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[Order David Horowitz’s new book, America Betrayed, HERE.]
The diocese of Buffalo, New York, which is in the process of shutting down approximately half of its churches, has sold another historic sanctuary at a bargain-basement price.
The scandal-plagued diocese, which has been buried under an avalanche of clerical sex abuse lawsuits, has traded its historic Gothic St. Ann’s Church and Shrine for $250,000 to Buffalo’s Muslim community, for conversion into a mosque and an Islamic Center.
CATHOLIC BACKLASH
Catholics reacted with outrage after well-known Catholic priest, Fr. Ronald Vierling, drew attention to the sale on Monday. Vierling’s post on the social media platform X has attracted over 10 million views at the time of writing.
“No anger should be directed against the Islamic community,” wrote Vierling. “No doubt the changing demographics of the area and the inability to financially support the complex made the continuance of St. Ann as a viable parish impossible.”
“This scenario is being played out in once large, urban dioceses across the country,” the priest warned.
“Terrible. I know a dozen Catholics who would have pulled together to buy the building instead of letting it get sold off,” Catholic award-winning radio show host David J. Reilly replied, adding: “Sometimes the diocese chooses to not sell to certain groups like the SSPX & FSSP.”
“Muslims get a church for $250k but I can’t buy a house in a decent neighborhood for less than $500k,” a Catholic lamented.
Saint Ann’s Church, built by German immigrants in 1886, had fallen into disrepair and was decommissioned in 2013. Bishop Richard J. Malone – who in 2019 resigned as head of the diocese over allegations of sex abuse cover-up – had slated the building for demolition, as the diocese had estimated repairs could cost at least $12 million. Malone, however, changed his mind and said that the new plan was to put the property up for sale.
The Downtown Islamic Center, which purchased the property from the diocese through its affiliate Buffalo Crescent Holdings, said it would spend the millions of dollars necessary to renovate the historic structure.
“We’re looking to put several million dollars into this in the next year, in the church alone,” Talha Bakth, president of the Downtown Islamic Center, told the Buffalo News. “The space will be able to be used for worship within a year or two.”
Buffalo Crescent Holdings is also purchasing a former rectory at the complex that had been converted to apartments in a separate transaction, the media added.
QUEEN OF PEACE CHURCH CONVERTED TO JAMI MASJID
In 2007, the diocese sold the Queen of Peace Church for $300,000 to the Muslim Society of Buffalo, which converted the building into the Jami Masjid (mosque).
Since Islam prohibits the depiction of a human or living being in sacred iconography, Muslim volunteers painted all the Catholic murals sky blue, removed statues at the altar, and replaced the church’s well-preserved stained-glass windows with plain, frosted glass.
The main altar was removed entirely and replaced by a carpeted space for reading. The church’s former apse, the area behind the main altar where the choir would sing, has been screened off as a prayer space for women.
Today, the Jami Masjid has Turkish carpets instead of pews and Arabic calligraphy adorns the Gothic brackets. The orientation of prayer has changed so the imam stands along the eastern wall of the building, so that when worshippers can face Mecca when they offer their prayers and bow.
ST. AGNES CHURCH CONVERTED TO BUDDHIST SHRINE
In 2009, the Buffalo diocese sold St. Agnes Church to the International Sangha Bhiksu Buddhist Association for conversion to a Buddhist temple and meditation center. The historic church, which was consecrated on December 9, 1883, had served German and Italian immigrants for over a century.
The church closed its doors on October 21, 2007, and remained empty for two years before Vietnamese monk Thich Minh Tuyen bought it in 2009 for $250,000. It reopened in 2012 as a Buddhist temple after the iconography, including the crucifix and images of the Stations of the Cross, was removed.
The Buddhist occupants also added three 2,000-pound sitting Buddhas shipped from Canada, and six standing Buddhas, that cluster around a shrine in the narthex. The monks also replaced six pews with carpets for worshippers, but left the remaining pews intact for those who cannot sit on the floor.
The new owners also hung Buddhist banners alongside the intact stained glass windows, intending to combine Buddhist iconography with the existing Catholic themes.
