Holy Name Church Sold

WCP, who are you? I have some acquaintances who went to school there many years ago. Some have died. Happy memories. But life moves on. I hope they have the finances to maintain it.

Closed churches are a testament to the high cost of secularism and atheism. People have opted for the less traditional and less conservative religions in favor of trendier or alternative religion. Church closers should not be a shock to those who have chosen to not belong to a congregation or to not practice religion. This is the growing trend in America, and it will result in the closure of more architectural gems in favor of less expensive strip mall type churches that can hold thousands yet are devoid of character. I expect to see more churches close in Buffalo. In fact there are a few more on the list for closure next year. The high price of atheism is the loss of community and spirituality that these churches once provided to the now devastated communities that the wealthiest have left behind.

I would say that the church is not so much saved as used--I hope well. Were it saved--and I know nothing of the vitality of the parish before it was closed--Catholics would still be worshiping in it, let's be clear.

As for the blame, well, that depends a lot on the situation of the parish, the Bishop, Buffalo's execrable economy and planning...

I do not think we can lay the blame on atheists or trendy religions.

I attended Holy Name for Religious instructions around 1973. What a great place to go. I also attended Queen of Peace on Genesee street nearby. TWO great parishes that were near my home on Burgard Place.

The church is the people, and thus never closes. While it is sad that the Roman Catholic Church (mostly) moved out of this neighborhood, the church is still there, and is still using the building. This is not a church closing, but a demographic shift and a re-branding.

While atheism is quickly growing, the vast majority of people practice some sort of spirituality. What we find, however, is that people do this outside of institutional bounds (I'm going to have to post of the "indy-sacramental movement" as soon as they are ready to let the cat out of the bag).

As these new movements grow and develop, they may decide they need buildings (even though, oddly enough, most churches stop growing soon after they get a property on the main drag).

If the older institutions cannot (or will not) renewal themselves with a spirituality that is serves their neighborhoods, then the next best thing they can do is put their buildings into the hands of a group that might and/or find a re-use for the building that is consistent with their mission and good for the neighborhood.

Rev. Drew,

"The church is the people, and thus never closes." No, not in the Catholic understanding of the Church. So, yes, it is a church closing--to be precise, a parish closing, closed by the Diocese of Buffalo presided over by an anointed Bishop. No amount of gauzing over that fact can alter the fact.

As for the veiled allusions in "older institutions," I would suggest to you that you need to be much more precise and explicit in your wording.

Buffalo was and perhaps still is a Catholic bastion.

It is always sad to see that change for the worse.

I am a Presbyterian. We and the other "mainliners" are going to fade much faster than the Roman Catholics. Mostly because you got multiculturalism before it was cool, and we still have a hard time with it.

I think calling this change a "change for the worse" is understandable, but I don't see this congregation as worse than the original one.

And as long as we are being technical--I think the parish still remains, it is simply included in a larger parish.

WCP: where'd you live? I grew up on the corner of Brinkman and Rohe in the duplex (211 Brinkman) kitty corner from the convent. Remember Msgr. Walker? (he just died a few years ago at age 95). Went to school here into fourth grade (then was transferred by parents to Queen of Peace for dubious reasons).

Anyone have any update on the Trezevant Travesty on Sycamore?

WCP, thanks for sharing the personal side of this, and I'm very glad there's something of a happy result in getting this church into the hands of an active congregation -- rather than another board-up (or worse).

Delighted that we'll be seeing you soon for the tail end of Buffalo Homecoming.

remember when "babeville" was bought by another church first and it was falling to the ground after. lets hope this new group can afford the upkeep or i am unimpressed.

Sprawl was what put most of our historic churchs in this situation.

though there are other issues that contributed

Yes, downtown housing is on the upsurge...people want to live downtown...and on the westside between Linwood and Richmond...and soon expanding between Main and Grant.

However, our urban neighborhoods arent going to change if we keep putting suburban housing on urban city blocks...and if we dont bring the suburban office parks back into our urban neighborhoods...as urban offices that fit on a city block.

im glad that the church was saved...the bigger issue is for what purpose and for how long.

If they havent attended catholic school, if they havent been baptized or received their first communion or their confirmation, then its hard to reach them. Particularly in the teens and twenties...when its all about spreading wings and experiencing life. The last thing they want to hear about is limitations and morality...especially when they have been taught that so much of their immorality has no consequences....even though the consequences are still there.

The catholic church does have something that other churchs do not have...it has always had a strong social component to its faith that brings the community together whether its religious rites or farmers markets or dances or schools etc.

There is not an appetite to build suburban tyle office parks in the city....what are needed are urban office parks that fully utilize a city block. Is there an appetite?

Well let me put it this way...Buffalo has tax monies, Niagara Power relicensing, now surplus power sold at market rates, soon casino revenue, etc. The city can do one of two things. They can take that money and funnel it to unions and bigger government or they can rebrick/repave streets, replace lighting, replace sidewalks, replace water and sewar lines, they can reroof a house rather than demolish it and they can subsidize infill lt industrial, infill commercial office and residential.

If high quality lt industrial, office and residential is put up for rent or purchase....at a price...more competitive than the suburbs then yes...more neighborhoods can look like Elmwood....we can get South Park, Abbott, Seneca, Broadway, Genessee, Main and Niagara to be as successful as Elmwood.

Those 20 somethings will have kids...and religion, particularly christianity and catholicism, has always been about children.

Remember that "suburban" actual means sub-urban/semi-urban; which means beneath, lesser than and sort of urban!
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Semi- and sub- urbanites are all uprooted Urbanites afterall!
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Why would anyone presume that people who are not interested in joining organized religions are atheists?
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Also, Holy Name School, which was built in two different time periods----
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which, for the kids that were still there when the new part was built meant a kid was either "old" school or "new" school, which gives new meaning to 'I'm old school'!----
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AND, Holy Name was not a diocesan-owned school--a fact of which the dio was never appreciative? And which is why the school building is not a part of the cheapy sales package.

Is the "Catholic guilt" syndrome still felt? Cut it out!
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Years ago, if a priest was caught with a girl friend, he would be living in serious "sin" and going through "hell on earth" now, but that guy recently in the news simply changed his religious affiliation!

Once in a while, church bells have been heard in both city and suburbs. Lordy, that's a pleasant sound! And it might be coming from the bell-towered churches in the city along Broadway.
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Is that being done to attract people back to churches? Because that probably won't be the effect.
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They are simply pleasant to hear, which is an overall good, nondemonational, non-cultish thing to listen to...

I grew up just down the street on Wood Ave. and attended both the school and church until the day they each closed. I was in the last 3rd grade class, and I was the lector at the final Saturday mass. My family had moved to the suburbs a decade before the church closed but I still drove in each weekend to read at Mass. I was never interested in a suburban church when compared to the atmosphere at Holy Name.

I wish it was still open in its original form, but I'm glad to have someone move in and utilize it rather than for it to lay abandoned. Generations of our family and friends spent too much time making that place thrive just for it to be ignored. What denomination is the New Life Harvest Church of God anyway? I'll have to stop down and see how they utilize the place.

Soooo, I searched online for New Life Harvest Church of God in Christ--at a different address, not their new one.
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I couldn't find a specific denomination, but I see that title is associated with Church of God in Christ and New Life Harvest and there is also an Abundant Harvest COGIC and it all ties together with NetMinistries...and...I just learned what the initials C.O.G.I.C represent--didn't know that!!!
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Isn't the school building already owned by this ministry?
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Also, there was negative news somewhat recently about a group home (for girls? 211 Brinkman? ) across the street from the school on Brinkman and the school was also involved somehow???