lovable, priest, Msgr. Wright has a way of bringing out the best in people as he brings them closer to God and His Son Jesus Christ. St. Gregory the Great was fortunate to have Msgr. Wright as their pastor for 12 wonderful years. While he was at St. Greg's he received several awards: The Cure of Ars Award from Christ the King Seminary in 1997 and both the Bishop's Medal from Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec and the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Brothers of Mercy in 2005. In 2006, as he celebrated 50 years of priesthood, the "Celebrate Catholic Education" Medal was presented to him at the 6th annual Celebrate Catholic Education Dinner.

Retired July 16, 2006, Msgr. Wright lives at the O'Hara Residence, a retirement home for priests. He enjoys the companionship of the other retired priests in a setting where they have their own apartments yet come together to share meals and prayer. They have a genuine care and concern for one another. Msgr. Wright still helps at St. Andrew Parish in Kenmore whenever he can. He considers the best part of priesthood to be saying Mass and administering the Sacraments. He feels that the Sacraments are not emphasized enough and therefore can be overlooked in their importance. Looking back, the most challenging part of priesthood was keeping up with the many ministries he was responsible for as pastor. He felt pressured to ration his time so he could fit everything in.

To those who may be interested in the priesthood, Msgr. Wright advises a good prayer life. He reminds them that they will always be drawn to be married and have a family so there are certain things they will have to do without. If they can relate well to people (as Msgr. Wright surely does), they will find the warmth and love of a family in their parishioners through the grace and blessing of God.

Having just completed his first year of priesthood, Fr. Jim Kirkpatrick expressed his happiness at having answered “yes” when God called. SS. Peter and Paul in Hamburg is his first assignment as a priest. Spending a year in a large parish has given him lots of experience saying Mass, hearing confessions, baptizing, and presiding at weddings and funerals.

Growing up in Sanborn, NY, Jim was greatly influenced by Fr. Herold Nuwer who was then pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ransomville. From the time Jim was about ten years old until he was well into his seminary studies, Fr. Nuwer was the pastor at his hometown parish. Jim was youngest of the five children born to Judy and Jim Kirkpatrick. Welcoming him into the world on July 21, 1979 were his sister, Jamie and three brothers, Dennis, Billy, and Greg. He attended Colonial Village Elementary School and Niagara Wheatfield Jr. and Sr. High School. He then went on to Canisius College and spent one semester as a Biology major. After that he switched to Political Science. He thought he would become a teacher or professor some day.

Jim worked the same steady job summers and school breaks from the age of seventeen until he entered the seminary. He was employed at Yankee Doodle Brochure Distributors, a local family owned business. The owner, who was also a parishioner, asked Fr. Nuwer if he knew of a reliable young person who would make a good employee. He recommended Jim who held that job for the next seven years distributing brochures all over Western New York.

About halfway through his junior year in college, Jim felt called to the priesthood. He had thought about it before, having discussed the idea with Fr. Nuwer, his mother, and grandmother. Looking back, he remembered knowing lots of great priests when he was growing up. It was appealing to Jim to serve God like they did. He spent time praying about his future, talking to friends and family, as well as Fr. Leon Biernat, the vocation director at the time. After graduating from Canisius College in May of 2002, he entered Christ the King Seminary in August of the same year. Although still somewhat unsure about becoming a priest, he was willing to give it a more serious look.

Jim’s pastoral year was spent at St. John the Baptist Parish in Lockport. He was assigned as a deacon to St. Benedict Parish in Eggertsville. His first summer assignment as a seminarian was to St. Vincent de Paul Parish in North Evans. He had very positive experiences at all the parishes he was involved with. On ordination day, May 17, 2008, Fr. Jim remembers being very happy. He was just taking it all in, absorbing all that was going on, and enjoying being in the moment. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec ordained him and two of his classmates, Fr. Jim Fugle and Fr. Bob Zilliox. Fr. Jim Kirkpatrick was thrilled to share the day with two of his good friends.

Fr. Jim enjoys the company of the people he serves at SS. Peter and Paul and is happy to be a part of their lives. He finds it a real privilege to be with people during important moments such as their weddings, baptisms, and even funerals. It’s comforting to know that when they look back on these times they will remember the priest who celebrated their joys with them and mourned their losses.

Priesthood has its challenges and for Fr. Jim it is sometimes difficult to counsel those who need help. While he is very knowledgeable in many areas, his experience is limited by his youth. This is a challenge that will surely dissipate with time.

Fr. Jim enjoys the company of his fellow priests, especially his classmates, on his days off. He joins them for lunch and sometimes a movie. He also spends time with his parents, siblings, as well as four nieces and two nephews when he gets the chance. He likes to play video games, assemble and paint models, read and write short stories. He enjoys running as a way to stay in shape and alleviate stress. Fr. Jim follows college football, baseball, soccer, and auto racing.

