We would like to welcome Fr. Walter Szczesny as Administrator of Family #6, W.H.E.A.T. Community beginning October 1, 2026 ending with the appointment date of a new Pastor.
We are grateful to Bishop Mike for his Pastoral Care of our Parish Community.
“Greetings of peace and love in the Lord Jesus to the WHEAT Scattered and Sown Family of Parishes! I am a religious missionary sister in the Oikos Ptochos Tou Theou Community (The Poor Household of God) in the Philippines. Our mission
is to help the poor people in the province of Eastern Samar to get themselves out of the devastating cycle of poverty through our ministries, programs and the blessings and prayers we receive through the grace of God from people just like you! I am greatly looking forward to sharing our life and mission with all of you! I will be speaking at during all the Masses in your family on the weekends of August 8 & 9 and August 15 &16. You can find out more about our mission by going to http://www.poorhouseholdofgod.org. I can’t wait to meet you!”
We welcome Sr. Sarah to our parish and ask that you be as generous as your circumstances allow in the mission appeal collection on the weekends of August 8 & 9 and August 15 & 16. Special baskets and or second collections will be taken up for this appeal Thank you!
Below are the Masses Sr. Sarah Noonan will be speaking at: August 8th: 4pm Immaculate Conception August 9th: 8am and 9:30 Immaculate Conception, 11am and 5pm Annunciation
August 15th: 4pm St. Vincent de Paul August 16th: 8am and 10am St. Vincent de Paul, 9am Annunciation
ORDER FOR HEARING ON AMENDED DISCLOSURE STATEMENT COMBINED WITH NOTICE THEREOF
TO THE DEBTOR(S), CREDITORS AND OTHER PARTIES IN INTEREST:
An amended disclosure statement and plan under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code having been filed by debtor on June 17, 2026, IT IS ORDERED and notice is hereby given that:
The hearing to consider the approval of the amended disclosure statement shall be held before the Honorable Carl L. Bucki United States Bankruptcy Judge on:
DATE/TIME/LOCATION OF HEARING
August 26, 2026 at 10 A.M.
Robert H. Jackson U.S. Courthouse
2 Niagara Square, 5th Floor, Orleans Courtroom Buffalo, NY 14202
Parties may appear in person or by telephone.
To access the Telephone Conference System, parties should dial: 571-353-2301.
When prompted for the ‘Number you wish to Dial’ enter: 483077448# When prompted for the ‘Security Pin’ enter: 9999#
Requests for copies of the amended disclosure statement and plan shall be mailed to the debtor, c/o Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, One Lincoln Center, Syracuse, NY 13202.
No later than July 28, 2026, this Order shall be published by the debtor in its online newspaper and in parish bulletins.
Dated: JUNE 30, 2026
HONORABLE CARL L. BUCKI
Chief Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court
Case 1-20-10322-CLB, Doc 4923, Filed 06/30/26, Entered 06/30/26 15:16:53,
The Director of Religious Education (DRE) leads Annunciation Parish’s faith formation program for children and families in grades 1 through 10, including sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. The program is family-centered, parent-led in its sacramental model, and built on a partnership among the DRE, a team of volunteer catechists and mentors, and the families of the parish. The DRE works closely with the DREs of St. Vincent de Paul (Springbrook) and Immaculate Conception (East Aurora) on joint family-of-parishes initiatives, especially Confirmation preparation.
Reporting and Scope
Reports to: the Business Manager of the WHEAT Family of Parishes, with pastoral supervision from the Pastor of Annunciation Parish.
Advised by: the Pastoral Associate for Ministry, Deborah Keenan, on matters of catechesis and parish ministry.
Coordinates with: the DREs of the other two WHEAT parishes for joint sacramental programs, retreats, and family-wide initiatives.
Oversees: a team of approximately 15–20 volunteer catechists, mentors, and aides across grades 1–10.
Also serves as: the parish’s Local Safe Environment Coordinator for the faith formation program.
Essential Responsibilities
Program Leadership and Catechesis
Plan and lead the annual faith formation program — approximately 24 Sunday sessions and 36 instructional hours — in accordance with the Diocese of Buffalo’s catechetical framework.
Oversee the Alive in Christ curriculum (grades 1–6), the Chosen program (grades 9–10), and mentor-led small discipleship groups (grades 7–8); coordinate Adaptive Catechesis for students with special needs.
Lead the monthly Family Faith Sessions, including coordinating volunteer speakers for the adult component.
