About Blessed Trinity · Buffalo, New York
Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church is a small, culturally diverse parish of roughly 200 families located on Leroy Avenue in the northeast section of Buffalo, New York. Founded in 1906 by Bishop Charles Colton to serve Irish and German immigrant families, the parish is best known for its breathtaking 1928 church building — a near-perfect replication of 12th-century Lombard-Romanesque architecture that is on the National Register of Historic Places and draws visitors from around the world. As of November 2024 the parish is grouped with Ss. Columba-Brigid and St. Martin de Porres as a Family of Parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, and it continues as an anchor in its East Buffalo neighborhood with weekly Mass, a food pantry, Thursday bingo, and a range of outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1906
- Rector
- Rev. Robert L. Gebhard, Jr. (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Blessed Trinity welcomes parishioners into a small, close-knit and culturally diverse community of about 200 families that has served East Buffalo for more than a century. Members enjoy liturgies with a volunteer adult choir, cantor, organ and piano, an active adult faith formation program, weekly Eucharistic adoration through parish outreach, and a busy social life anchored by Thursday bingo and seasonal events. Beyond the parish walls, members serve at the Catholic Central Food Pantry, Family Promise of WNY, Peaceprints Ministry, TRY (Teaching & Restoring Youth), the Sister Karen Klimczak Center for Non-Violence, and FLARE — giving anyone who joins meaningful ways to put faith into action.
Mass times at Blessed Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
Our Parish — Who We Are
Blessed Trinity is a small Roman Catholic congregation of approximately 200 individuals and families in the northeast section of the City of Buffalo. Founded in 1906 to serve Irish and German immigrants in what was once known as the 'Jammer-thal' (Valley of Tears), the parish has grown and changed with its neighborhood for more than a century. In 1993 the closed parishes of St. Bartholomew and St. Vincent de Paul merged into Blessed Trinity, and in 2008 the closed parishes of St. James and St. Gerard were likewise welcomed in. Today the parish is part of a Family of Parishes (with Ss. Columba-Brigid and St. Martin de Porres) under the Diocese of Buffalo.
- ~200 individuals and families
- Founded 1906
- Mergers of St. Bartholomew & St. Vincent de Paul (1993), St. James & St. Gerard (2008)
- Family of Parishes: Blessed Trinity, Ss. Columba-Brigid, St. Martin de Porres
Mission Statement
Blessed Trinity describes itself as the loving, welcoming community of Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, endowed with a diversity of backgrounds, gifts and experiences. Parishioners' lives are based on faith, hope and charity, guided by the Holy Spirit and sustained by the sacraments, with the parish's faith life extending to the larger community around it.
History of the Parish
On 6 June 1906 Bishop Charles Colton appointed Rev. John F. Pfluger to establish a Catholic presence in northeast Buffalo for the roughly sixty Catholic families already living in the area. They first worshipped in the third-floor hall above the Kleinderhaus Grocery Store at 175 Dewey Avenue — the 'Upper Room Church' — where their first Mass was celebrated 8 July 1906. A combination church/school designed by Schmill & Gould was built on Leroy Avenue in 1907, the parish house followed in 1914, and the present magnificent church was built 1923–1928 to designs by Chester Oakley and Albert Schallmo under pastor Rev. Albert F. Fritton.
- 1906: Bishop Colton appoints Rev. John F. Pfluger
- 8 July 1906: First Mass in 'Upper Room Church' above Kleinderhaus Grocery Store
- 1907: First church/school built on Leroy Avenue by Schmill & Gould
- 1914: Parish house added
- 1923: Ground broken for present church (architects Oakley & Schallmo)
- 1928: Present church dedicated
- 1977: First architectural landmark recognized by Buffalo's Landmark & Preservation Board
- 1979: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 1993: St. Bartholomew and St. Vincent de Paul parishes close and merge into Blessed Trinity
- 2008: St. James and St. Gerard parishes close and merge in
- 2024: Becomes part of Family of Parishes with Ss. Columba-Brigid and St. Martin de Porres
Architecture & Tours
The Blessed Trinity church building is widely considered the purest replication of 12th-century Lombard-Romanesque architecture in the United States. Its handmade medieval-style brick and extraordinary use of colored architectural terra cotta are studded with more than 2,000 Christian symbols illustrating the medieval iconography of Vincent of Beauvais's 'Four Mirrors of Life.' The building cost $513,000 in 1928; the 1976 replacement value was estimated at $4.25 million, and it could not be reproduced today because the specialized craftsmen no longer exist. The parish participates in the New York Landmarks Conservancy's Sacred Sites Open House Weekend each May (hosting in 2026 on Saturday, May 16, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., as part of its construction centennial), the state's Path Through History each fall, and Explore Buffalo tours year-round.
- Style: Lombard-Romanesque (12th century)
- Architects: Chester Oakley & Albert Schallmo of Buffalo
- Built 1923–1928; dedicated 3 June 1928
- Original cost: $513,000
- Handmade medieval-style brick
- Possibly the largest use of colored terra cotta in an American ecclesiastical building
- 2,000+ Christian symbols
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1979, NRHP #79001579)
- Buffalo Landmark (1977), NYS Historical Site
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Beyond Mass and Reconciliation, Blessed Trinity offers ongoing pastoral care for parishioners who are home-bound, hospitalized or living in senior care facilities; family members are encouraged to call the rectory (716-833-0301) to arrange a visit from the Administrator. Mass intentions may be requested for oneself, loved ones, special intentions or thanksgivings, with a $15 stipend. New families may register online through the parish website.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:00 p.m.
