The number of churches that have been forced to close their
doors in recent years has been staggering. However, there have been some rare
cases where churches have been able to reinvest in their historic properties
and find a new life. Holy Angels Church at 348 Porter Avenue is one of those
rare examples.
Built in 1856, the Roman Catholic Church has been in
constant use since it was completed. The congregation was founded in 1851 by
the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. They began as a seminary with humble
beginnings in a converted barn located on the Terrace in downtown Buffalo. They
began with 28 students and by 1852 they needed a more suitable location to
continue their work. The leaders moved the seminary to what was then the outskirts
of the city in the Prospect Hill neighborhood. Two abandoned buildings were
included in the purchase a former poorhouse and an insane asylum.
The poorhouse was converted and renovated into their college
and dorms while the asylum was transformed into a chapel. The Oblates served
the poor Irish immigrants in the surrounding area, which at the time was
practically a slum. By 1856 they began to construct the Church which stands
today, but construction occurred sporadically due to financial problems. The
building was dedicated by Bishop Timon in 1859, even though it still had not
been completed. It was enlarged in 1874 including the addition of the transept,
choir loft, and sanctuary which is how the Church appears today.
Subsequent generations have been good stewards of the rich
history of Holy Angels Church, but considering the age the building, it has
required serious maintenance and restoration. Enter Angelo Travale in 1999, who
has helped raise money to proceed with a complete restoration of the beautiful
Church. While Travale is not the only one to help guide the restoration
efforts, he has been the man behind the scenes facilitating efforts to raise
the necessary funds for restoration.
Events such as golf tournaments and fundraising drives have
raised enough capital to repoint the failed mortar, replace the roof, stabilize
the building, and propel the interior restoration. Currently about three
quarters of the restoration has been completed, including the incredible murals
which have been recently completed by Timothy Englert of Bryans Brothers
Painting.
The interior of the church had been “modernized” over the
years, meaning an almost total whitewash of the entire interior. Englert has
brought brilliant colors back into the building including a new mural above the
altar and intricately painted angel capitals on all of the columns throughout
the building. Using a simple rag roll method, the white walls have been
transformed to a warm shade of grey which complements the addition of new color
very well.
Tim was kind enough to lead me through the building and
pointed out some of the incredible ornament and elements on the interior. Much
of the marble was imported from Italy and weighs so much that the floor was
built with extra reinforcement to carry the massive weight. The two windows
which are set in the curved wall of the altar were designed by none other than
Louis Comfort Tiffany’s company.
Holy Angels is a great example of how a group of dedicated
people in a neighborhood which is seeing reinvestment everyday can bring new
life to one of Buffalo’s historic churches.
For additional pictures of the Church, check out my Flickr page, Views of Buffalo