About Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary · Elma, New York
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Buffalo located at 7580 Clinton Street in the Town of Elma, New York, serving the eastern Erie County / Southtowns region of Western New York. The parish was established in 1905 and grew up around a small wood-frame church at the corner of Clinton Street and Girdle Road that is still standing today (now known as Langley Hall). A larger, modern church was built across the street in 1971 and remains the worship site of the parish, which is served by a pastor, a senior parochial vicar, three permanent deacons, and a sizable lay staff. The parish is known for its active family faith formation program, its Holy Name Society, its Ladies Sodality, and its preservation of the original 1907 church with its stained-glass windows.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Bernard U. Nowak
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Annunciation is a well-established Southtowns parish with a real mix of traditional and family-focused ministries: weekday and Sunday Masses, a structured Family Faith Formation program for grades PreK through Confirmation, an active Holy Name Society and Ladies Sodality, monthly Adoration on the First and Third Fridays, a weekly Rosary for Life, and a long-running Bereavement ministry. Parishioners keep the buildings alive themselves — the retired-volunteer 'St. Joseph Workers' literally rebuilt Langley Hall — so belonging here means joining a community that does its own work and welcomes new families into the same rhythm of faith.
Mass times at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM (and by appointment)
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration: 8:00 PM – 6:00 AM (overnight into Saturday)
- Third Friday Adoration: 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM
About Annunciation Parish
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Catholic parish in Elma, New York, in the Diocese of Buffalo. Its mailing address and parish offices are at 7580 Clinton Street, Elma, NY 14059. Parish Center office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The parish operates from a campus that includes the current (1971) church, the historic original church (now Langley Hall), a parish center, a school building, and Strong Start Early Learning Academy.
- Address: 7580 Clinton Street, Elma, NY 14059
- Parish Center Office Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–12:00 Noon and 12:30 PM–4:30 PM
- Diocese: Buffalo
- Parish grouping: 'Wheat Scattered and Sown / Family #6'
History of the Parish
Annunciation was established in 1905 to serve the growing Catholic population of the Town of Elma in eastern Erie County. The first church building was completed in 1907 at the corner of Clinton Street and Girdle Road at a cost of $9,546; its stained-glass windows depicting saints and holy scenes remain its most treasured feature. As the parish grew, a larger, modern church was built directly across Clinton Street in 1971. The old church was renamed Langley Hall in honor of Rev. T. Louis Langley, who served as pastor from 1973 to 1988. Decades later, under the leadership of Rev. Eugene Ulrich (pastor since 2007), the parish's 'St. Joseph Workers' — retired volunteers with construction and mechanical skills — restored Langley Hall so it could be used once again as a parish gathering space, as reported in Buffalo Scoop in April 2015.
- Parish founded in 1905
- Original church completed in 1907 at a cost of $9,546
- Current sanctuary built across the street in 1971
- Old church renamed Langley Hall for Rev. T. Louis Langley, pastor 1973–1988
- Langley Hall restored under Fr. Ulrich by the St. Joseph Workers
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, a senior parochial vicar, a parochial vicar, and several permanent deacons, with a wider staff of pastoral associates and parish office personnel.
- Pastor: Rev. Bernard U. Nowak
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. Karl E. Loeb
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Innocent Diala
- Pastoral Associate for Administration: Deacon James J. 'Jim' Jaworski
- Permanent Deacons: Dennis W. Kapsiak, Joseph P. Mercurio
- Director of Family Faith Formation: Melissa Weisenburg ([email protected])
- Pastoral Associate for Ministry: Deborah A. Keenan, M.Div.
- Music Ministry Director: Cynthia Napieralski
- RCIA Director: Paula Penepent
- Strong Start Director: Carrie D'Attilio
Family Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at Annunciation is built around the conviction that 'parents are a child's first and best teacher' and that parish programming complements what happens at home. Directed by Melissa Weisenburg, the program offers a hybrid family-formation model serving children from PreK through 10th grade / Confirmation. Younger grades (PreK–6) meet in the school gym; grades 7–9 use YDisciple; 10th grade is the Confirmation year, with in-person sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. The parish has partnered with the Hallow prayer app to bring prayer and meditation into students' daily lives thanks to the Holy Name Society's generosity.
