St. John Kanty Church on Buffalo’s East Side is one of the many churches the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is set to close as part of its "Road to Renewal."
But on Friday, the group fighting against the closure was notified by the Vatican that it is suspending the closure. Located on Swinburne Street in Buffalo, the church held its final Mass in May.
“We are encouraged and hopeful with the response that we have received from the prefect for the Dicastery of the clergy, suspending the actions of the Buffalo Diocese, which would extinguish our parish and sell our church," parishioner Matthew Zawisky said. "This is for a period, typically 90 days, as the Dicastery further considers our appeal."
The parishioners involved with the appeal now say, “As a result of these suspensions, it is incumbent upon the diocese to return any and all artifacts, property, and materials which may have been removed from the church, and resume masses.”
St. John Kanty is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and named a landmark by the City of Buffalo.
"We have reached out to Save Our Buffalo Churches, a local volunteer organization which has helped a number of Western New York churches in their endeavors to keep their parishes and their churches open," Zawisky stated. "We are very grateful for the assistance and support.”
7 News has reached out to the Diocese of Buffalo for comment, and we are waiting for a response.