Sacramental Preparation
Direct the preparation, retreats, and celebration of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, using the parish’s parent-led Signs of Grace model.
Maintain candidate records, sponsor documentation, and sacramental records with the Parish Secretary and the parish sacramental book.
Generate Church of Baptism notification letters and sacramental certificates from the parish database following each celebration.
Volunteer Coordination and Safe Environment
Recruit, screen, train, support, and appreciate volunteer catechists, mentors, and aides, including hosting the annual Catechist Kickoff Meeting (August) and Catechist Appreciation Luncheon (May).
Serve as Local Safe Environment Coordinator: provide the annual Empowering God’s Children safety lessons to the children and record their participation, and ensure all volunteers complete diocesan requirements (Code of Conduct, Uniform Volunteer Questionnaire, background checks, Virtus training, and monthly bulletin acknowledgments).
Submit the annual Empowering God’s Children Compliance Report and other diocesan reporting.
Communication and Family Engagement
Produce a monthly parent newsletter and ongoing program communications, and maintain the faith formation section of the parish website.
Respond to parent inquiries promptly, generally within 24 to 48 hours, including some evenings and weekends; manage registration, tuition collection, and family communications through Flocknote.
Administration and Family-of-Parishes Coordination
Maintain enrollment, attendance, and sacramental dates in PDS; manage the program budget with the Business Manager; maintain the diocesan-mandated retention file; and complete year-end archival, statistical reporting, and grade promotion each May.
Plan and carry out joint sacramental retreats and Confirmation preparation with the DREs of St. Vincent de Paul and Immaculate Conception, coordinating consistent scheduling, communication, and policy, and taking part in regular DRE team meetings.
Required Qualifications
A practicing Catholic in good standing, able to support and uphold the teachings of the Catholic faith, with familiarity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sacred Scripture, sacramental theology, and Catholic liturgical life.
Familiarity with — or willingness to become well acquainted with — the Church’s principal catechetical documents, including the Directory for Catechesis, the USCCB National Directory for Catechesis, and the Diocese of Buffalo’s catechetical framework.
A bachelor’s degree in Theology, Religious Studies, Catechetics, Education, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of education, parish ministry experience, and demonstrated competence.
Enrollment in the Catechetical Institute’s Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL) track, with completion within two years preferred.
A successful background check and completion of Virtus training prior to the start of employment.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines at once.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a warm, pastoral tone suited to parent and volunteer communications.
The ability to recruit, support, and coordinate adult volunteers with patience and gratitude, and a firm commitment to confidentiality regarding family circumstances, sacramental records, and personnel matters.
Required Technical Skills
The DRE serves as the day-to-day technical lead for the faith formation program and supports digital tools shared across the WHEAT family of parishes. Strong technical aptitude and comfort adopting new tools are essential.
Required: Flocknote (registration, tuition, attendance, communications); Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, Calendar); Virtus (volunteer compliance and reporting); and Canva (newsletters, flyers, and program materials).
Training provided: eCatholic (the family-of-parishes website) and Virtus; comfort updating websites is expected.
Preferred: prior experience with PDS or comparable parish database software.
Preferred Qualifications
Prior experience as a DRE, catechetical leader, Catholic school administrator, or pastoral associate; experience coordinating sacramental preparation; and experience working with volunteers in a parish or non-profit setting.
Familiarity with the Alive in Christ curriculum (OSV) or comparable Catholic catechetical curricula.
Working Conditions
Full-time, salaried position (40 hours per week) with a flexible schedule built around the program’s activity and event calendar; in-person work based at the parish. Sunday morning attendance is required throughout the program year (approximately late September through early May). The role also includes occasional Sunday evenings (Confirmation classes, parent meetings), Saturday mornings (sacramental retreats), Saturday afternoons (Family Session setup), and weekday evenings (make-up classes, rehearsals, parent follow-up, and meetings).
Onboarding Support
This role is thoroughly documented in a comprehensive succession binder covering the parish’s programs, calendar, sacramental preparation workflows, and diocesan compliance requirements — a resource that meaningfully eases the transition for a new DRE.
To Apply
Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references — including at least one pastoral reference from a current or recent pastor — to Dawn Cahill, Business Manager of the WHEAT Family of Parishes, at [email protected].
With Mary, we joyfully announce: “God with us” in Jesus Christ.