- Family Program: Grades PreK–6
- Online Program: Grades 1–8
- YDisciple: Grades 7–9
- Grade 10 & Confirmation Prep
- 1st Reconciliation & 1st Eucharist Prep
- Virtus / Empowering God's Children safe-environment lessons each year
- Annual Christmas concert, hikes, gym nights and community-service opportunities
- Director: Melissa Weisenburg — [email protected], 716-683-5515
Schools & Early Childhood
Annunciation Catholic School (PreK through Grade 8) operated on the parish campus for many decades but closed at the end of the 2013–14 school year as part of Bishop Richard J. Malone's diocesan 'Faith in Tomorrow' strategic plan — at the time of closure it enrolled about 102 students and employed 18 faculty and staff. After the closure, the parish partnered with Strong Start Early Learning Academy to keep a Christ-centered preschool program alive on the same campus, offering PreK 3 (two- and three-day options) and PreK 4/5 (five-day program) following New York State standards.
- Annunciation School (PreK–8) closed at the end of the 2013–14 school year
- Strong Start Early Learning Academy: PreK 3, PreK 4, and PreK 5
- Programs follow NY State standards; features Handwriting Without Tears and Building Blocks Math
- Director: Carrie D'Attilio — 716-681-1327 / [email protected]
- Website: www.annunciationstrongstart.com
Liturgical & Music Ministries
Annunciation's liturgical life is supported by a sizable corps of lay ministers — lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, greeters, ushers, altar servers, and a Children's Liturgy of the Word — coordinated through a parish Liturgy Committee. The Music Ministry, directed by Cynthia Napieralski, leads congregational song at Mass and supports special celebrations throughout the liturgical year.
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Greeters
- Ushers
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Music Ministry — Director: Cynthia Napieralski
Parish Life, Outreach & Service
Annunciation runs a wide array of parish-life and outreach ministries rooted in its Southtowns community. The Holy Name Society (men's organization) and the Ladies Sodality sponsor parish events and fundraisers, including the Annual Parish Picnic. Outreach includes Hospital Visitation, Ministry to the Homebound, Respect Life, a Shawl Ministry, and Bereavement Support (including a Bereavement Breakfast). The parish also hosts a long-running Picnic Committee, a Welcoming Committee, and Faith Sharing Groups for adults.
- Holy Name Society
- Ladies Sodality (Ladies of the Church of the Annunciation)
- Hospital Visitation
- Ministry to the Homebound
- Respect Life
- Shawl Ministry
- Bereavement Support & Bereavement Breakfast
- Welcoming Committee
- Faith Sharing Groups
- Annual Parish Picnic
Parish Buildings & Volunteers
The parish campus includes the 1971 worship church, the historic 1907 church (Langley Hall) across Clinton Street, the Parish Center / Rectory, the school building (which houses Strong Start and Family Faith Formation classrooms), and gathering halls such as Selbert Hall. Maintenance and improvement of these buildings is largely handled by parishioners — most notably the 'St. Joseph Workers,' a group of retired volunteers with construction and mechanical skills who led the Langley Hall restoration.
- 1971 church (current worship site)
- Langley Hall (1907 original church, restored as gathering space)
- Parish Center / Rectory
- School building (Strong Start and Family Faith Formation)
- Selbert Hall / Community Room (meetings and Confirmation events)
- Buildings and Grounds Committee
- St. Joseph Workers (retired-volunteer maintenance crew)
Contact & Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone, email, or through the parish Flocknote list. The parish keeps its main website at www.annunciation.cc and runs a separate Faith Formation hub at www.annunciation.faith. The Flocknote email/text list (annunciationelma.flocknote.com) is the main channel for parish-wide announcements and formation updates.
- Parish Center: 716-683-5254
- Rectory: 716-683-2077
- School / Strong Start: 716-681-1327
- Faith Formation Office: 716-683-5515
- Parish Fax: 716-681-5668
- Website: www.annunciation.cc
- Faith Formation hub: www.annunciation.faith
- Flocknote: annunciationelma.flocknote.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. T. Louis Langley1973–1988
After whom the original 1907 church was renamed Langley Hall in his honor.
- Rev. Eugene (Gene) P. Ulrich2007–present
Appointed pastor in 2007; previously pastor of SS. Brendan & Jude Parish and campus minister at Alfred University and Alfred State (1995–2007); also served as Director of Vocations and Vicar Forane of the Eastern Erie Vicariate. Honored with the Diocese of Buffalo's Curé of Ars Award in 2020.