St. Mary's

Catholic Church in Arcade, NY

News

Good Friday Collection (2024)

Pope Francis has asked our parish to support the Good Friday Collection, which helps Christians in the Holy Land, where they are now less than 2% of the population. Your support is essential to help the Church minister in parishes, provide Catholic schools, and offer religious education.

The Pontifical Good Friday Collection helps to preserve the sacred shrines of Christianity, including in Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem. The pandemic hit Christians in the Holy Land particularly hard. Most of them depend on pilgrimages for work. The war made their situation even more dramatic. In these times of crisis, the Pontifical Good Friday Collection is necessary to meet the basic needs of the People of God still living in this land and to maintain a Christian presence where the Church was born.

When you contribute to the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, you join with Catholics around the world in solidarity with the Church in the Holy Land. Please be as generous as you can.

Based on the bulletin of February 25, 2024.

You Can Register With Your Parish (2024)

If you are regularly attending Mass at one of our parishes within our Cattaraugus Creek Catholic Community, please consider having your name added to our parish records. To register or to update your records, please contact our parish family business office.

When we have the ability to see how many people each parish supports, we can adjust programs to meet the needs of your parish.

Thank you!

Based on the bulletin of January 7, 2024.

Epiphany House Blessings (2024)

Epiphany House Blessings pouches are available in the back of the churches (January 6 – 7, 2024) if you’d like to celebrate one of our beautiful traditions of our faith. If you have never done it before, let today be the first time!

Based on the bulletin of January 7, 2024.

About the St. Aloysius Crafters (2024)

Job Well Done St. Aloysius Crafters!

This past year these ladies have been very busy. They have made and donated:

  • 306 quilts
  • 647 teddy bears
  • 11 afghans
  • 33 prayer shawls
  • …and 81 caps.

These were donated to Sisters Hospital, Mercy Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, Roswell Park Cancer Center, Bertrand Chaffee Hospital (Emergency room and lab), and Wellnow Urgent Care.

Anyone interested in joining us sewing, stuffing, knitting, or crocheting please contact any member.

More specific contact info available in the bulletin of January 7, 2024.

St. John’s Clothes Closet (January 2024)

St. John’s Clothes Closet is accepting new or slightly used, clean, warm, winter clothing and blankets for adults and children. Housewares, new or slightly used are also appreciated.

Based on the bulletin of December 31, 2023.

Christmas Greetings, 2023

As we prepare to celebrate the annual solemnity of Christmas, the Birth of Jesus Christ, we remember the event that changed everything for us. The arrival of ‘Emmanuel,’ the God made human, we rejoice that salvation has come and brought us peace, hope and joy. This year, as we continue to adapt to the changes in our community parishes through the Road to Renewal, and come together as the Cattaraugus Creek Catholic Community, let us embrace the changes to our routines and familiar ways of operating, guided by the Holy Spirit, in anticipation of a larger family that more effectively uses our gifts and talents to fulfill the mission to bring the Gospel message of God’s love, mercy and care to the people throughout our area. We all know of the difficulties that accompany change, but Christmas reminds us of the great benefits that change can offer as well.

One thing that has not changed is the generous spirit and work of the many people in our parishes who help to create the beautiful environment of our worship spaces at this time of year, the liturgical ministers and musicians who help us offer praise to God, the people who organize our efforts to reach out to those in need, and those who work with our youth and children to help them grow in faith in the Christ child, Jesus. Of course, there are many others who work behind the scenes to keep our buildings in shape and dedicate themselves to keeping our parishes running smoothly. To all of the generous volunteers and staff members, thank you!

On behalf of all of us throughout the Cattaraugus Creek Catholic Community, especially Father Al Osiander, Deacon Jeff Forster, Deacon Rick Mackiewicz and myself, we offer our prayers and wishes for you and your families to experience a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Happy New Year!

Father Dan Fawls

Based on the bulletin of December 24, 2023.

Changed: Sunday Morning Mass on December 24 (2023)

Dear Parishioners and Guests,

Please note that our Sunday morning Mass schedule has changed – but only for Sunday, December 24, 2023!

  • There will be no 8:00 am Mass at St. John’s in West Valley!
  • There will be no 11:00 am Mass at St. Mary in East Arcade!

You can still find Sunday morning Masses — the Fourth Sunday of Advent — at St. Mary’s Arcade at 9:00 am, or St. Aloysius Springville at 10:30 am.

We will have many Christmas Eve Masses available later in the day, including one at St. Mary’s East Arcade! View Christmas Mass Schedule 2023

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Based on the bulletin of December 24, 2023.

Plenary Indulgence (2023-2024)

This year, Catholics will be able to receive a plenary indulgence from Dec. 8 (2023), the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to Feb. 2, 2024, the feast of the Presentation in the Temple of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by praying before a Nativity scene in a Franciscan church.

As part of the celebration of this Franciscan Centenary, the Conference of the Franciscan Family asked Pope Francis for the approval of this plenary indulgence. The Apostolic Penitentiary welcomed the request, allowing the faithful to receive this indulgence under the usual conditions.

If you have any questions, please call one of our parish family priests.

St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church is located on 4263 St. Francis Dr. in Hamburg, NY.

Based on the bulletin of December 10, 2023.

Opportunities to Give (Christmas 2023)

There are lots of opportunities to assist families in our area through the Giving Trees at:

  • St. John
  • St. Aloysius
  • St. Jude

The St. Aloysius Angel Tree has a basket below the tree filled with tags with specific gifts. When you take a tag, please take an angel from the angel basket and hang it on the tree. Please return the gift by December 10 with the tag firmly attached on the outside.

The Advent Giving Tree at St. John has gift tags on the tree. When you take a tag, please hang an angel ornament on the tree where the tag was. For security reasons, please return the wrapped gift with the tag attached (on the outside) inside the crying room at the back of the church by December 17.

The Pioneer Central School District is continuing their sponsorship program. Last year they helped over 35 families and 94 children with coats, boots, toys and games. Any donation amount is helpful, and if you’d like to sponsor a child, the amounts are $65 for Elementary, $75 for Middle School or $90 for High School. Checks can be made out to “Pioneer Giving Tree” and mailed to Pioneer Giving Tree Program, Pioneer Central School District, County Line Rd PO Box 639, Yorkshire, NY 14173.

All the families involved with our Giving Trees are going through financial hardships. The greatest gift we can give them are our prayers, so please consider taking the time to pray for their greatest needs to be met through the grace of our Lord.

Based on the bulletin of December 3, 2023.