NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church on Niagara Falls Boulevard in North Tonawanda is set to close Monday after Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher issued a new decree ordering it to merge with nearby St. Christopher parish in the Town of Tonawanda.
The move comes despite the Vatican previously allowing St. Jude to fully reopen last month — though the church opened with only a couple of masses a month.
“In essence — Bishop Fisher is ignoring the decree…He had the opportunity to appeal to the Apostolic Signatura. He chose not to — that is in writing,” Victoria Vanill said.
Vanill showed me letters she received directly from Rome that revoked the bishop’s original merger order from last year. She believes the diocese wants to sell the church property.
A diocesan spokesperson told me this is a merger and not a church closing. The diocese says the decision is based on “low mass attendance” and a “drop in sacraments,” and that the new decree includes the necessary evidence. But parishioners argue the data is flawed…