To those considering the priesthood, Fr. Jim advises listening to God as well as trusted family and friends. He encourages everyone to develop a good prayer life, especially those discerning priesthood. He feels people should always take decisions, large and small, to prayer and not just think about them analytically. If men allowed the influences of society to pull them away from what they felt called to be, no one would become a priest! For Fr. Jim, the priesthood has given him the opportunity to make a positive impact on society, particularly those to whom he ministers. So far it has been a wonderful life and it has given him opportunities to do things he would not have otherwise done like ministry to prisoners and the poor. He finds it a humbling experience to preside at the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Having expressed the desire to be a teacher and a writer, Fr. Jim has joyfully discovered that through his priesthood he is able to be both. Being open to God’s plan has led him to great happiness. Fr. Jim feels that it is extremely fulfilling to be a priest and that there is nothing else he would rather do.

On November 19, 1932 a servant of God was born. Leo McCarthy became the eighth child in a family that would eventually grow to twelve. Leo started life in Springbrook, NY, was baptized, made his First Communion and completed his first four years of school at St. Vincent Parish. His father referred to him as the "wonder boy" because he said he always "wondered what that boy" would become.

His family then moved to Alden, NY where St. John the Baptist Parish became like a second home to him. He had a strong Catholic family. His father and his grandfather on his mother's side greatly influenced who he would eventually become. Catholicism was woven into everything they did. The pastor of St. John the Baptist parish at that time was Fr. Bertrum Trautman, whose nephew would later become Bishop Trautman. Fr. Trautman had a great impact on Leo's young life, especially while serving as an altar boy. After his eighth grade graduation he entered the Minor Seminary called St. Joseph the Little Flower where he boarded because of the distance between Alden and Buffalo. Msgr. Paul Juenker was an exceptional mentor for the young Leo at the Minor Seminary.

He went right from the Minor Seminary to the Major Seminary of St. Bonaventure. While at Bonaventure, his father passed away at the young age of 57. Leo was able to visit him shortly before he died. His father told him not to leave the seminary to take care of the family because God would provide and he would better serve people as a priest.

He was ordained at St. Joseph's Cathedral by Bishop Burke on February 21, 1959. In those days, the men were ordained but then had to return to the seminary for a few more months to finish their education before being assigned. In that interim they could say Mass but could not hear confessions. As he lay prostrate on the floor of the Cathedral during his ordination ceremony, Msgr. Leo recalled that when he was about four years old his father told his older brother "Bud" that when he became a priest he would buy him his first chalice. Little Leo told his father that it was not Bud but he who would eventually become the priest. His father told him it would be a cold day before he would be ordained. The 21st of February turned out to be quite bitter and stormy and many people didn't even make it to the ordination due to the weather. It was indeed a cold day just as his father had predicted!

During the summers between the years of school in the Minor and Major Seminary, Msgr. Leo worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant, did various neighborhood jobs such as cutting lawns and bringing wood to stores earning one cent for each piece he delivered. He worked at a lumber mill and did dry walling and roofing. It was even more backbreaking work in those days because they didn't have the equipment that exists today.

After his ordination, Msgr. Leo recalled that Msgr. Richard Nugent had a very positive impact in his life as a priest. Msgr. Leo's mother (another incredible influence in his life) gave him a very special blessing the morning of his first Mass before they left for St. John the Baptist Church. He cherishes that blessing to this day.

Msgr. Leo's first assignment as a priest was at St. Mary in Little Valley where he spent one year. He then spent five years at St. Teresa's in South Buffalo and then went to St. James in Depew. While at these parishes, he became very involved with the youth. He coached football, track, and various other sports. Being musically inclined, Msgr. Leo led the St. Teresa Boys Choir, "The Savios". Their recordings can be found on CD today. He was in charge of the altar servers at these parishes as well.

He was "temporarily" assigned to St. Joseph's Cathedral for the next ten years where he continued to reach out to the youth in a positive way through sports and music. While at the Cathedral, he became involved in the Police Athletic League (PAL) where he once again took up coaching as a way to reach the youth. He explained that he didn't go to be one of them, rather he went so they could be one with him. While at the Cathedral, Msgr. Leo was chaplain for the boy scouts, the Buffalo Police and Erie County Sheriffs, the Port of Buffalo, the Catholic telephone and postal employees, and also served as Great Lakes area chaplain.

During his priesthood he was very interested in promoting vocations and was a vocation counselor in South Buffalo as well as at St. Mary High School in Lancaster. He was the Holy Name Moderator for the West Side of Buffalo and eventually became the Diocesan Moderator. He was very involved in the Serra Club of Buffalo whose main focus is promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This came about because of his involvement with the altar servers. He believes that bringing boys into that atmosphere at church has a great impact on them.

