Catholic parishes announce combined Mass schedule

Includes St. Mary of the Cataract; Divine Mercy; Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph; St. John de LaSalle; St. Vincent de Paul

Roman Catholics in the Town of Niagara and Niagara Falls area will have their choice of 12 different weekend Masses beginning Nov. 25.

As part of the Diocese of Buffalo’s restructuring program called the “Road to Renewal,” five Catholic parishes in Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara have formed a family of parishes. While all of the parishes remain open, they are now sharing clergy and coordinating worship schedules.

The diocese has assigned four full-time priests to the family, which includes St. Mary of the Cataract; Divine Mercy; Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph; St. John de LaSalle; and St. Vincent de Paul. According to the diocese, each priest should preside at no more than three Masses per weekend, leading the five parishes to consolidate from 19 Masses per weekend to 12. The new schedule includes four Saturday vigil Masses and eight Sunday morning Masses.

•St. Mary of the Cataract, 237 Fourth St., will hold Mass at 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. Sundays.

•Divine Mercy, 2437 Niagara St., will hold Mass at 11 a.m. Sundays.

•Holy Family’s St. Joseph site, 1419 Pine Ave., will hold Mass at 4 p.m. Saturdays and 8:30 a.m. Sundays. Holy Family’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel site, 2499 Independence Ave., will hold Mass at 10:30 a.m. Sundays.

•St. John de LaSalle, 8477 Buffalo Ave., will hold Mass at 5 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. Sundays.

•St. Vincent de Paul’s Prince of Peace site, 1055 N. Military Road, will hold Mass at 4 p.m. Saturdays and 11:45 a.m. Sundays. St. Vincent de Paul’s St. Leo site, 2748 Military Road, will hold Mass at 9 a.m. Sundays, followed by a citywide religious education program for children and youth at 10 a.m.

The family of parishes has also coordinated its weekday Mass schedule. St. Mary of the Cataract will hold Mass at 12:10 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Divine Mercy will hold 8 a.m. Mass Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Holy Family will hold Mass at the St. Joseph site at 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel site on Tuesday and Thursday. St. John de LaSalle will hold Mass at 8 a.m. weekdays, and at 7 p.m. Tuesday. St. Vincent de Paul will hold Mass at 8:30 a.m. weekdays at the Prince of Peace site.

The priests who are assigned to the family will rotate among the churches for mass. Father James Kirkpatrick, a Sanborn native, was assigned as pastor of the five parishes in June. He is joined by senior parochial vicar Father Duane Klizek, and parochial vicars Father Benjamin Mariasoosai and Father Mario Racho. Father Stewart Lindsay, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, has retired, but remains in residence in Niagara Falls and is assisting on a part-time basis.

“This schedule gives our parishioners and visitors a wide variety of opportunities to attend Sunday Mass, and they will be able to do so in fuller churches,” Kirkpatrick said. “Changes to the Mass schedule mean that people might think about going to a different Mass or maybe a different church. Wherever you go to Mass in our family of parishes, your envelopes will go to the benefit of your home parish.”

He noted the schedule was built around several factors, including convenience for parishioners, travel time for priests, and the mission of the “Road to Renewal.”