Fight to save Our Lady of Perpetual Help after recommendation from Diocese of Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The sound of bells, coming from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, can be heard throughout this Old First Ward neighborhood. For the parishioners, this church means everything to them.

Kathleen Byrnes

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“I attended other churches throughout my life and ended up coming back here because it was home,” Byrns said.

Linda Ryndak

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“My daughter is the church organist here. And she’s been here ever since. She was 14 and she’s now 40 and that’s why I joined this church and I don’t want to go anywhere else,” said Ryndak.

Sue Travis

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“This is my church and it’s…someone once said that when you walk into the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you’re walking into someone’s living room. You feel this love.” , Travis said.

Christine Fruchtel

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“I’ve been a member of this church for 63 years. Leah has been here since she was a baby, you know,” Fruchtel said.

Léa Bouquard

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“My great-grandmother was married there. My sisters were baptized there. My cousin was married there. Everyone has their roots at Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” Bouquard said.

There is a fight to save this church after the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo recommended it merge with a larger church in Buffalo. Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of 15 churches in the city that would close as part of the bankrupt diocese’s restructuring plan.

LEARN MORE: Here are the parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo that have been recommended to merge

“We’re begging you to give us the year to not close our church. I mean, we’ve been successful so far, we can continue to do this,” Fruchtel said.

She added that the church is holding up financially and attendance is increasing.

Although saving the Church may be an uphill battle, Travis said she is committed to the effort.

“Some say it’s impossible, but being from the First Ward, we don’t like that word. We’re not going down without a fight,” Travis said.

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In an effort to save churches recommended for closure or merger, Bernice Radle, executive director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN), is working to designate at-risk churches as local landmarks.

This is part of a new “Save Our Sacred Sites” campaign.

“Local landmark status is positive and also does not require owner approval, so the diocese does not have to say yes or no on that,” Radle said.

This process will take a few months. Radle said PBN will organize searches for applications for historic status.

The Buffalo Common Council then has the authority to approve landmark status. If approved, it could open the door to grants and tax credits in the future, Radle added.

PBN is seeking donations to carry out this work for more than a dozen churches, as each request costs $2,500.

It is a step towards saving the Church, while the future of Our Lady of Perpetual Help remains uncertain.

“We need to move forward with positivity and this is a good step,” Byrns said.

The fight doesn’t stop there: parishioners are holding a public meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Old First Ward community center. This meeting will be open to the public to discuss ways to save the church.