Posted on 02/21/2011 5:39:21 AM PST by Gamecock
The Protestant/Evangelical churches in WNY are chock full of ex-Catholics.
The loss isn’t merely due to people moving out but rather much of it can be attributed to conversion.
Buffalo is not that stagnant. There are still significant populations of ethnics groups there, and the growing Hispanic population on the West side is heavily Catholic.
If the Catholic churches in the Buffalo area are closing it does not bode well for the Catholic church, spin notwithstanding.
The Church is not being purified by shrinking. Catholics in Buffalo are among some of the most liberal leaning voters out there. Buffalo is a liberal enclave and always has been. It’s politics have been corrupt for decades.
No, Catholicism in the Buffalo area is in a sorry state and declining.
Thanks for the 1st hand report.
Very different from what the Roman Catholics claimed above.
Make that two first hand reports.
Rnmom is right.
When there is a new Bishop there, too, things will probably turn around...although I don’t know all the demographics like you seem to.
The diocese of Buffalo is extensive going all the way out to all the suburbs and farmland and including Niagara Falls and its suburbs the churches are shuttered there as well... the emptying of the center city is a sadness....
It is a concern across the nation, but the decline in a dying rustbelt city is not the “cacary in the coal mine”. A decline in either a stable or growing city would be cause for alarm.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the total Buffalo metropolitan area losing population, not just the city itself? So it’s more understandable if suburban and rural churches are closing too.
Indeed.. many are sold to the Baptists in the inner city or the Muslims to make Mosques from.
Do you remember St Gerard's? That is being taken apart stone by stone to be rebuilt in NC somewhere.. that kind of Architecture is not in the books anymore ... and many are being just shut and allowed to decay
We rejoice over the loss of membership in the PCUSA ...
I love the broadway market ...even though it is now in a rough area it still attracts folks for the holiday
There is talk of relocating it to a safer area, maybe the water front inner harbor
One of the joys of WNY is the rich ethnic heritage .. Our food is the best in the country ..hands down
Polish, German, Italian, Greek and hispanic restaurants all over the place and their influence has blended in many of the Gourmet restaurants..
I had the best October fest dinner at an irish pub... LOL
One of our announcers was offered a position in another city..said she wanted to stay put because of the food..
Could you define "well"
Exactly ..my church is probably 75% ex Catholics. .and a good part of the other 25% had parents that left the church, so they are 1st generation protestants
Wow, just did some digging and found out the Church on the corner is still open but is now St Luke’s Mission of Mercy a homeless shelter I’d suppose.
Well, at least it is good to know it is still functioning.
The majority of the loss is to the city population because so many leave and move to the suburbs ...
The entire metro is suffering but they have semi merged 2 parishes (still using both buildings with fewer masses and 1 priest ) near me and our town population is pretty stable ... I am surrounded by enough people to fill both churches, but no one goes to church..they hit the bills game instead
The Buffalo Bishop is very, very (VERY) liberal.
Catholicism in this diocese is not traditional Roman Catholicism.
That is a sweet place.. a young woman got the building and it is a very active site . I know people that volunteer there and the guy who ran for governor donates lots of money to keep it going
ya think so? He seems quite uninvolved in things from what I can see.. unlike Head that seemed very hands on
I do think it only fair to note that the 85% RC population is also about 75% liberal democrat ..
“I am surrounded by enough people to fill both churches, but no one goes to church..they hit the bills game instead”
Imagine what will happen when the Bills start winning then
That is good to hear, thanks!
As for Buffalo politics, as my Father once told me:
“when I was your age my dad told me to pull the straight Democratic Ticket, don’t you do the same!”
:D
Back in the day all of the new immigrants voted Democrat and it became institutionalized.
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