How a Bishop Made Parishioners Pay for the Sale of Their Church
DiCamillo recounts the closure and sale of St. Raphael’s Parish in Niagara Falls, New York, describing what he believes was a serious breach of trust by Bishop Michael Fisher of the Diocese of Buffalo.
In October 2023, Bishop Fisher visited the parish for a well-attended Eucharist and Confirmation. Shortly afterward, parishioners were informed that the bishop had ordered the church interior to be repainted. Families were asked to contribute roughly $250 each toward the project. They did so in good faith, believing the work was necessary for the parish’s continued life.
Soon after the renovation was completed, however, rumors began circulating that the church would be closed. Those rumors proved true.
In early 2024, St. Raphael’s was shuttered and later sold—despite being the only parish in its area that many residents could reach on foot. For parishioners, the sequence of events created the unmistakable impression that they had unknowingly funded improvements that increased the resale value of a property the diocese had already decided to liquidate.
DiCamillo places this episode within the broader context of the Diocese of Buffalo’s ongoing financial and institutional crises, including bankruptcy related to clergy homosexual abuse settlements and the closure of multiple parishes.
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