Road to Renewal
Prayer for Renewal
In every age, O God, You have called us
to be Your people, to be Your Church.
In this me, we begin anew to discern
the pathways that will lead us,
Your people, closer to You.
Continually Bless our journey
as we proclaim Your Good News,
celebrate Your saving presence among us,
serve others with charity and justice,
and steward the world
You have entrusted to our care.
Send Your Spirit to lead and guide
our Emmaus journey as we commit
ourselves to the renewal of our Church.
This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
In every age, O God, You have called us
to be Your people, to be Your Church.
In this me, we begin anew to discern
the pathways that will lead us,
Your people, closer to You.
Continually Bless our journey
as we proclaim Your Good News,
celebrate Your saving presence among us,
serve others with charity and justice,
and steward the world
You have entrusted to our care.
Send Your Spirit to lead and guide
our Emmaus journey as we commit
ourselves to the renewal of our Church.
This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
September 12, 2024: Message from the Bishop on the mergers and closures.
September 22, 2024 - Road to Renewal Update
September 29, 2024 - Road to Renewal Update
October 20, 2024 update - ROAD TO RENEWAL UPDATE
The meetings scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd in the Church at St. Josaphat at 6:30 pm and on Wednesday, October 23rd in the Church at Queen of Martyrs at 6:30 pm to discuss plans for the future has been POSTPONED.
Please pray strongly for one another in this painful time.
The meetings scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd in the Church at St. Josaphat at 6:30 pm and on Wednesday, October 23rd in the Church at Queen of Martyrs at 6:30 pm to discuss plans for the future has been POSTPONED.
Please pray strongly for one another in this painful time.
October 26, 2025 - From Father Todd:
Road to Renewal Dear Parishioners,
As we have started to merge some of our resources through our Central office, we continue to move forward in becoming a more connected family of parishes. To accomplish not only this in our parishes, but strengthen them the diocese has come up with pillars that help the parish communities to focus on the various areas that are critical to parish life. Recently our Bishop, Michael Fisher wrote a response to an editorial in the Buffalo News. In the article the Bishop stated: "These pillars require that lay leadership and collaboration are at the forefront of the entire renewal process, bringing the best of our parish communities together with our clergy to develop goals and clear plans to move our parishes and families forward."
We here at The Catholic Family of Cheektowaga, are looking to reestablish the Pillars of our faith community in order to strengthen our foundation and continue moving down the road to renewal. In order to do this, we are looking for members of our parishes to join the various pillar teams which include Administration pillar, Stewardship, outreach/inreach, liturgy, spiritual life, and Forming Disciples. For additional information on the individual pillars and the role they play in building up the family of parishes please go to: https://roadtorenewal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Families-of-Parish-Playbook-061423.pdf and go to page 13, where you will see the various responsibilities of each of the pillars.
As I am sure all of you are aware of, that in building a family on a solid foundation you first have to be connected to God and secondly utilize the gifts that you were given to build up the family. As we are one body in Christ may we strive to use our gifts and maybe even step into areas where our gifts can be realized. If someone does not have access to the on-line page explaining the individual pillars, please find a copy of it at the entrance of the church. If you can't seem to find one there, please contact the central office and we will get you a copy.
Sincerely,
Fr. Todd
Road to Renewal Dear Parishioners,
As we have started to merge some of our resources through our Central office, we continue to move forward in becoming a more connected family of parishes. To accomplish not only this in our parishes, but strengthen them the diocese has come up with pillars that help the parish communities to focus on the various areas that are critical to parish life. Recently our Bishop, Michael Fisher wrote a response to an editorial in the Buffalo News. In the article the Bishop stated: "These pillars require that lay leadership and collaboration are at the forefront of the entire renewal process, bringing the best of our parish communities together with our clergy to develop goals and clear plans to move our parishes and families forward."
We here at The Catholic Family of Cheektowaga, are looking to reestablish the Pillars of our faith community in order to strengthen our foundation and continue moving down the road to renewal. In order to do this, we are looking for members of our parishes to join the various pillar teams which include Administration pillar, Stewardship, outreach/inreach, liturgy, spiritual life, and Forming Disciples. For additional information on the individual pillars and the role they play in building up the family of parishes please go to: https://roadtorenewal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Families-of-Parish-Playbook-061423.pdf and go to page 13, where you will see the various responsibilities of each of the pillars.