He recalled a time when he was an altar server. He loved to serve Mass and one day, arriving early, decided to try on the priest's vestments. He was checking his look in the mirror when he noticed the Mother Superior, who was principal of the school, standing behind him. Her first response was, "Leo, what are you doing??!" Too scared to answer, he didn't say a word. Then she asked him if he wanted to be a priest and he responded, "No, I want to be the pope!"

Msgr. Leo couldn't recall a time when he didn't want to be a priest. He noted that priests don't really need altar servers, it's the altar servers who need the priests. The Mother Superior who found him dressed as a priest at such a young age supported him in many ways and encouraged him. She told him she would be an old nun hobbling down the aisle with her cane at his ordination. As it turned out, she was in the hospital at the time, and after his ordination Msgr. Leo made it a point to visit her and give her his blessing. She couldn't come to him so he went to her. Years later, at her request, he also presided at her funeral Mass.

After his time at the Cathedral, Msgr. Leo was assigned his first pastorate at St. Matthew Church on the east side of Buffalo. Here he also had a choir and headed up the altar servers. When asked about the most challenging part of priesthood, he recalled an incident while coaching inner city children where there was not a lot of structure in the families. Sometimes he would have only a few kids show up for a practice and sometimes more. One day a man approached who seemed to be under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. He was swearing out loud and disrupting the practice. One of the boys said to Msgr. Leo while they were in a huddle, "We don't talk like that, do we, Father!" That kind of response made the challenges seem worthwhile.

It was also challenging, as a pastor, to maintain the Catholic schools but worth the effort. The financial aspects of keeping a school running can be overwhelming, yet Msgr. Leo noted that Catholic schools are about more than just money, they are about the heart and soul of the young. He insisted that anyone who wanted their children to attend Catholic school and couldn't afford it should come and see him. He always found a way to make it work for them.

Back in the seminary, Msgr. Leo expressed a desire to become a missionary priest. Both Msgr. Juenker and Msgr. Leo's father encouraged him to see the missionary work that needed to be done right here in his own back yard. His assignments, especially at St. Matthew's in the central city, made him realize the truth in that advice. He remained there for ten years and then it was on to his next assignment as pastor of Immaculate Conception in Wellsville where he stayed for seven and a half years. St. Joseph's in Batavia was home for the next thirteen years where, of course, he became involved with the choir, altar servers, and coaching.

He reluctantly retired from St. Joseph's and is now living at Blessed Sacrament Parish on Claremont Avenue in Tonawanda. Still a very vibrant, active priest, he makes time to mentor the youth. On February 21, 2009 Msgr. Leo McCarthy celebrated fifty years of priesthood. He considers the heart and summit of the priesthood to be the celebration of Mass. One of the greatest rewards for him is the opportunity to be present to the youth who so desperately need good role models. He considers it a blessing to be able to give back to the community, most especially the youth, the enthusiasm and joy he receives from his life as a priest.

On advising young men to consider the priesthood he tells them not to worry so much about what they want to be but rather, pray to know what God wants them to be. So many times people are afraid to follow God's will because they think they will not be happy. Msgr. Leo then asks, "Why would God, who loves you so much, want you to do something that will make you unhappy?" Exemplifying many of the caring, nurturing qualities of Pope John Paul II, he did, in a way, finally become a pope!

I began my life in the Clarence Center / Swormville area of Erie County. So, my roots were agrarian, both of my grandparents being farmers. I am the eldest of five children. My father was a block / bricklayer and carpenter. My mother was a housewife. I had two sisters and two brothers. One brother and sister are deceased, dying together in an auto accident in 1964. My father died in 2005. My mother still lives.

St. Mary, Swormville was my original parish. I attended several grammar schools since my dad's work led to frequent moves. I graduated from eighth grade from St. Mary, Swormville. I spent six years as a boarder and student at the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, 654 Dodge Street in Buffalo. I then spent six years at St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora. Post ordination I matriculated in graduate studies in philosophy at Notre Dame University. I have two graduate degrees; one in theology and one in philosophy.

I was ordained on May 29, 1971 at St. Joseph New Cathedral by Bishop James A. McNulty. My first Assignment was as parochial vicar at Fourteen Holy Helpers parish in West Seneca. In 1976, I went to Batavia and taught at Notre Dame High School for a decade. I then became pastor at Assumption, Portageville and St. Mary, Canaseraga, for one year.

Sent to Christ the King Seminary, in 1987, I was Director of Formation for seminarians, Vice-Rector and instructor in philosophy. In 1990, I became seminary Rector for six years.

In 1996, I was made pastor at St. Mary, Lancaster and in 2003, pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Clarence; my current assignment.

