About Good Shepherd Parish, St. Augustine Church · Clarence Center, New York
Good Shepherd Parish is a Christ-centered Roman Catholic faith community in northern Erie County, New York, with two worship sites: Good Shepherd Church in Pendleton (5441 Tonawanda Creek Road) and the former St. Augustine Church on the Good Shepherd - St. Augustine Campus in Clarence Center (8700 Goodrich Road). The parish belongs to the Diocese of Buffalo and, since July 15, 2023, has been part of the Shepherd and Saints Roman Catholic Family of Parishes (#19) alongside St. Gregory the Great in Williamsville and (formerly) St. Pius X in Getzville. It is currently shepherded by Father Leon J. Biernat, with Father Daniel Young and Father Robert Wozniak serving as Senior Parochial Vicars. The parish professes a strong belief in the Word of God, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and loyalty to the Magisterium, and it strives to live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
- Established
- 1949 (St. Augustine Parish established; Good Shepherd Pendleton listed as established 1847 in the diocesan directory; campuses merged in 2008)
- Patron
- St. Augustine (patron of the Clarence Center / Campus worship site); Good Shepherd (patron of the Pendleton worship site)
- Rector
- Rev. Leon J. Biernat (Pastor of Family of Parishes #19 / Shepherd and Saints Family, appointed 2023)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Good Shepherd Parish welcomes new residents, returning Catholics, and anyone curious about the Catholic faith, and it offers the practical rhythms of parish life across two accessible worship sites: weekend Mass in Pendleton (Saturday 4:30 PM and Sunday 9:00 AM) and at the St. Augustine Campus in Clarence Center (Sunday 11:00 AM), along with weekday Masses, a parish Faith Formation program for grades 1–10, an Adult Bible Study led by Deacon Steve, an Advocates for Disabilities ministry, ongoing Stewardship of Time formation, and outreach to St. Luke's Mission of Mercy and Little Portion Friary. As one Body now joined with St. Gregory the Great in the Shepherd and Saints Family, the parish combines the intimacy of a small two-campus community with the wider resources of shared clergy, deacons, and ministries.
Mass times at Good Shepherd Parish, St. Augustine Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30–3:45 PM at St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville (served by the Shepherd and Saints Family)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is listed among the regular devotions of the Shepherd and Saints Family (specific local times at Good Shepherd are not posted on the parish website).
Overview: A Parish of Two Worship Sites
Good Shepherd Parish is one Roman Catholic parish in northern Erie County with two worship sites: Good Shepherd Church in Pendleton (the parish hub) and the Good Shepherd - St. Augustine Campus in Clarence Center. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Buffalo and, since 2023, operates as part of the Shepherd and Saints Roman Catholic Family of Parishes (#19). The parish describes itself as 'a Christ-centered Roman Catholic faith community that is dedicated to bringing God's presence to others through prayer, service and friendship.' All parishioner registration, sacramental arrangements, and bulletin information are coordinated through the Parish Center in Pendleton.
- Good Shepherd Church (Pendleton) — 5441 Tonawanda Creek Road
- Good Shepherd - St. Augustine Campus (Clarence Center) — 8700 Goodrich Road
- Parish Center: 716-625-8594
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9 AM–3 PM (except holidays)
History of St. Augustine, Clarence Center
St. Augustine Parish traces its origins to a 1949 petition by Florence Eichinger and Virginia (Gene) McClain to Bishop O'Hara of Buffalo, asking for a new parish to serve Catholics in the Rapids area where distance and lack of transportation made Sunday and daily Mass nearly impossible. After a census easily met the 55-family threshold, Father Spahn began celebrating Mass in June 1949 — first on the Eichinger lawn, then across the street at Mrs. Christiansen's home, and finally in a whitewashed corner of the Eichinger barn where the manger became the altar. By April 1950, the men of the parish had laid the foundation of a permanent church on five acres along Goodrich Road (half donated by the Eichinger family). Built of surplus U.S. military barracks material with an attached rectory and hall, the new complex was blessed by Bishop O'Hara on December 24, 1950. Father Bernard Magee succeeded Father Spahn as pastor in June 1950, and over the next three decades the parish tripled in size.
- Founded June 1949
- First Mass celebrated on Eichinger lawn, then barn
- Groundbreaking April 1950; blessed December 24, 1950
- Built of surplus military barracks material
- 1985 addition dedicated, partly funded by a bequest from Father Noel Schreck
The 2008 Merger and the Shepherd and Saints Family
In 2008, the Diocese of Buffalo merged St. Augustine Parish in Clarence Center with Good Shepherd Parish in Pendleton, creating the combined parish of Good Shepherd Pendleton and Good Shepherd - St. Augustine Campus, Clarence Center. Father Daniel Young shepherded both sites until 2023, when the Diocese of Buffalo's Road to Renewal grouped the parish into Family of Parishes #19, now called the Shepherd and Saints Roman Catholic Family. The Family added St. Gregory the Great in Williamsville and St. Pius X in Getzville, all under Father Leon J. Biernat. On March 27, 2026, St. Pius X was further merged into St. Gregory the Great, which now serves as a secondary worship site.
- 2008: St. Augustine merged with Good Shepherd, Pendleton
- July 15, 2023: Family of Parishes #19 inaugurated as Shepherd and Saints Family
- Father Daniel Young served both sites until 2023
- Father Leon J. Biernat appointed Pastor of the Family in 2023
Clergy and Staff (Shepherd and Saints Family)
Good Shepherd Parish is served by the clergy of the Shepherd and Saints Family. Father Leon J. Biernat is the Pastor, with Father Robert Wozniak and Father Daniel Young serving as Senior Parochial Vicars. Six deacons are attached to Family #19: Deacon Michael G. Bochiechio, Deacon Michael Brock, Deacon Alex D. Manuta, Deacon Steve Gajewski (who leads the parish's Adult Bible Study), Deacon Gregory Gaulin, and Deacon Paul Walter. Sister Grace is identified as the Director of Faith Formation.
