TOP 10: 3, church mergers still unsettled

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December 28, 2008

By Bill Wolcott<br><a href="mailto:wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Bill</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Sun Dec 28, 2008, 11:52 PM EST

The final chapter of the Journey of Faith and Grace in Eastern Niagara County has yet to be written. The climax may come 4,500 miles away at the Vatican in Rome.

A decision to keep St. Mary’s of Lockport open or execute a merger with neighboring All Saints is expected on Feb. 6, three days before the Roman Catholic Church on the Big Bridge celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Meanwhile, Catholics are settling into their new their new parishes, some with new names. Some Catholics are unsettled.

Lockport, with five Catholic Churches within a few miles’ radius, was most affected, but every Catholic church throughout the area has been touched.

• St. Anthony’s on the west side of Lockport; St. Joseph’s below the escarpment; St. Mary’s on the Big Bridge; and St. Patrick’s on Church Street were scheduled to merge to form a new parish at St. Patrick’s. The new parish is named All Saints in memory of the day St. Pat’s was dedicated — All Saints Day, Nov. 1, 1863.

St. Joe’s has been retained as an oratory and citywide religious education center. The disposition of the merged churches has not been decided. Nothing has been sold, and St. Mary’s parish has been growing since the merger announcement in 2007.

In November, St. Mary’s said that it received word of the receipt of a letter from the under secretary of the Congregation of the Clergy that the first body of the Vatican to review the appeal found it necessary to extend the time limits until Feb. 6.

• Immaculate Conception parish in Ransomville will continue to operate as a single parish, but will develop a shared services relationship with the merged parish of Newfane, Wilson, and Olcott.

• St. Mary parish in Gasport merged into St. John the Baptist parish in Lockport in 2008. Good Shepherd parish in Pendleton is in the midst of a merger planned with St. Augustine of Clarence for Jan. 7, 2009. Both sites will be used.

• St. Bridget parish in Newfane, St. Charles Borromeo parish in Olcott and Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Wilson merged June 1, 2008, and took the name St. Brendan on the Lake. During the summer, the pastor from Newfane said one Mass in Olcott, and the pastor of Ransomville said one Mass in Wilson.

• St. Mary’s in Medina, Sacred Heart in Medina and St. Stephen parish in Middleport merged to form a new parish. St. Mary’s is the primary site. St. Stephen’s also is used by the merged parish. Sacred Heart will become an oratory until the celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2010.

At All Saints, there were four priests to work with and an expanded Mass schedule when St. Anthony’s and St. Joseph’s were merged at St. Patrick’s Church. Western New York Catholic is preparing an All Saints story for the diocese’s monthly newspaper in January.

“I feel encouraged by it,” said the Rev. Joseph Vatter. “I think it’s really good. We have a lot of support, but not everybody is happy.”

Collections are up, according to the pastor. For a time, with four priests, All Saints had wanted to expand the Mass schedule.

Letters to the editor indicate there may be some tension at All Saints.

Vatter is looking forward to the Western New York Catholic story on the Lockport merger. “It will be really positive for people to see,” Vatter said.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott at 439-9222, ext. 6246.

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Communities

Newfane's Apple Blossom Fest has something for everyone
An apple a day may keep the doctor away and the apple blossoms of Niagara County are cause for celebration. Sunday’s Apple Blossom Festival will lure hundreds of visitors to step back in time to the good old days.

The Newfane Historical Society’s annual event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the museum grounds at the corner of West Creek and Ide roads. Admission and parking are free, and families can while away a sunny afternoon perusing everything from antique tractors to a Civil War encampment.

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NFTA targets Lockport bus routes for closure
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s proposed service reductions would eliminate all bus service from, to and within greater Lockport.

December 20, 2011
Library adds online selections
Library card holders can check out and download e-books anytime, anywhere by visiting lockportlibrary.org. Patrons can download to a personal computer, Mac and many mobile devices, according to librarian Claire McDonough.