‘CHURCHES ARE NOT POKER CHIPS’
Attorney Brody Hale, co-founder and president of the St. Stephen Protomartyr Project, which works to preserve Catholic churches for sacred use, lamented the sale and conversion of churches into non-Christian places of worship.
“A church as defined by canon law is a sacred edifice,” he told FrontPage Magazine. “Churches as sacred buildings have fundamentally more protections under canon law than parishes.”
“This is not what churches are supposed to be used for according to canon law. Churches are not poker chips a bishop can use to cash out when he’s in a bind,” Hale stated.
MILLIONS SPENT ON CLERICAL SEX ABUSE SCANDALS
Earlier in May, the Buffalo diocese announced plans to merge approximately 34% of the 160 parishes across Western New York and reduce places of worship by 38%.
Bishop Michael Fisher said the mergers were due to financial pressures brought about by the filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, after scores of clerical sex abuse lawsuits were filed under the Child Victims Act; as well as a priest shortage, aging congregations, and declining Mass attendance.
The consolidation would bring the number of parishes from 160 to a projected 106, and the number of worship centers from 196 to a projected 121.
Last year, the Buffalo diocese offered $100 million, in addition to any insurance funds, to settle 891 clerical sex abuse cases. The diocese said it would sell its 795 Main Street headquarters, the former Christ the King Seminary campus, and other “non-essential” property to cover half the settlement.
More than $15 million has already been paid to attorneys for the diocese in its bankruptcy and the state Attorney General’s investigation.
DIOCESE FAILS TO EVANGELIZE THE LOST
Interestingly, the diocesan website has a drop-down menu titled “How We Evangelize” on its opening page, but the word “evangelization” seems to be re-defined with no mention of any attempts to reach people of other faiths or no faith.
Instead, the subcategories under the menu lists buzz phrases such as “Cultural Diversity,” “Catholic Education,” and the controversial “Catholic Charities,” with events like a diocesan “Multicultural Mass” and an annual “Cultural Diversity Celebration Dinner.”
Dr. Jules Gomes, (BA, BD, MTh, PhD), has a doctorate in biblical studies from the University of Cambridge. Currently a Vatican-accredited journalist based in Rome, he is the author of five books and several academic articles. Gomes lectured at Catholic and Protestant seminaries and universities and was canon theologian and artistic director at Liverpool Cathedral. This article is cross-posted with the author’s permission from Souls & Liberty.
You probably couldn’t buy a house in in that neighborhood for $250000. They pretty much gave it away. Meanwhile Francis lives like a king, while his church collapses.
Ahhhh communism……….ain’t it great!!
Why don’t we just hand over our whole country for free?? We’re pretty much doing that already with the leftist
-commie-Dems in charge!
I suppose he sold his soul to the Devil and Satan’s going to make a Collection
From worshipping God to worshipping Satan.
What can go wrong.
As a Roman Catholic I’m saddened by the loss of religion in America.
As a Baptist, I’m saddened with what has happened to the Catholic Church. It’s surreal to me that, “Is the Pope Catholic?”,is no longer a rhetorical question. We have our theological differences, but our similarities were always greater, and we stood together against Godless communism and islam.. Now the communist run Vatican is purging the actual Christians in the Catholic church. Lord, I miss John Paul II. What a rudder, and an ally against the darkness. Didn’t always agree with him but…
Baptists have our freaks and leftists masquerading as Christians, but the leadership isn’t centralized, and the atheist communist moles haven’t been able to take over much. It’s much easier for the commies to infiltrate and take over a centralized system. They’ve made some inroads with Baptists, but we haven’t been taken over yet. We’re get more attention from them now that they run the Vatican.
If you were to read the book “Operation Gladio” I believe your view of John Paul II would change. The church under his leadership joined the CIA, Mafia, Mafia, and the Masonic Order in an operation that involved drugs and money laundering via the Vatican Bank. All bureaucracies will eventually become corrupt as power is corrosive.
As a Jew, (not an “AsAJew”, mind you) I share your grief. America has always been a Christian country that has welcomed Jews and given us that greatest of gifts, the right to thrive or starve just like everybody else.
