Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "It's been a challenging year certainly, but a year in which we have tried to move the Diocese forward."
Bishop Michael Fisher was a guest on WBEN on Monday morning.
"The Holy Father has called for a Year of Hope in the coming year and I'm looking to 2025 as a year that we can continue to work through all of our challenges. We're building a foundation and continuing to strengthen the church here in Western New York," he added.
Bishop Fisher has been publicly criticized for failure of leadership, especially over the past year with close to 80 parish closings and mergers. He said he has no regrets at all on how it was handled.
"No regrets at all. We have to move forward. We have developed a strategic plan for our parishes as well as our schools. We have been moving the Diocese forward in Renewal for the past four years and we have to stick to that."
Fisher said he does not want to see parishes close. He wants to build. But he said people have to remember that they don't have the resources to keep churches open, especially when pews are empty and there are declining vocations, in terms of numbers of priests.
The Bishop has been accused of putting finances over faith and not involving laity as much as he could.
"I don't agree with that," he told Susan Rose. "We have consulted, and worked right from the beginning with laity and clergy. When we were looking at merging parishes over the summer, we met for endless hours with the leadership of all of our parishes. They had the opportunity to come in and present their ideas. But we had to look very hard at reality. We have facilities that are aging and costing a lot of money to maintain and care for, and declining financial resources."
Concerned Diocesan parishioner Michael Taheri wrote a letter to Pope Francis earlier this year, requesting the removal of Bishop Michael Fisher. Here is that conversation:
Bishop Fisher said he feels that he has done all that he could to bring people together. "There's always more that we can do, and we will," he said.
He also is praying for healing in parishes and for victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Fisher called that a priority.
"This is our time and our challenge. When the Lord takes me, I want to leave knowing that I did the best I could and that the church is in a better place."