I enjoy golf and hiking in the summers and I am an avid reader.

The best component of priesthood is meeting and serving a wide variety of people, especially in liturgical settings. Those most challenging component of being a priest is relating profoundly with people through their experiences of loss, rupture, suffering and tragedy.

I became a priest to minister to people in a multitude of ways, as well as to cumulatively grow in embracing the mystery of life. I encourage eligible candidates for priesthood. It is a rewarding life that persistently challenges you to grow into Christ and the communities you serve.

Growing up, Paul D. Seil experienced a great deal of South Buffalo. He was baptized at Holy Family Church, made his First Communion and Confirmation and attended school at St. Teresa's, and was eventually ordained at St. Thomas Aquinas. His father was a fire fighter and Paul, along with his parents and three sisters, moved to Boston, NY. He attended Eden Central High School and went on to St. Bonaventure University where he earned a B.A. in Theology in 1977.

After graduation, he worked in radio for a year in Niagara Falls. Paul also worked in the Department of Human Resources for the City of Buffalo as a Civil Servant for about six years. He considered the priesthood as a child in South Buffalo and again in high school and college. Since it seemed to be a persistent thought which kept returning, Paul decided to check it out. As a young person, he had been very positively influenced by Msgr. Leo Toomey and Msgr. Leo McCarthy. He was a member of the choir at St. Teresa's which was led by Msgr. McCarthy.

In 1984, at the age of 29, he entered Christ the King Seminary. On January 21, 1989, Fr. Paul Seil was ordained a priest at his home parish of St. Thomas Aquinas in South Buffalo. He had originally requested a spring ordination but none of the dates he submitted worked for then Bishop Edward Head. As it turned out, he ended up being ordained on the feast of St. Agnes which was very special because Fr. Paul had a Great Aunt Agnes with whom he was very close!

On the day of his ordination he remembers having a mix of emotions. He thought about his father who had passed away when Fr. Paul was just 21 years old and a senior in college. His Uncle Paul, for whom he was named, fought and died in France during WWII. Fr. Paul thought about him and how special it was to have his uncle's rosary which he still carries with him today. It brought him great comfort to be surrounded by his mother, sisters, and brothers-in-law. Family, past and present, were greatly on his mind on this special day. He has since gained six nephews and one niece. On the way to his ordination he rode with another priest. He went to that priest for confession so he could enter the priesthood with a clean heart as a gift to God.

While newly ordained, he put his previous media experience to use on a television show called "Real to Reel" from 1989 to the mid 90's. After that he became involved in the cooking show he currently hosts called, "Our Daily Bread" which is seen not only locally but in Boston, New York, and California as well. He always had an interest in cooking and has read a lot about it. His interest was enhanced when he spent a summer as a seminarian with Msgr. Sam Faiola who loved to cook.

He said his first Mass at St. Amelia's where he spent time during his pre-diaconate and diaconate years. Fr. Paul's first assignment was at St. Paul's in Kenmore where he spent two and a half years. He also helped during that time at Our Lady of the Rosary in Niagara Falls. He was then assigned to St. Amelia's from November 1991 to June 1994. After that he spent four years as a parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Church in Buffalo.

In 1998, ten years after becoming a priest, Bishop Henry Mansell gave him his first pastorate at St. Lawrence Church on the east side of Buffalo. While at St. Lawrence, Fr. Paul also functioned as the Director of the Office of Worship. Also, while at St. Lawrence, he truly appreciated the work done by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The outreach of the parish was run by the lay St. Vincent de Paul group and Fr. Paul was very impressed by the wonderful service they provided for the people of the area. He spent over eight years as pastor of that parish. It was then that the Journey in Faith and Grace impacted his life. Eleven parishes in the area were brought down to three. It was a very difficult process but with fewer parishes came the opportunity for Fr. Paul to further his studies. He spent four months in Rome at the Pontifical North American College on an academic sabbatical in the Institution for Continuing Theology Education program.

I am currently Pastor of my third parish assignment - All Saints Parish in Lockport. I've previously served as Pastor of St. Mary in Medina, and the Tri-Parish community of St. Mary in Belmont, St. Joseph in Scio and Sacred Heart in Angelica. I have also served as Parochial Vicar at St. Christopher in Tonawanda, SS. Peter and Paul in Jamestown, St. Martin of Tours in Buffalo Holy Trinity in Dunkirk, and St. Barnabas in Depew. I was ordained in 1978 by Bishop Edward Head.

There is no question the main reason I am a priest today is the effect the faith of my mother had on me as well as the priestly example and lifestyles of the parish priests in my home parish of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster. My vocation was also nurtured by the Priests at the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, Wadhams Hall, and St. John Vianney and Christ the King Seminaries. I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the guys I hung around with in the Seminary as well as my six year experience of working at Camp Turner as positive influences on my becoming a Priest.