Appears the attempts to fill the pews with illegal aliens has not worked out so well, at least in Buffalo.
Horribly news. However, im sure the could not have put a religious restriction on the various sales since it would have amounted to discrimination under current laws.
They are a drain in any budget, religious or secular
Catholics are bringing in the moo slims
I’m reminded of a song we sing for postlude at my church entitled “We are the Church” the people are the church. A church is not a building.
That said, I’m not surprised that a diocese in New York is losing it’s churches.
“The scandal-plagued diocese, which has been buried under an avalanche of clerical sex abuse lawsuits” says it all.
Clean up your act Buffalo, vote out the corrupt Democrats running your city and in Albany.
No King but Christ.
Believe contrary to canon law or church practice as well. There are rules as to what purposes hallowed ground can serve if no longer an active church. They cannot sell it to someone for this purpose. Has even EWTN covered this? But this story should be of interest to those of you of different faiths as well: portends not good things
The Balkanization of our nation continues.
Where’s all the rich catholics who want to buy their Indulgences? Who want to buy their way into Heaven?
Shouldn’t they be wanting to leave their wealth with the satanic catholic fake church?
Jealous of catholic riches? What a dooshebag you are.
If these satanic catholic fake churches are failing…
That would mean… their congregants aren’t practicing their Indulgences… paying to earn their way into Heaven. Giving their money to their satanic churches…
Quite similar to satanic worshiping muslims… who have to earn their way into their so called Paradise…
What;s the difference in the satanic catholic fake church and satanic islam? <<< Not much…
And what's the difference between the satanic catholic fake church and your satanic ELCA fake church? <<< Not much either…
Y'all are lost…
You sound like the crazy person yelling at the normals: “I’m not crazy. It’s all of you who are crazy!!!”
I see the nurse let you out of your room and is allowing you to play on the computer again. Have fun.
Salvation isn’t a joke Intrepid…
And…
Worshiping fake gods isn’t either…
Is the fake god allah your god? Your satanic ELCA church says it is…
If you claim the fake god allah isn’t your god… then you need to denounce your satanic fake church.
The Protestant Bible is just an abridged version of the Catholic Bible, arbitrarily reduced by Martin Luther – a man – not by Christ himself. There would be no Protestant churches without the Catholic church. Your fight was lost before it began.
Tell me then… which of the 7 churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation is the satanic catholic fake church?
Seems… no C’lic can ever answer that…
Why?
Because the satanic catholic fake church wasn’t created until 300+ years after the Crucifixion…
The facts stands… Peter, Paul and Christ Jesus had nothing to do with the creation of the satanic catholic fake church… and I doubt Polycarp & Linus did either…
Obviously you’ve been brainwashed…
“Salvation isn’t a joke Intrepid…
And…
Worshiping fake gods isn’t either…
Is the fake god allah your god? Your satanic ELCA church says it is…
If you claim the fake god allah isn’t your god… then you need to denounce your satanic fake church.”
You know, the only person constantly prattling on about fake gods is you. Salvation isn’t a joke but you certainly are.
Sorry SumsyWumsy, I have never claimed anything about allah or any other fake gods. I won’t be denouncing my church because 1) allah is never mentioned during services, 2) ELCA is rarely mentioned during services, 3) Lutherans are normal people, unlike you, and we do not spend a moment of our time telling others what to do or how to think. Let’s hear it for the Nicene Creed. Go team go!!
You have a lot of problems and you are insane. But’s kind of fun getting to witness true crazy town. Don’t forget….take your meds and listen to the doctors.
That makes it even more deceptive…
Not mentioning your fake god allah in service… but… the leaders are secretly having y’all pray to the fake god allah…
“Normal people”??? <<< Wide is the gate to destruction…
You say… "Listen to the doctors"??? <<< Nope… I'd much rather listen to the Holy Word of the One True God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob…
Yes, normal people. People who simply show up to church, pray, participate, go home, and be with family.
There is no grand conspiracy. It’s all in your mind. No one is having us pray to your collection of fake gods. That’s in your mind as well. You are paranoid.