- Pastor: Rev. Leon J. Biernat
- Senior Parochial Vicars: Rev. Robert Wozniak, Rev. Daniel Young
- Deacon Steve Gajewski — Adult Bible Study leader
- Director of Faith Formation: Sister Grace
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The Parish Faith Formation Program serves young people in Grades 1 through 10 with classes held on Sunday mornings after the 9:00 AM Mass at the Good Shepherd Pendleton site, running September through May. The program depends on volunteer catechists, catechists' aides, and office aides — about 2–3 hours per week — and training is provided for anyone who feels called to help. No family is refused due to financial difficulty; those who need assistance are asked to contact Sister Grace through the parish office. Registration discounts are available for families with more than one child.
- Grades 1–10
- Sunday mornings after the 9:00 AM Mass
- Catechist and aide training provided
- Family discounts available
- Contact: Sister Grace, Director of Faith Formation
Adult Faith Formation
Adults are invited to deepen their understanding of Sacred Scripture through Adult Bible Study with Deacon Steve Gajewski, held on Wednesday evenings in the Father Baker Room at Pendleton Parish Hall (5442 Tonawanda Creek Road). The parish also encourages broader spiritual growth through daily devotional habits, including praying the Liturgy of the Hours, visiting the diocesan shrines, and listening to recommended Catholic podcasts.
- Wednesday evenings — Deacon Steve's Bible Study
- Father Baker Room, Pendleton Parish Hall
- Recommended: Liturgy of the Hours, Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, Our Lady of Victory Basilica
Advocates for Disabilities
The parish's Advocates for Disabilities ministry works in two directions: raising awareness of the gifts and needs of persons with disabilities in the Christian community, and actively inviting them into ministry alongside other parishioners. The group's guiding conviction is that people with disabilities share the same duty and desire as every member of the community to serve the Lord, according to their God-given talents and capacity.
- Raises awareness of disability within the parish
- Promotes active participation in ministry by parishioners with disabilities
Outreach and Charity
Outreach flows naturally from the parish's commitment to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The parish website highlights a special relationship with St. Luke's Mission of Mercy and Little Portion Friary, and the parish also participates in Family-level initiatives through the Shepherd and Saints Family, including service through the Knights of Columbus, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Healing Masses, youth and young-adult gatherings, and Grief and Loss support.
- St. Luke's Mission of Mercy
- Little Portion Friary
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Healing Masses
- Grief and Loss support
- Youth & Young Adult gatherings
Stewardship of Time
A dedicated Stewardship of Time page reminds parishioners that 'God has given us many ways to communicate with Him' — through Mass, the sacraments, Sacred Scripture, personal and communal prayer, and Eucharistic Adoration. The page frames the parish's call to intentionally set aside TIME for these practices each day, and offers concrete suggestions — visiting shrines, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, and listening to Catholic podcasts — for growing in prayerful relationships with God, one's neighbors, and the wider parish community.
- Daily Mass and Adoration
- Personal and communal prayer
- Visiting Our Lady of Fatima Shrine and OLV Basilica
- Morning Offering and Bible in a Year podcasts
Family Pillar Groups (Shepherd and Saints Family)
Within the Shepherd and Saints Family, parishioners from Good Shepherd serve on three Family Pillar Groups that shape the larger parish's ministry: OutReach/InReach, Faith Formation (Catholic schools, Youth Ministry Grades 6–8 and 9–12, Young Adult Faith Formation, Adult Faith Formation, Inclusive Catechesis, Family Formation), and Stewardship & Order (fundraising, sacramental preparation, financial leadership). Good Shepherd parishioners Lynn Leising and Anne Whitehead serve on the OutReach/InReach Pillar alongside members of St. Gregory the Great and St. Pius X.
- OutReach/InReach Pillar — Lynn Leising & Anne Whitehead (Good Shepherd)
- Faith Formation Pillar
- Stewardship & Order Pillar
Getting Involved
The parish invites new and longtime parishioners alike to register, enroll children in Religious Education, and arrange sacraments (Baptism and Marriage) through the parish office. Volunteers are needed as catechists, catechists' aides, and office aides, and the Stewardship of Time page lists concrete ways to deepen one's spiritual life. Worship site maps, weekly bulletins, monthly calendars, online giving, and the diocesan 'Road to Renewal' document are all linked from the parish homepage.
- Become a Parishioner
- Religious Education Registration
- Marriage Arrangements
- Baptism Arrangements
- Donate Online
- Weekly Bulletin and Monthly Calendar
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Spahn1949–c.1950
First pastor of St. Augustine; celebrated the first Masses outdoors and in the Eichinger barn.
- Rev. Bernard Magee1950–
Appointed second pastor in June 1950; served as the parish grew and the new barracks-material church and rectory were blessed by Bishop O'Hara on Dec. 24, 1950.
- Father Noel Schreck1969–1981
Left a bequest that became the nucleus of the funding for the 1985 church addition.
- Father Daniel Younguntil 2023
Pastor of both the Pendleton and St. Augustine Campus sites after the 2008 merger, until 2023.
- Rev. Leon J. Biernat2023–present
Appointed Pastor of Family of Parishes #19 (Shepherd and Saints Family) in 2023.