Obviously, the priesthood I experienced in 1978 is quite different from the one that I am now living. The diminishing number of the fraternity has changed almost every aspect of priestly life but the call to serve is one thing that has not changed. I am sure that the many hats we wear, the time demanded upon us, the psycho-social makeup of the congregation can and does make the job a tad more stressful . . . but it also make the job so much more rewarding! People truly respect and appreciate all that you do for them.

I believe to be successful and to find life meaningful, the following elements are necessary:

• a solid prayer life which you grow into and grows as you do,
• a good spiritual director seen on a regular basis,
• close priest friends as well as close lay friends,
• outside interests and hobbies (for me they are golf, fishing, cooking and following various sports teams!)

I would also suggest attending as many study days or days of prayer as provided by the Diocese.

To anyone interested in becoming a priest, I would encourage you to really sit down and talk to priests you admire or who seem to have similar interests. I personally would tell you that being a priest is full of ups and downs, good days and bad days, as well as successes and failures.  I would also tell you that priesthood can be fun . . . in fact the majority of the time it's a "riot" filled with many laughs but most importantly that you have to have the ability to laugh at yourself.

Born and raised in South Buffalo, Gregory J. Dobson was the first of Patrick and Margaret Dobson's six children. He attended St. Teresa School where the idea of becoming a priest led him to enter the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary after graduation from eighth grade. Looking back on the positive influences of his Catholic upbringing, he remembers being trained as an altar server by the austere Fr. Paul Durkin and recruited as a boy soprano for the Savios (the parish boys' choir) by the energetic and vigorous Fr. Leo McCarthy.

Deciding not to go directly into the priesthood, he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in religious studies with a major in Scripture from Canisius College. The then "Mr. Dobson" was on the faculty at St. Martin's School in Buffalo (now known as Notre Dame Academy) where he taught junior high for eight years. He also served as vice principal, director of religious education, and director of the folk ensemble. It was during this time that his good friend, Fr. Louis Hendricks, took Greg "under his wings" and allowed him to move with him into his circle of ministry. Fr Louis used this opportunity to share his insights on many aspects of priestly devotion.

Although he enjoyed teaching, the personal example of the wonderful priests who were so inspirational to him led him to enter Christ the King Seminary to complete his journey to the priesthood. While at the Seminary he was given a pastoral assignment at Queen of All Saints in Lackawanna. After being ordained to the diaconate in 1982, he served his assignment at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Buffalo. As a seminarian, he was attracted to Paul's letter to the Colossians - especially chapter three where he found the words that became the logo and theme of his ordination, "Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness."

Fr. Greg was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 1983 by Bishop Edward D. Head at St. Martin of Tours Church. During his first 14 years as a priest, Fr. Greg served as parochial vicar in the following parishes: Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Depew, St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Orchard Park. He also took on the responsibilities as chaplain for Villa Maria Academy. As a parochial vicar, he was motivated by the joyful Rev. Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti who saw his people as good and lovely.

As was evident in his previous career as a teacher, Fr. Greg really enjoys working with the youth. This was a significant component of his ministry in all three of his first assignments. He received the Moderator of the Year Award from the Buffalo Diocesan Youth Department in 1989 for his involvement while at St. Mary's in Lancaster. He also worked with a peer group ministry, conducted workshops and seminars for youth and teachers, and led Catholic Youth Organization (C.Y.O.) meetings and retreats. He assisted as a liturgical presider for the Life Teen group at Nativity Parish in Orchard Park, was active in Christian Drama with the Renaissance Theater Group, and served as the spiritual director for the Young Adult Ministry (Y.A.M.). Other highlights of his ministry to young Catholics include traveling with his parish youth group to World Youth Day in Denver in 1993 and twice to a sister parish in Mexico. Fr. Greg also served as a team member for the diocesan Christian Leadership Institute, an intensive leadership training program for young Catholics. Villa Maria Academy honored him with an award for Dedication and Service in 1997.

In 1995 he was invited to co-host the television program, Comfort My People, a weekly media ministry focused on Scripture reflections. He was the program's Scripture commentator for eleven years enjoying a wide following throughout western New York. In 1996 the diocese appointed him honorary chairperson of the Catholic Communication Campaign.

His first assignment as pastor came in 1997 with his appointment to St. Mary of the Angels Parish in Olean. With this assignment came the additional appointment as Episcopal Vicar of the Southern Cattaraugus Vicariate. This assignment gave new meaning to his nomenclature, "A Simple Country Priest."

In 2003 he assumed the pastorship of Sacred Heart Parish in Portville, a position he maintained until the 2007 merger with St. Mary's in Olean. A champion for Catholic education, he has previously served as Canonical Administrator for Southern Tier Catholic School and continues to serve on its school board as well as Archbishop Walsh High School's board.