December 20, 2011 4 Photos
Mayor Maedl
Julia A. Maedl is stepping away from politics after 19 years of service to the Village of Middleport in 2001.
Maedl, who was a village trustee for nine years and village mayor for 10 years, will not seek re-election. She says she will remain very active, however.
Since the death of her husband, Robert Maedl in 2008, the Middleport mayor has been running Maedl Woodcrafts. She is on the tourist committee, chair of business association and trustee of Middleport United Methodist Church. She sings in the choir and is in charge of Harvest dinner and chicken barbecue. She manages 28 apartments.

February 11, 2011 1 Photo
Memorial tree program off to a good start
The town’s new memorial tree program has been growing quickly.
Councilwoman Cheryl A. Antkowiak said the program is being done with Stedman’s Nursery of Newfane. Residents who wish to have a tree planted will receive an information packet from Stedman’s as well as a map of Day Road Park showing where each of the 85 trees are located. Stedman’s sells the trees along with a plaque if the resident wants one to be put up.

February 3, 2011
New recycling bins available soon
Town residents could have some new bins to go along with its new recycling incentive program.
At Monday’s work session meeting, Town Board members approved the purchase of new recycling bins. The town placed an order of 1,000 of the 18 gallon bins for $8,845 and another order of 200 of the 32 gallon bins for $3,110. The large bins are 31 and a half inches in height and 22 inches in diameter.
Both sets of bins will be blue in color and the 32 gallon bins will come with lids.
The 18 and 32 gallon bins were produced by Otto Environmental Services in Charlotte, N.C., a company Supervisor Marc R. Smith said the town has used before for bins. The company still has a rubber stamp with the town logo on it.

February 1, 2011
Library names new director
Beverly Federspiel, Director of the City of Tonawanda Public Library, has been appointed as the new Director of the Lockport Public Library.
Federspiel, 49, will succeed Marie Binderman, who is retiring, on Feb. 28.
“I’m excited,” said Federspiel, who has been at the Tonawanda Library three years after serving at the Buffalo and Erie County Central Library for 18 years. “I’ve always loved the Lockport building and the community is very supportive. There are lots of opportunities out there.”

February 1, 2011
Winterfest, take two
Winterfest was a big success last year and Winterfest 2011 may even be bigger Saturday at Royalton-Hartland Elementary School and the Hartland Bible Church.
“Last year was the first year and well over 650 people attended, that’s a huge response for an inaugural event,” said Helen Feron, the chairman of the steering committee. “This year we expect more.”
Entertainment and activities are scheduled from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. including a basket auction at the Hartland Bible Church at 3 p.m., where Magician Robert Geckler will also perform at 2:15 p.m.
The event is geared towards school aged children and free to children 10-and-under. Admissiong is $3 for adults and includes Chinese auction tickets.

February 1, 2011
High school project coming along
Construction on Lockport High School is continuing throughout the winter months. Construction crews work on a scaffold on the west side of the building, which is the Locust Street side. The school is undergoing a $23.5 million capital improvement project that includes adding a fitness center, a six classroom addition and completely renovate the auditorium into a brand new fine arts center. The auditorium will also have stage work completed, new music rooms, a renovated foyer and a new entrance on the Locust Street side. There will be improvements made to ventilators and mechanical systems, an art gallery, new windows, as well as new padding and bleachers in the gymnasium. The technology wing also will be updated, and the library renovated to make room for a computer lab. Also, bathrooms will be added nearby. The entire project is expected to be completed in September.

January 28, 2011 2 Photos
Going green
With a symbolic “shot heard ‘round the community,” Lockport’s historic Kenan Center Arena unveiled its new artificial turf indoor soccer field and renovated “annex.”
About a dozen local dignitaries were on hand Thursday night at special dedication ceremony, attended by about 200 parents and soccer players, who wasted little time putting two new soccer fields to work.
The new turf installation was part of a larger arena capital project, which included the renovation of the arena’s adjacent annex room, which was gutted last year to create almost 6,000 square feet of additional space. Parts of the old artificial turf field were used to cover the new, smaller soccer field in the annex.
Lockport Mayor Michael Tucker lauded the Kenan’s effort and others who joined in to make the $106,000 capital improvement project — more than 10 years in the making — a reality. Funders include the Kenan soccer players, who raised about $60,000 selling candy, the Grigg-Lewis Foundation, the Kenan Arts Council, Rotary Club of Lockport and the Lockport Lions Club.

January 28, 2011 4 Photos
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