A western New York church has received a rare honor from the Pope.
Pope Francis has named the St. Mary of the Angels Church a Basilica, making it the third one in western New York.
Rev. Richard Malone, bishop of Buffalo, made the announcement Friday at Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna.
After a two year process, St. Mary of the Angels is now the 83rd church in the United States with this honor.
The church has been around since the mid 1800's and serves more than 1,300 families in the City of Olean.