Fr. Greg is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker at Catholic, ecumenical, and community events. His continuing education and his travels to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Europe, (most recently, Greece), the Middle East (with St. George's College in East Jerusalem) have given life to his homilies and lectures dealing with history, the Church, Scripture, culture, and social justice issues.

Some of the region's top civic citations have been bestowed upon Fr. Greg. For his work in fostering religious unity in the community, among them was the 2002 Unity Award by the Bahai Community.

He has served on several governing boards in the Olean area as well as chaplain to the Olean Knights of Columbus and was assistant Father Prior for Youth for the State Knights of Columbus. He is the chaplain for the Olean Police Department and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians. In 2006 he was appointed to serve on the Diocesan Commission for the Journey in Faith and Grace.

His life has been a happy one; a grace, a good life. His priesthood has given him much joy and the opportunity to bring Christ to many situations - some happy, some not. The most challenging thing for him right now is being so far away from his family. His parish in Olean is an hour and a half drive from Buffalo. This makes it difficult to be with his family and his parish on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter when both would want him near. Overall he feels the priesthood is a beautiful life and an extremely meaningful vocation. Fr. Greg asserts, "We are a priestly people, graced and called to rejoice in the discovery of God's presence in our lives."

Born and raised in LeRoy, NY, Gerard Leo Green was one of three children born to George and Marian Green. He has a sister, Nancy Stratton, and a brother, John Green. Jerry attended St. Peter's grade school and graduated from LeRoy High School in 1945. He spent a year in the U.S. Army from 1946-47 in Tokyo, Japan as a Photo Lab Technician. He then worked for Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, NY as a Lab Technician before deciding to continue his education. He entered St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, MD and received a BS in Chemistry in 1952.

The idea of becoming a priest occurred to Jerry Green in his senior year of college. He worked for Xerox in Rochester, NY as a chemist right after graduation but then decided to enter the seminary to study for the priesthood. Masses were celebrated in Latin at the time and Jerry was a little concerned about having to learn a new language. God provided and he was ordained at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Buffalo on May 26, 1956 by the Most Rev. Joseph A. Burke, Bishop of Buffalo. Fr. Jerry Green celebrated his first Mass the next day at his home parish of St. Peter in LeRoy.

After ordination, Fr. Green was assigned to Sacred Heart Church in Angelica, as Administrator for a year. He spent the summer of '57 as chaplain for two Boy Scout camps, Schoelkopf and Scout Haven. Having achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1945, scouting was very familiar to him. From 1957-1959, Fr. Green was assigned as an assistant at St. Aloysius Gonzaga in Cheektowaga, and then a very unusual request came his way. He was assigned to teach science at the newly formed Bishop Turner High School in Buffalo. He received a MA in Theology (Canon Law) at St. Bonaventure University in 1958. He also added graduate studies in chemistry and education at Canisius College to prepare for teaching. He taught at Bishop Turner from 1959 to 1974. Residing at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Buffalo, he helped out there on weekends and later at St. Martin of Tours in Buffalo. He was assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary in Wilson, as administrator in 1968.

In 1973, Fr. Green was assigned administrator at St. Barnabas in Depew, a much larger parish. As the demands of parish life grew, he gave up teaching science. In 1976, he was made pastor of St. Barnabas where he remained for seventeen years.

Prior to 1983, Fr. Green would spend his days off with his parents in LeRoy. When they passed away, he spent a year looking for a place to call his own where he could spend time relaxing. He found a nice cottage on the shores of Lake Erie in Angola. In 1984, he was given the Prelate of Honor, which changed his title from Father to Monsignor Green.

During his priesthood Msgr. Green received many diocesan honors and service awards, particularly the Curé of Ars awarded by Christ the King Seminary in 1999. Throughout the years he was a member of several church and civic organizations; far too many to list here. SS. Peter and Paul Church in Hamburg became his home in 1990. He was named pastor and spent the next nine years there until his retirement from administration in 1999.

"You are a priest forever..." and so, although Msgr. Green is no longer assigned to any parish, he continues to help wherever he is needed. He fills in when priests go on vacation or need help in any way. He is happy to administer the sacraments and relieved not to have the responsibility of being a pastor.

Msgr. Green now resides in the home he purchased in 1984. He is very handy and enjoys "do-it-yourself" projects around the house. Some other hobbies include swimming, scuba diving, fishing, and photography. He took a trip to Alaska in 2006, something he had dreamed about for a long time.

In his many years as a priest, Msgr. Green found the time spent in administrative duties to be challenging. Most people don't realize how much paper work is involved in the day to day life of a priest.  Also challenging is preparing homilies that will reach a wide range of people. With so many backgrounds and varied interests making up the body of a parish, it's difficult to come up with something to which everyone can relate.