- Visits to the sick, home-bound and seniors — by request
- Mass intentions: $15 stipend, arranged through the parish office
- Parish registration available online
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education and pastoral coordination at Blessed Trinity is led by Patricia Dyer, the parish's Pastoral Associate and Religious Education Coordinator. As a small parish, programs are designed to serve both children and adults in a family-friendly setting rooted in the parish's diverse, multigenerational community.
- Pastoral Associate & Religious Education Coordinator: Ms. Patricia Dyer
Music & Liturgy
Music Ministry is led by Music Director Elizabeth Clay, who also serves as cantor for the Saturday 4:30 p.m. liturgy. A volunteer adult choir sings at the 10 a.m. Sunday liturgy from mid-September through the Feast of Corpus Christi, as well as for Holy Week and the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses, with weekly rehearsals from September through May. The parish describes its music as 'contemporary, led by a wonderful choir singing from the loft with the organ or from the pews with piano.'
- Music Minister: Ms. Elizabeth Clay
- Volunteer adult choir at 10 a.m. Sunday Mass
- Rehearsals weekly, September through May
- Cantors and organ/piano accompaniment
Parish Ministries
Blessed Trinity has openings across a wide range of liturgical and pastoral ministries. Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors receive training provided by the parish; Sacristans care for the sanctuary; Ushers greet, take up collections and assist at Communion; the Bereavement Committee prepares funeral luncheons in the parish hall. Pastoral Outreach brings Communion and visits to home-bound and senior-care parishioners.
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Ministers of the Word (Lectors)
- Ushers
- Sacristans
- Bereavement Committee
- Pastoral Outreach (visits to the sick and home-bound)
Community Outreach & Charity
Parishioners are active beyond the church walls, both through the parish-run Catholic Central Food Pantry (Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., at St. Charles Hall, 350 Dewey Avenue) and through partnerships with several WNY social-service and neighborhood organizations. Blessed Trinity is a support congregation for Family Promise of Western New York, helping deliver groceries to the shelter.
- Catholic Central Food Pantry — Wednesdays, St. Charles Hall, 350 Dewey Ave
- Family Promise of Western New York
- FLARE (Fillmore-Leroy Area Residents, Inc.)
- Peaceprints Ministry
- TRY (Teaching & Restoring Youth)
- Sister Karen Klimczak Center for Non-Violence
Parish Life — Bingo & Social Events
Thursday-night Bingo in St. Charles Hall (350 Dewey Avenue) is a long-running parish tradition: doors open at 6:30 p.m. and games begin at 8:00 p.m.; participants must be 18 or older. Carryover amounts and any cancellations are posted on the parish's Facebook page. The parish also gathers for seasonal liturgical celebrations and joint outreach events.
- Thursday Bingo — doors 6:30 p.m., games 8:00 p.m., St. Charles Hall
- Carryovers and cancellations posted on Facebook
- Seasonal social and liturgical celebrations
Parish Staff & Leadership
Blessed Trinity is led day-to-day by an Administrator, with a Pastoral Associate overseeing faith formation, a Music Minister, trustees, a bookkeeper, a secretary, and a maintenance and operations lead. The parish is part of the Family of Parishes with Ss. Columba-Brigid and St. Martin de Porres under the Diocese of Buffalo.
- Rev. Robert L. Gebhard, Jr. — Administrator
- Ms. Patricia Dyer — Pastoral Associate & Religious Education Coordinator
- Ms. Elizabeth Clay — Music Minister
- Mr. Homer Dick — Trustee
- Ms. Nancy Langer — Trustee
- Mr. Phil Van Dette — Bookkeeper
- Ms. Barbara Sercu — Secretary
- Mr. Joseph Strusienski — Maintenance & Operations
Visiting, Tours & Accessibility
Visitors are welcome year-round. Explore Buffalo and other groups are given docent-led tours, and individuals or groups can schedule a tour by calling the rectory (716-833-0301). The church is wheelchair accessible (use the east ramp-side door) and there is ample off-street parking behind the church and next to the east-side entrance. St. Charles Hall (for the food pantry and bingo) is at 350 Dewey Avenue.
- Wheelchair accessible via east ramp-side door
- Ample off-street parking behind the church and adjacent to east-side door
- St. Charles Hall: 350 Dewey Avenue (food pantry and bingo)
Contact, Office Hours & Communications
The parish office is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with secretary Barb Sercu on hand to answer calls. Masses are live-streamed via the parish's Facebook page, and printed bulletins are available on the website for anyone who wants to follow along at home.
- Office hours: Mon–Wed, 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
- Phone: 716-833-0301
- Email: [email protected]
- Live-stream on Facebook (Blessed Trinity R. C. Church)
- Bulletins posted on the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John F. Pfluger1906–
Founding pastor; appointed by Bishop Charles Colton to organize the parish; celebrated first Mass on 8 July 1906 in the 'Upper Room Church' above Kleinderhaus Grocery Store.
- Rev. Albert Fulton
Acquired additional land in 1912 from the Kinsey Real Estate Company with a vision for a larger church.
- Rev. Albert F. Fritton
Second pastor who conceived the present Lombard-Romanesque church, drawing on his studies at Innsbruck and tours of northern Italy with Fr. Thomas Plassman (President of St. Bonaventure). Designed by Oakley & Schallmo; built 1923–1928 at a cost of $513,000.