About All Saints · Buffalo, New York
All Saints Roman Catholic Church was a parish of the Diocese of Buffalo located at 127 Chadduck Avenue in Buffalo's Riverside neighborhood. Founded on December 14, 1911, by Bishop Charles H. Colton with Rev. Henry Dolan, the parish served generations of North Buffalo Catholics from a colonial-style brick church completed in 1938 and famously home to a 1923 Wurlitzer organ once played in the Statler Hotel ballroom. As one of the smaller parishes in Family #20 of the diocesan Road to Renewal initiative, All Saints celebrated its final Mass in July 2024 and was scheduled to merge with Assumption Parish on Amherst Street.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- All Saints
- Rector
- Rev. David I. Richards
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
All Saints was a small, tight-knit parish in the Riverside neighborhood of North Buffalo, known for its 840-seat colonial-style church, its extraordinary 1923 Wurlitzer organ gifted by hotelier Ellsworth Statler, and its mahogany Last Supper altar carved in 1962. Parishioners valued the parish's religious-education program, the Saturday-evening and Sunday-morning Mass schedule, the monthly Rosary devotion, and a robust respect-life ministry. While the parish closed in July 2024 under the diocesan Road to Renewal initiative, longtime parishioners continue to preserve its heritage and have worked to find new homes for its sacred artifacts.
Mass times at All Saints
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 p.m.
History of All Saints Parish
All Saints Parish was established on December 14, 1911, by Bishop Charles H. Colton, who recruited Rev. Henry Dolan to build a new Catholic community in Buffalo's rapidly growing Riverside neighborhood. The first church was a wood-frame structure raised in just eleven days; a fire destroyed it in March 1913, after which the congregation worshiped in the basement of the newly completed parish school. Construction of the present colonial-style church, designed by the firm Blay & Lyman, began on October 17, 1937, with the cornerstone laid on December 27, 1937. The brick-and-stone building was completed in November 1938 at a cost of about $100,000 and seats 840. The parish served Riverside families for more than a century until its closure in 2024.
- Founded December 14, 1911, by Bishop Charles H. Colton
- First pastor: Rev. Henry Dolan
- Original wood-frame church built in 11 days (1911); destroyed by fire March 1913
- Parish school built immediately after the fire; basement used for worship
- Current church constructed 1937–1938 by architects Blay & Lyman
- Cornerstone laid December 27, 1937; completed November 1938
- Construction cost: approximately US$100,000
- Capacity: 840
The Wurlitzer Organ
All Saints is best known in the wider Buffalo community for its 1923 Wurlitzer pipe organ, a personal gift from hotelier Ellsworth Statler. Originally installed in the golden ballroom of downtown Buffalo's Statler Hotel, the instrument — Wurlitzer Opus 624, Style 160, with three manuals and ten ranks of pipes — was removed from the hotel in January 1938 and acquired by All Saints, where the Wurlitzer firm installed it on June 1, 1938. After decades of faithful service, the organ was rebuilt in 1991, retaining as much of the original instrument as possible. During the 1960s and 1970s, members of the American Theatre Organ Society helped releather and repair it, and a handful of rare recordings preserve its theatre-organ sound.
- Wurlitzer Opus 624, Style 160
- Originally installed in the Statler Hotel ballroom, downtown Buffalo
- Gift of hotelier Ellsworth Statler
- Installed at All Saints on June 1, 1938
- Rebuilt in 1991, retaining original components
- Three manuals, ten ranks of pipes
The Mahogany Altar
In 1962, an Italian woodcarver created the parish's distinctive main altar, carved entirely from a single piece of mahogany and depicting the Last Supper. The altar became a beloved focal point of All Saints and one of the artistic treasures of the Riverside neighborhood. Following the 2024 closure, parishioners worked to find a new home for the altar after the property was sold.
- Carved from one piece of mahogany by an Italian woodcarver
- Created in 1962
- Depicts the Last Supper
Parish Ministries and Staff
As a smaller parish in Family #20 of the Diocese of Buffalo, All Saints was supported by a lean team of clergy and lay staff. Rev. David I. Richards served as pastor with Rev. Christopher Emminger as parochial vicar and Deacon Timothy Haley as permanent deacon. Roberta Ptak directed religious education and shared the Respect Life Coordinator role with Marybeth Jaskowiak, while Martin Quebral led the music ministry.
- Pastor — Rev. David I. Richards
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Christopher Emminger
- Permanent Deacon — Timothy Haley
- Director of Religious Education — Roberta Ptak
- Music Ministry Director — Martin Quebral
- Respect Life Coordinators — Marybeth Jaskowiak and Roberta Ptak
- 219 registered families (as of 2022 directory)
Sacraments and Religious Education
The parish prepared children and adults for the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation) and welcomed couples preparing for Matrimony. Roberta Ptak coordinated the religious-education program that served the parish's 219 registered families.
- Baptism preparation
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Religious Education for parish children
Road to Renewal and the 2024 Closure
In May 2023, Bishop Michael W. Fisher and the Diocese of Buffalo announced the Road to Renewal initiative, under which 34 percent of diocesan parishes and 38 percent of worship sites would be consolidated. All Saints was assigned to Family #20 and designated to merge with Assumption of the Blessed on Amherst Street. The decision was accelerated by the deteriorated condition of the parish school, which required a $250,000–$300,000 roof repair the parish could not fund. The church celebrated its final Mass on Saturday, July 6, 2024, followed by a celebration in the former school gym. Parishioners worked to relocate sacred items, including the St. Florian statue, which was moved to Assumption Church.
- Family #20: Assumption, Holy Spirit, St. Margaret, St. Mark, St. Rose of Lima, All Saints
- Designated to merge with Assumption of the Blessed
- Closure driven by $250,000–$300,000 school roof repair need
- Final Mass: Saturday, July 6, 2024
- Road to Renewal announced May 2023
- St. Florian statue relocated to Assumption Church
Visiting the Parish
All Saints stood on Chadduck Avenue in Buffalo's Riverside neighborhood, an area of North Buffalo known for its tree-lined residential streets and proximity to the Niagara River. The church's main entrance was accessed from Chadduck Avenue, and the parish shared its grounds with a school building that, along with the church itself, anchored community life for more than a century.
- Address: 127 Chadduck Ave, Buffalo, NY 14207
- Phone: (716) 875-8183
- Fax: (716) 249-6055
- Email: [email protected]
- Neighborhood: Riverside, North Buffalo
- Diocese: Buffalo
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Henry Dolan1911–
First pastor; recruited by Bishop Charles H. Colton to construct the new parish in the Riverside neighborhood.