St. John Kanty Church in Buffalo, New York, a landmark of the city’s Polish Catholic community, has been ordered to reopen by the Vatican after the Diocese of Buffalo closed it earlier this year as part of a sweeping restructuring plan prompted by bankruptcy due to abuse settlements, declining Mass attendance, and a shortage of priests.
The parish, located on Swinburne Street, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, WBEN reported. It was shut down in May as part of the diocese’s “Road to Renewal” plan, which included a wave of parish mergers and closures, affecting more than half of all parishes in Buffalo. sparking resistance from Catholics who see the closures as devastating to their communities.
In November 2024, more than 300 Catholics filled St. John Kanty Church in Buffalo for a “Mass Mob” to show support for the historic parish before it was forced to close. Parishioners also filed an appeal with the Vatican in hopes of saving the church.
St. John Kanty parishioner Matthew Zawisky told WBEN that the Vatican is still reviewing the case but has ordered the church to reopen, likely for about 90 days. He added that he plans to work with the pastor and others to restore Masses during that period.
CatholicVote reported that the Vatican has directed a total of 14 parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo to pause merger or closure plans while parishioner appeals were considered.
For Zawisky, these rulings show growing momentum.
He told WBEN, “We’re all inspiring each other to stand up and try to keep our churches open.”
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