One of the things he most enjoys about priesthood is administering the Sacraments to people. Being involved personally with the families he has known during these special times in their lives gives his life great meaning. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, etc. bring people together and being a part of their family celebrations as well as their times of sorrow is a great privilege.

When Msgr. Green gets the chance to talk to men curious about priesthood, he refers to a pamphlet concerning vocation awareness that asks the question, "Why?" and answers it with, "Why not?" He believes that in order to really know what God wants you to do with your life, you need to spend time in quiet prayer. You need to be open to whatever plans God has for you by saying, "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." (Psalm 40)

I am Monsignor Paul Burkard. I was born in Buffalo, NY in September of 1943. My home parish is St. Mary in Swormville, which was then a small, rural parish. Today it is one of the largest and most quickly growing parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, on the boundary between the Town of Clarence and Amherst.

I attended eight grades of elementary school at St. Mary's. After graduation from St. Mary's, I attended the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary on Dodge Street in Buffalo for high school and the first two years of college. In college, I was a Philosophy major and a Classics minor. After my second year of college, I entered St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora for my final two years of college and four years of theology. While I was working on my M.A. in Theology at St. John Vianney, I began a M.A. in Sociology at Catholic University in Washington, DC, taking classes during the summer sessions. I graduated from the seminary in May 1969.

I was ordained by Auxiliary Bishop Bernard J. McLaughlin on May 24, 1969. On that day, I had twenty-three diocesan classmates ordained with me. We were ordained in three different churches.  One third of us were ordained at St. Joseph's New Cathedral on Delaware and Utica in Buffalo, one third of my classmates were ordained at St. Joseph's Old Cathedral on Franklin Street (presently our only cathedral) and one third of my classmates were ordained at Our Lady of Basilica in Lackawanna. In all of the excitement of ordination day, I think the question top-most on my mind was, "Will I be able to adequately serve the needs of the people that God will entrust to me in my first assignment as a priest?" I had chosen to become a priest because I wanted to serve God's people as best I possibly could and I thank God every day for the grace He gave me through all of my assignments to be of help to the people placed in my care.

My first assignment was at Annunciation Parish, Lafayette and Grant Streets on the West Side of Buffalo. I was assigned part-time to the parish and part-time to the parish high school. During that period, I became very interested in the local ecumenical ministry on the West Side of Buffalo called the Concerned Ecumenical Ministry. It was a group of fourteen Protestant and Catholic Churches who had banded together to provide better social services for people of the area.

In 1974, Bishop Edward Head assigned me to the faculty of Wadhams Hall Seminary College, Ogdensburg, NY. I spent eleven years teaching religious studies and sociology at Wadhams Hall and also held the position of Dean of Students and Vice Rector. I completed my M.A. in Sociology in May 1976.

In 1985, Bishop Head reassigned me to the faculty of Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, as Vice Rector and Director of Formation. I held that position until 1987 when Bishop Head invited me to assume the responsibility of his Assistant for Vocations and Priestly Formation for the Diocese of Buffalo. In this position, I oversaw the seminary education of our students in training for priesthood and also headed up the recruiting program for vocations in the Diocese of Buffalo. I was then appointed by Bishop Mansell to be the Pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Orchard Park, a large parish with a wonderful school and vibrant liturgical life.

My family today consists of my 93-year old mother and four siblings. My mother lives in Williamsville. My brother and his wife live in Clarence, as does one of my sisters and her family. My youngest sister and her husband and family live in Hamburg and my older sister is the Minister General of the Franciscan Sisters across New York State and Pennsylvania. Her motherhouse is in Syracuse.

My present assignment is as Pastor of Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna, President of Baker-Victory Services and Executive Vice President of the Homes of Charity. In this assignment, I work to continue the ministry begun by Father Nelson Baker in Lackawanna. With the help of 1,100 or more employees, we continue the social work, childcare, and specialized needs care for over 3,000 people in the Western New York area. My present ministry also includes my role as Vice Postulator for the cause of beatification and canonization for Father Baker.

I enjoy reading, gardening, and traveling. All of these help me to keep my life in balance. I also enjoy teaching and giving spiritual retreats and conferences whenever possible.

After all these years of priesthood (almost forty), I am happy to say that there is nothing I would have rather done with my life than to become a Catholic priest. I challenge young men in the Western New York area today to consider this vocation. I can't think of a better way to help God's people than as a priest in the Diocese of Buffalo.