Attendees: Fr. Bernie Nowak, WHEAT Family Pastor; Fr. Rob Canterin, Family Parochial Vicar;Dawn Cahill, Family Business Manager; Kris Di Scipio (Annunciation); Robert Hasselbeck (IC); Dave Squire, Chair, St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Parish Finance Committee;D. M. Schmidt (Annunciation Parish); Dan Mikolaczyk, SVdP Business Manager; Theresa Woodward, Business Manager, (IC}; Dan Sapierski, Trustee, SVdP; Jim Camarre, Anctn; Dorothy Austin, Trustee (AP);Michael Skrip, Trustee (AP);Tama Gresco-Sauers, Trustee, SVdP; Taylor Gavigan, (Anctn); Timothy Lafferty (IC); Ed Bukowski, SVdP, Recording Secretary.
Call to Order at 6:38 PM.
Fr. Rob led an opening prayer.
Reports:
Financial Reports – March– Annunciation J. Camarre: An unexpected $100,000 bequest is keeping us above expenses. We’re to plan.
SVdP -D. Mikolaczyk: Collections are up over 8% year over year. We received no government grants in FY26 versus FY25. “We’re battling roof leaks … Utilities are up, e.g. natural gas. … Overall, our bottom lineis up because of labor costs. … Our Diocesan assessments decreased. … Bottom line: Operating costs are up about $16,000.” Fr. Bernie: “I want to know why labor costs are up.” D. Mikolaczyk: D. Cahill, Family Business Manager, is now on our payroll. Also, clergy expenses, staff and health insurance are up about $28,000. “There have been no raises.” The added 8:00 AM Mass increased clergy expenses.
IC – R. Hasselbeck: “We’re ‘in the red’ by $260,000 because of the subsidy to the school”.
Standing Committees – Buildings & Grounds: D. Cahill- We now have three vendors for parking lot paving.
Pastor’s Report: Fr. Bernie.: Diocesan Bankruptcy Settlement: The Industrial Revolution of the late 19th century put dollars above the human condition. This situation has persisted to the present era. “Grooming” can take years. On Tuesday, 26st of May, ALL Parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo will declare bankruptcy “for 72 hours”, for a $150,000,000 settlement agreed to by the claimants. The insurance companies are contributing. This action settles all existing claims, but no new claims. There will be a ZOOM session will all Pastors and Parish Trustees at 8:15 AM on May 26th. Each Parish, including those closed, MUST PAY $6,000. The settlement process is similar to that of the Diocese of Rockville Center. The creditors and victims are “enthusiastic”. Each Buffalo Diocese Parish is a separate corporation. Any Parish not agreeing to the settlement process “is on their own” and subject to claimant’s suits. The creditors and claimants having agreed to terms means they waive their right to pursue further claims. The Diocese’s law firm is charging less than its usual hourly fees.
Fr. Bernie.: “A new corporation (for the WHEAT Family) makes no sense; a new administration makes sense. … I’ve created 3 Liturgy Pillars” to handle the large workload for 3 Parishes. It’s “… a hybrid model …” One In Reach/Out Reach Pillar cannot handle the workload. The “Pillars are very good. … Hallow is very good. … Annunciation has been chosen for the Diocesan Healing Team for victims.
Old Business –
Interest Accounts: IC funds are with Merrill Lynch; SVdP met representatives of the Legends Fund. Fr. Bernie: Bishop Mike is every Parish corporation president; Fr. Karalus, Vicar–General, is vice-president; the Pastor and Trustees of each Parish must sign off on the settlement.
Other: D. Squire: “How is the St Joseph’s Fund affected by the bankruptcy?” Fr. Bernie: St Joseph Funds are protected.
New Business:
Computers – Next year – budget item? D. Cahill /D. Mikolaczyk: Perhaps we could update one Parish per year. Other requirements?
Religious Education Directors – “Melissa” resigned. We would like to hire within the Family. Fr. Bernie: It’s “not a full time job; some Parishes have a Pastoral Minister”. D. Cahill: Should DRE’s be a Family expense because they all work together?
Update on Schools – Diocese – Fr. Bernie: There are no changes for the 26/27 school year. We need a hybrid system. “It is a WHEAT Family School, named Immaculate Conception…. Health care is the big issue. … IC needs to get to 180 (enrollment) soon (to eliminate the need for a subsidy). … There is no leeway; the guideline is $200,000. …”
Draft Budgets D. Cahill: We should review the first draft budget during the July Finance meeting, the 29th. In November, we should review the Diocesan response.
Adjournment: 7:50 PM. Next meeting – 6:30, July 29th, 2026.