You should listen to your doctors because you are only getting worse as time goes on. No one, and I mean no one is listening to you. Schizophrenia is a progressive disease. There are medications.
But if you are hearing voices like the “One True God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob”, maybe you should keep it to yourself, before an ambulance with men in white jackets shows up at what passes for your home.
While the Catholic Church has, indeed, suffered from moral failures of its own making, pretty much since its inception, every one of these break-downs says much more about the integrity of its adherents–especially its clergy and hierarchy–than it does about the veracity of its teachings. And I can assure you that the righteous anger, and calls for the heads of those whose actions have brought the Church to this sad state, are much louder among the faithful–who are most impacted by the changes sure to come–than by the ill-informed, prejudiced, ad hominem attacks leveled against her by outsiders such as yourself. Just out of curiosity, what fake, satanic, relatively new, self-proclaimed, sect of Christianity–wherein each congregation’s pastor, and, ultimately, every individual believer, becomes, in actual practice, their own pope–do you claim allegiance to? Which is, an obviously demonically-driven, poor pretender to the only Church founded by Jesus Himself, which you think entitles you to mount up on your moral high-horse–by your own authority–and cast aspersions upon the one Church Jesus inaugurated and promised would prevail against the gates of hell itself? You got a lot of gall, brother. And as an antidote, I suggest you start reading the writings of the Church Fathers.. But I must warn you that virtually every honest seeker of the Truth, who studies Church History and the Fathers, sooner or later becomes a Catholic.. But no worries–we’ll be glad to welcome you back home.
15 million to attorneys? Looks like the attorneys are ripping off the Catholic Church which doesn’t surprise anyone now does it. Shame on them and their dead souls.
Where do satanic worshiping muslims get all this money to buy so many buildings for mosques?
From every gallon of gasoline you pump into your vehicle…
Many thanks to the Luciferian Globalists that keep Crude Oil in control of satanic islam…
satanic islam doesn’t need people to pay Jiz Taxes any longer… they have Crude Oil to use for expansion of satanic islam. Which means… Off with the heads of the Infidels…
Maybe you should stop driving your car and your tractor.
Maybe you should simply stop.
Guess what, twerp. I said the Nicene Creed again this past weekend and nothing bad happened. I’ve been saying it for the past seven years….and nothing bad happened. I prayed The Lord’s Prayer again, along with the add-on that King Henry VIII wrote, and nothing bad happened.
I also went to Dunkin’ Donuts after church and nothing bad happened.
I think you are a one man charlatan. I think you have no idea what you are talking about. I think you are insane.
Bugger off, Mr. ShillForIslam.
Your satanic ELCA (Lutheran Church… confesses the words “And [we believe] in one, holy, catholic and Apostolic Church.”
In other words… YOU are confessing satan as your god and church !!!
You’re just way to stupid to realize what you’re saying.
And since both the satanic catholic fake church and your satanic ELCA fake church teach how the fake god allah is your god…
YOU will give an account…
Matt 12:36… “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
Thank God you have no authority over me, my church or Lutheranism. You have no authority period, over anything. Apparently not even yourself.
You are insane. Has your doctor seen you today? Had your meds yet? I guess you actually think that somehow, God is working through you………..on a comment board.
I guess it hasn’t occurred to you that you will give an account as well. And you won’t know when or how that will turn out.
Matthew 24:36-51 – But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
See Sumwumsy? I can “smorgasbord” the bible too, just like the biblical illiterate you are.
Wow! So you opened the internet and randomly chose a verse that hasn’t anything to do with our conversation…
That doesn’t make you intelligent…
But take notice… of your verse… it says… “the day and hour”…
Which means… we have a good idea of when the end times are coming… based upon the signs of the end times…
You ain’t real bright are ya?
See… that day… isn’t Judgement Day…
And…
Those that are written in the Book of Life… aren’t Judged…
See… I teach you.
Now the question… is your name written in the Book of Life?
Fortunately I have no time to be taught anything by an insane person.
I have no idea if my name is written anywhere or not. I’m not worried about it. And how can you possibly know if you have been written in that book.
