Buffalo Diocese Parishioners React to Mergers

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Catholic Church leaders in the Diocese of Buffalo announced that 34 percent of parishes would be merged Tuesday evening.

The parishioners learned the news at the same time as us.

Tuesday evening, 2 On Your Side spoke with Nicole Wright, Clarence’s wife and mother of nine, who said the news wasn’t a complete shock.

“We can lose buildings and money, but I don’t want to lose people and put their eternal salvation in jeopardy,” Wright said. “I care about their souls. I care more that people are not raising their children Catholic. They are not receiving the sacraments. They are not going to church. It’s discouraging because we we need to evangelize and we need to catechize people and we need to give them a reason to hope and a reason to remain Catholic. I feel like we have failed in that.

“We really need to up our game, especially in light of the sexual abuse crisis,” she said. “So if that’s truly the plan of the diocese and they really want to make it a priority, I’m all for that.”