About Assumption · Buffalo, New York
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood, founded in 1888 to serve Polish immigrants who had settled along the Niagara River. Today it is part of Family of Parishes #20, the Catholic Community of Buffalo North, within the Diocese of Buffalo, sharing ministry with All Saints, Holy Spirit, St. Margaret, St. Mark, and St. Rose of Lima. The parish is celebrated for its towering 1914 Romanesque Revival church of tapestry brick and Medina sandstone, its fifty imported stained-glass windows and rose windows, and its unique sgraffito sanctuary murals by the Polish artist Józef Sławiński.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph W. Tokasz (Parish Administrator, effective Feb. 5, 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Assumption welcomes parishioners and visitors into one of Black Rock's most beautiful historic churches, a 1914 Romanesque Revival landmark filled with European stained glass and Polish sgraffito art, while sharing Mass and faith formation with five sister parishes through the Catholic Community of Buffalo North. The parish offers Saturday vigil and Sunday Mass, weekly confession, a religious education program and youth ministry, and the ongoing witness of saints like St. John Paul II whose 1969 visit is honored by a statue and relic in the sanctuary. It is a living Polish-American heritage parish serving a tight-knit North Buffalo neighborhood rooted in the Eucharist and reverent worship.
Mass times at Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM
Our Story
Assumption traces its origin to 1882, when Polish settlers in Black Rock began gathering at the German parish of St. Francis Xavier. In 1887 thirty families petitioned Bishop Stephen Ryan for their own church; he agreed, and on September 8, 1888 the cornerstone was laid for the original church-and-school at Amherst and Grant Streets. The parish grew so rapidly that by its 25th anniversary a far grander church was envisioned, leading to the construction of today's Romanesque Revival landmark, dedicated in 1914.
- Cornerstone laid September 8, 1888
- First church dedicated January 1889 under Father Teofil Kozłowski
- Current church cornerstone laid August 16, 1914 by Bishop Charles Colton
Architecture & Sacred Art
The 1914 church is Romanesque Revival in style, designed by Schmill & Gould (Carl Schmill Sr. and completed by Carl Schmill Jr.) in a 'Norman' tapestry brick of unusually large 12-inch units, trimmed in Ohio sandstone with Medina sandstone steps and a Spanish-tile roof. Twin towers are topped with seven-foot crosses, and three rose windows illuminate the nave. The lower stained-glass windows were imported from Europe and depict scenes from the life of Christ and the saints; dedications at their bases are often written in Polish, honoring the parish families and clubs that sponsored them.
- Romanesque Revival style, 1914
- Architects: Schmill & Gould
- Norman tapestry brick, Ohio/Media sandstone trim, Spanish tile roof
- Three rose windows and ~50 stained-glass windows
- Oak pulpit carved with Jesus and the four Evangelists
- Painted and stenciled oak and fruitwood ceiling
The Sgraffito Sanctuary
In the 1960s, Msgr. Maximillian T. Bogacki commissioned Polish artists Józef Sławiński and Michael Baranowski to create the sanctuary's extraordinary sgraffito murals — life-of-Mary panels paired with Christian symbols (peacocks drinking from a chalice, the sacrificial lamb, the pelican, the Annunciation, the Flight into Egypt, and the Removal from the Cross, among others). For the 125th anniversary in 2013, Swiatek Studios completed a comprehensive painting and stencil restoration across the rest of the church, replicating the original 1914 stencil decoration and seamlessly transitioning nave and sanctuary art.
- Sgraffito artists: Józef Sławiński and Michael Baranowski
- Restoration by Swiatek Studios (2010-2013)
- Five life-of-Mary panels plus Christian symbols
A Visit from Pope St. John Paul II
On September 17, 1969, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła of Kraków — the future Pope St. John Paul II — visited Assumption as part of his pastoral tour of Polish America. He was greeted at the door with the traditional Polish bread and salt, welcomed by schoolchildren in Polish costume, and addressed the assembled faithful from the church pulpit. His canonization on April 27, 2014 was met with great joy by the parishioners who remembered his visit. A photograph, a statue of St. John Paul II, and a relic of the saint can be found to the right of the main sanctuary.
- Date of visit: September 17, 1969
- Greeted with Polish bread and salt
- Addressed the congregation from the pulpit
- Memorial statue and relic displayed in the sanctuary
Catholic Community of Buffalo North (Family #20)
Assumption belongs to Family of Parishes #20 of the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal initiative, formally known as the Catholic Community of Buffalo North. The family unites six parishes — Assumption, Holy Spirit, St. Margaret, St. Mark, St. Rose of Lima, and All Saints — under shared clergy, faith formation, and pastoral care. The central office is at 16 Peter Street, Buffalo, NY 14207 (phone 716-875-8102, hours Monday–Friday 9 AM–4 PM).
- Parish Administrator: Rev. Joseph W. Tokasz
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. David I. Richards
- Deacons: Timothy Haley, Timothy C. Chriswell, Kevin Barron
- Central Office: 16 Peter St., Buffalo, NY 14207
Faith Formation & Youth
Religious education for parish children is coordinated by Jeanne Rak (reachable at 716-957-0909). Youth ministry is directed by Thomas Wasiuta. Assumption School, later known as Our Lady of Black Rock, was built in 1924 and has been a cornerstone of the parish's catechetical mission; the parish also absorbed members from the closed parishes of St. Francis Xavier, St. John the Baptist, and St. Elizabeth in later decades.
- Religious Education Coordinator: Jeanne Rak
- Youth Director: Thomas Wasiuta
- Sisters visiting the sick: Sr. Anne Marie Grasso, SSMN; Sr. Maureen Helak, CSSF
Visit Us
The Church of the Assumption is located at 435 Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY 14207, in the heart of the Black Rock neighborhood. The parish office can be reached at (716) 875-7626 or by email at [email protected]. Online giving and the parish bulletin are available through the Catholic Community of Buffalo North website at catholiccbn.com, and the parish maintains a presence on Facebook at @assumptionbuffalo.
- Address: 435 Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY 14207
- Phone: (716) 875-7626
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: assumptionbuffalo.org
- Facebook: @assumptionbuffalo
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Teofil Kozłowski1888-1891
Founding pastor; oversaw construction of the first church-school building.
- Rev. Louis Chodacki1901-1914
Started the school under the Felician Sisters in 1902; purchased land for the larger church at Amherst and Germain in 1908; resigned, leaving $83,000 in the treasury for his successor.
- Rev. Ladislaus Hordych1914-1925
Drove construction of the present Romanesque Revival church; cornerstone laid Aug. 16, 1914; resigned November 12, 1925.
- Rev. Ladislaus Brejski1925-1961
Took office November 21, 1925; oversaw the 1924 school construction (per Polonia Trail) and the parish through Depression and WWII.
- Msgr. Maximillian T. Bogacki1961-1974
Led $750,000 revitalization; commissioned Polish sgraffito artists Baranowski and Sławiński for the sanctuary murals.
- Rev. Richard Jędrzejewski1974-circa 2020s
Assumption-native pastor; first priest ordained in the church (1974); hosted the 2013 125th anniversary restoration and the 2014 Buffalo Mass Mob Mass.
- Rev. David I. Richardscirca 2022-2024
Listed as pastor of Assumption / Family #20 in the 2022 diocesan directory.
- Rev. Joseph W. Tokasz2024-present
Appointed Parish Administrator of Family of Parishes #20 by Bishop Michael W. Fisher, effective February 5, 2024.