As I said, you are nuts. I don’t need saving from you. You aren’t God, or John the Baptist….thank God.
Has a psychiatrist spoken to you lately?
Everyone that believes Christ Jesus is the Son of God and has accepted Him as their Savior… has their names written in the Book of Life. <<< That is a promise from the One True God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob… the Father of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus…
The problem for you is… you worship the fake god allah… where the satanic quran says allah has no sons…
Which means… Jesus isn't anything but a mere Prophet to you…
I would suggest… you reconsider what you believe and listen to…
Your fake ELCA church is satanic…
I would suggest you eff off, insane man.
It’s so tedious dealing with childish bible babblers like you.
In many ways you are like the nut case THX and his Objectivism….trying, hopelessly to change the world.
“Eff off”???
Listen… you can’t believe Jesus is the Son of God while worshiping the fake god allah who has no sons…
It’s unintelligent idiots like you who are ruining this country… leading us into the Antichrist Beast System…
Wait until this starts to happen across the country. It will eventually. Feel sad about it today and then fight, fight, fight.
They are here to take over.
The 19th century German Catholic cathedrals were built with the nickels and dimes of the immigrant working class and was the center of their lives. The immigrant urban communities were still holding on up until the 1965 ‘Fair Housing Act’ which was blatantly unconstitutional law that said you could NOT sell your own private property to whom you chose. Then the ethnic cleansing of America’s cities began in earnest.
I wonder where the Muslim Center is going to get the millions necessary for the reconstruction of the church into a mosque.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan are leading candidates.
I was born and raised in Buffalo. I was an altar boy, and went to Catholic school through high school. I experienced the greatness of the Catholic Church before the second Vatican Council in 1962. What has happened to my Church since then is not only heartbreaking, but cause of great anger. It didn’t have to happen. But the Church leadership since then, and most especially that of Pope Francis, has nearly destroyed my Church. Spiritually, it is the work of Satan. Just as it is in the destruction of America and throughout the world.
satanic worshiping catholics like to proclaim how the “Gates of hell won’t prevail against it’s (so called) church”…
We can all see how that isn’t true for the satanic catholic fake church…
Poop Francis is the first Poop to take on the Francis name…
The so called Saint Francis of history is known for trying to unite Christianity with satanic islam…
It’s got to be tough pretending to be the one always “crying out in the wilderness” and constantly yelling “Repent!”
Isn’t it funny how a messiah complex can be so mentally damaging. Hint: a building is not a church. The people are the church.
Say hi to the nurse when she brings your meds later.
If those people are worshiping the fake god allah of satanic islam… who has no sons… <<< Then… they aren't a church… they are a mosque in disguise…
Your ELCA fake church is satanic…
Repeating stupid stuff like “Your fake ELCA church is satanic…” and “you worship the fake god allah” over and over proves nothing about me, but speaks to your own insecurities about yourself.
Personally I think you are a Muslim mole, and a bad one at that, Mohammed.
Intrepid…
It is a sin to worship false gods…
And you knowingly worship the fake god allah… <<< your satanic ELCA fake church says so…
If anyone is a muslim mole… it's you!
Denounce your satanic ELCA fake church…
Well, yeah, we’re gonna need a lot more mosques!
The Catholic Church started its slide to the left after Vatican 2. That’s when the CC decided to drop any facade of conservatism and took the turn to the left! The CC wanted to be more inclusive and “in” but now they’ve become a church that believes in nothing except leftist dogma! Sad!
If the Diocese is in such financial trouble, why is it letting its properties go at such knock-down prices? Given that it seemingly doesn’t mind if the buildings are profaned (or does it believe that Allah is the same as the God of the Bible?), surely these properties should go to auction, where Christian groups would have an equal chance with Muslim ones and/or charities looking to accommodate homeless people.
Satan runs the Vatican that’s plain to see
It was built on an indian burial ground.
Old man Westinghouse used it to dump toxic methyl cadmium.
Mercury from the coal plant and oil refinery is leeching in and it will poison everyone.
You’re going to die for allah. But it won’t be dramatic. You’re nothing but an old mop to wipe up a horrible mess so we can throw it all out in garbage dump.