VISITATION CHURCH
BUFFALO, NEW YORK

The growth of East Buffalo, shortly after the consecration of Bishop Quigley, suggested the need of more church accommodations for the English speaking Catholics of that district.  The nearest English speaking church was St. Patrick's; and for three or four miles eastward of St. Patrick's Church there were many English speaking Catholic families, who found the distance to St. Patrick's very inconvenient on Sundays.  Bishop Quigley, therefore, resolved to offer them more convenient church accommodations, and he commissioned the Rev. Daniel O'Brien to organize two congregations in the summer of 1898.  Father O'Brien said the first Mass in this district in the furniture store, on the corner of Lovejoy and North Ogden Streets, on the 21st of August, 1898.  In September of the same year Father O'Brien purchased property on the corner of Lovejoy and Greene Streets, and on this property, in the year following, he erected a large, handsome school building which serves the purpose of church and school.  The building was completed and the first Mass celebrated in the new building on the 1st of November, 1899.  The school was opened in the same building in the latter part of January, 1900.  A comfortable parochial residence was also finished at the same time.

Father O'Brien had also organized the congregation of the Precious Blood at the same time that he formed the Visitation parish, but these two congregations gave such evidence of growth that they were separated and made distinct parishes in 1900.  The Rev. T. Gleason was appointed pastor of the Precious Blood parish, while Father O'Brien remained as pastor of the church on Greene and Lovejoy Streets.

Father O'Brien added a convent to his church property, and the parish is now one of the important parishes of the diocese.

The Rev. Daniel O'Brien was succeeded January 25, 1906, by the Rev. David J. Ryan, who remained until July 10, 1908, when the Rev. Henry Kingston was appointed.

In 1922 Father Kingston erected the new convent at a cost of $25,000.

Father Kingston died in June, 1924, and was succeeded by the Rev. Peter Berkery.  Father Berkery was succeeded by Rev. Charles Maxwell, D. D., at Christmas, 1928.

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Holly Timm
Cheektowaga, New York
erie@nygenweb.com