As I am sure all of you are aware of, that in building a family on a solid foundation you first have to be connected to God and secondly utilize the gifts that you were given to build up the family. As we are one body in Christ may we strive to use our gifts and maybe even step into areas where our gifts can be realized. If someone does not have access to the on-line page explaining the individual pillars, please find a copy of it at the entrance of the church. If you can't seem to find one there, please contact the central office and we will get you a copy.
Sincerely,
Fr. Todd
November 16, 2025 - From Father Todd:
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Last weekend we step away from celebrating ordinary time to focus on the Church, the Temple of God. We saw from Ezekiel how God provides life giving water from our place of worship in the form of the Holy Spirit, that allows there to be fruit that prospers for the Kingdom of God. As that Holy Spirit is within each of us through the grace of baptism, we each become a temple, a building if you will, of God to shine the light of Christ in our world. Speaking of Him, our God made manifest, in our Gospel from John last weekend, through the Temple of our Lord, he was able to give us the greatest gift we could ever ask for. In calling out the destruction of His own temple (body) by humanity and then being raised to life we are given the hope of eternal life.
Interestingly, this weekend, the last weekend we celebrate ordinary time before celebrating the last weekend of the liturgical year with “Christ the King of the Universe”. We hear from Luke’s Gospel how the end times are not happening right away and that “earthquakes, famines, and plagues” will take place. Furthermore, the followers of (disciples) will be “seized and persecuted”. In order to get through these times our Gospel ends with the statement “By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.” This perseverance will not be able to be done alone. For although each of us is a temple to God, having the spirit of God within us to bear much fruit, first and foremost we “were put to death to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another (him) to the one who was raised from the dead in order that we might bear fruit for God”. (Romans 7:4) With this and all of us being part of the Body of Christ (His Church) as a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. (1 Cor 12:12)
In Christ, I ask you to consider to being a vital part of the Body of Christ by getting involved in one of the committees we are forming to strengthen, unify, and support “The Catholic Family of Cheektowaga”. On Thursday, November 20th at 6:30 pm in the Resurrection Parish Hall, we are going to have a mee ng to brainstorm and form committees that help to unite us in the areas of spirituality, inreach/outreach, stewardship, faith formation, liturgy, and administration. Please consider joining us by praying over the idea of what God may want you to be a part of to build his Kingdom in our part of Western New York. Hope to see you there.
Yours in Christ, Fr. Todd
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Last weekend we step away from celebrating ordinary time to focus on the Church, the Temple of God. We saw from Ezekiel how God provides life giving water from our place of worship in the form of the Holy Spirit, that allows there to be fruit that prospers for the Kingdom of God. As that Holy Spirit is within each of us through the grace of baptism, we each become a temple, a building if you will, of God to shine the light of Christ in our world. Speaking of Him, our God made manifest, in our Gospel from John last weekend, through the Temple of our Lord, he was able to give us the greatest gift we could ever ask for. In calling out the destruction of His own temple (body) by humanity and then being raised to life we are given the hope of eternal life.
Interestingly, this weekend, the last weekend we celebrate ordinary time before celebrating the last weekend of the liturgical year with “Christ the King of the Universe”. We hear from Luke’s Gospel how the end times are not happening right away and that “earthquakes, famines, and plagues” will take place. Furthermore, the followers of (disciples) will be “seized and persecuted”. In order to get through these times our Gospel ends with the statement “By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.” This perseverance will not be able to be done alone. For although each of us is a temple to God, having the spirit of God within us to bear much fruit, first and foremost we “were put to death to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another (him) to the one who was raised from the dead in order that we might bear fruit for God”. (Romans 7:4) With this and all of us being part of the Body of Christ (His Church) as a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. (1 Cor 12:12)
In Christ, I ask you to consider to being a vital part of the Body of Christ by getting involved in one of the committees we are forming to strengthen, unify, and support “The Catholic Family of Cheektowaga”. On Thursday, November 20th at 6:30 pm in the Resurrection Parish Hall, we are going to have a mee ng to brainstorm and form committees that help to unite us in the areas of spirituality, inreach/outreach, stewardship, faith formation, liturgy, and administration. Please consider joining us by praying over the idea of what God may want you to be a part of to build his Kingdom in our part of Western New York. Hope to see you there.
Yours in Christ, Fr. Todd
Pillar 2.0 Presentation is here.
Mock Family Plan is here.
For more information on the Road to Renewal, visit the Diocese of Buffalo Road to Renewal website here.