Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - 2024 took its toll on Western New York Catholics, especially after the Buffalo Catholic Diocese announced the closure of dozens of parishes throughout the region.
Nandor Forgach, a parishioner of St. Benedict's, which is merging with St. Leo The Great, says this is a year that will live in infamy for Western New York Catholics.
"I don't think you will meet a Catholic or anyone within any religious denomination that would say that numbers within the faithful community aren't dwindling across the board. However, to have such massive cuts across the board within the Catholic faith, closing so many churches, especially ones that have been icons of neighborhoods and communities for for years now," stated Forgach in an interview with WBEN. "To have those disappear is a shock for for many, and it's also just it's hard for many as well, because it's been a consistent point in their lives that's now gone."
Forgach feels the mass closure was the final straw for many Catholics, causing them to turn away from the faith to find worship elsewhere.
"I understand that reasoning, because we felt betrayed, lied to. We're being told one thing, another thing is happening, or last minute changes are happening, that cost catches us off guard. I understand the feelings of frustration and anger that that produces," stated Forgach. "But at the end of the day, I would ask them to to turn around and realize your faith is more than than the diocese and the decision leaders downtown, your faith is your relationship with God."
Forgach will not only remember this year as heartbreak for the Western New York Catholic community, but also a disaster for the Diocese.
"It was done in a way that seemed deaf to the communities. They will sit there and tell you that information and data and input was taken in, but in reality, I don't believe that. I have a hard time believing it," Forgach explained. "Personally, my trust with leadership has been shaken throughout this entire process, and I will do whatever it takes to fight them, to ensure that we have what I believe to be a strong community here within Western New York."