Born on Long Island, NY, in December, 1956, Joseph became the first son and fourth child in the Rogliano family. He moved, along with his parents and three older sisters, to the Buffalo area when he was six years old. He attended grade school at his home parish of St. Vincent de Paul in Springbrook. When he was just thirteen, he and his close knit Italian family experienced a great loss when his father passed away. Joe graduated from St. Mary's High School in Lancaster and continued studies at  St. John Fisher College in Rochester. There he received a BS in Management and a BA in Psychology. He worked for Tops Markets and McDonalds through his high school and college years.

After graduation, Joe found employment at Marine Midland Bank as an interviewer in the human resources department. He vividly recalls one comment made by his supervisor during his one-year evaluation: "It would behoove you to interview and hire more with your head and less with your heart." Knowing that he was a "heart" person, this evaluation became one of two "seeds" which led him to consider altering the path of his life. The other occurred when he made Mission at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in West Seneca. He was deeply touched by this experience which, coupled with his employment evaluation, led him to consider the vocation of priesthood.

In the fall of 1980, Joe entered Christ the King Seminary. In the summer of 1981, he went to his first parish assignment at Queen of All Saints in Lackawanna. He thoroughly enjoyed the two summers he spent there. His next parish assignment was at St. Amelia in Tonawanda under the guidance of the pastor, Msgr. Rupert Wright. He served as a pre-deacon for a summer, and after graduation, his transitional deaconate year.

St. Joseph's Cathedral was the setting for his ordination to the deaconate on May 11, 1984. Less than a year later, Fr. Joe was ordained to the priesthood. At the time, it was customary for ordination to take place in the home parish of the candidate. Although St. Amelia's was not Fr. Joe's home parish, he asked his ordinary at the time, Bishop Edward Head, for permission to be ordained there. On April 19, 1985, he was ordained to the priesthood at St. Amelia Parish. Following ordination, Fr. Joe said his first Mass at St. Catherine of Siena in West Seneca, which was the parish he belonged to after his family moved out of Springbrook.

His first assignment as a priest was at St. Bernadette in Orchard Park where he spent three and a half years working with and learning from Msgr. Richard Nugent. He then went to St. Teresa in South Buffalo for six years, and was further groomed for ministry under the guidance of Fr. Ted Berg. His first taste of major fundraising came during his time at St. Teresa's where he had the privilege of seeing the church go through a complete restoration under the careful leadership of Fr. Berg.

After that assignment, Fr. Joe went to St. Gregory the Great in Williamsville, a wonderful opportunity for Fr. Joe to be reunited with his deacon mentor, a respected and admired friend, Msgr. Rupert Wright. He really enjoyed having the opportunity to minister with Msgr. Wright as a priest. While at St Greg's, in addition to many other ministries, he became very closely involved in a huge capital campaign, established to raise funds for a new ministry center and rectory.  All three of his assignments brought him vast amounts of experience for what would lead to his first pastorate, St Anthony in Lockport, given to him by Bishop Henry Mansell.  Two years later, he was assigned the added responsibility of Pastor to nearby St. Joseph. At the time, it was referred to as "twinning" when two parishes shared one pastor. After seven and a half years in Lockport, Fr. Joe moved on to Fourteen Holy Helpers in West Seneca a larger suburban parish, complete with school, convent, and even a small cemetery.

Fr. Joe has been at Fourteen Holy Helpers for a little more than two years. Ordained for twenty-three years, he feels blessed to have enjoyed the company of the other priests with whom he has served. The best part of priesthood for Fr. Joe is when he gets to set aside the business of each week and celebrate weekend Masses. He loves to preach and interact with his parishioners. A real people person, he enjoys all kinds of parish functions, even BINGO, which he periodically works. As far as describing a challenge of priesthood, he notes that it is difficult to please all of the people all of the time, a reality that he and every priest often face.

Among the many interests Fr. Joe has are running and exercising. He finds working out a great way to relieve stress and stay healthy. Fr. Joe enjoys the Bills, Sabres, and pro golf. He recently took up golf and is committed to learning everything he can about the sport. He enjoys movies and books. He is a true "early bird," and sees morning as a wonderful time of day when everything is quiet and the hustle and bustle has not yet begun. Prayer, meditating, and reading suit him best at that time of day, as opposed to later in the day. A real "beach bum," he enjoys vacationing on Ocean City's Jersey Shore with his family and friends. Birthdays and many other celebrations keep Fr. Joe and his family closely connected.

If someone thinks he is being called to the priesthood, Fr. Joe feels he should not ignore it. It is best to listen carefully, in prayer and throughout the day, and keep the door open to the possibility. One should ask many questions of himself and others. He should spend time talking to priests, lay people, friends and family members to find out what they would think about him becoming a priest. Fr. Joe stresses that people always have to give up something no matter what path they choose in life. The grass will always look greener on the other side if they focus on what they have left behind rather than what they have gained. Following his heart to the priesthood, Fr. Joe inspires all those he serves with his outgoing, energetic and optimistic personality.