About Our Lady of Czestochowa · Cheektowaga, New York
Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church is a Polish-heritage parish in Cheektowaga, New York, part of the Diocese of Buffalo. Founded on December 10, 1922 by Father Francis Guzy to serve Polish immigrants, it is now part of a three-church Roman Catholic community with St. Andrew (Sloan) and St. Casimir (Buffalo). After 100 years of faith the parish continues to celebrate Mass in English and Polish, and remains rooted in its Polish Catholic traditions.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- Our Lady of Czestochowa (Matka Boska Częstochowska)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Brown
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Our Lady of Czestochowa offers a small, resilient Catholic community with deep Polish roots and personal attention from its priests. Parishioners can worship in English or Polish (a Sunday 10 a.m. Mass in Polish is offered at sister-church St. Casimir), join a Bible Study with Fr. Paul Sabo, gather for the Tuesday evening Rosary in Mary's Garden from May through October, and take part in a Coffee Social, the Savers clothing/soft-goods fundraiser, and regular Parish Council meetings. The parish welcomes new parishioners through its Central Office at any time.
Mass times at Our Lady of Czestochowa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM at Our Lady of Czestochowa and St. Andrew
Parish History & Heritage
Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish was officially established on December 10, 1922, when Father Francis Guzy was commissioned by the Diocese of Buffalo to organize a new parish for the local Polish community. The first Masses were celebrated in a hall above the grocery store of Mr. and Mrs. I. Krawczyk, and the parish quickly acquired property at Clinton Street and Willowbrook Avenue, where a horse stable was converted into a church and two classrooms by Easter 1923. A combination church-school building followed in 1928, and the present church was completed in 1973. The parish peaked in the 1950s and 1960s with roughly 700 registered families and 350 school children; numbers declined after the New York State Thruway cut through the neighborhood and families moved to the suburbs. Pope John Paul II blessed the parish in 1983; the school closed in 2003. As part of the Diocese's Journey in Faith and Grace, Our Lady of Czestochowa merged with St. Joseph's Church on Payne Avenue in 2008 and now forms a three-church community with St. Andrew (Sloan) and St. Casimir (Buffalo). Bishop Michael W. Fisher celebrated the centennial Mass on October 8, 2022.
- Founded December 10, 1922 by Father Francis Guzy
- First Masses above the Krawczyk family grocery store; converted horse stable church from Easter 1923
- Combination church-school built in 1928; present church opened in 1973
- Peaked at ~700 families and ~350 students in the 1950s–1960s
- Blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1983
- School closed in 2003; merged with St. Joseph's (Payne Avenue) in 2008
- 100th anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael W. Fisher on October 8, 2022
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is served by a small pastoral team led by Father Michael Brown and including a Senior Parochial Vicar, a Pastor Emeritus, a deacon, and lay staff and trustees. The Central Office is located at 34 Francis Avenue in Sloan.
- Rev. Michael Brown — Pastor
- Rev. Czeslaw Krysa — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Harry F. Szczesniak — Pastor Emeritus
- Deacon Gregory Feary
- David Carroll — Trustee
- Sharon Szymanski — Trustee
- David Porter — Parish Council President
- Joseph Donohue — Organist
- Jim Hill — Faith Formation
Devotions & Prayer Life
Daily Rosary is prayed before every Mass at OLC. From May through October the Rosary is also recited outdoors in Mary's Garden — located behind the church between the Rectory and the School — at 6:30 PM every Tuesday. A Bible Study led by Fr. Paul Sabo meets at 6:00 PM in the OLC Convent on select Mondays (e.g., April 13 & 27; May 4 & 18). On the second Wednesday of each month a Padre Pio Healing Mass with Anointing of the Sick is offered.
- Daily Rosary before Mass
- Tuesday Rosary in Mary's Garden (May–October) at 6:30 PM
- Bible Study with Fr. Paul Sabo — Mondays at 6:00 PM in the OLC Convent
- Padre Pio Healing Mass — second Wednesday of the month
Faith Formation & OCIA
Faith Formation for school-age children of the parish family is held at the St. Andrew Campus; Jim Hill coordinates the program for the community. Adults seeking to become Catholic are welcomed through OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), and Communion to the Homebound is brought monthly to those unable to attend Mass. New parishioners are invited to register through the Central Office at any time.
- Faith Formation for school-age children — held at the St. Andrew Campus
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Communion to the Homebound — monthly
- New parishioner registration — through the Central Office
Sacraments
Baptisms are celebrated on Sundays, with parents and godparents required to attend a pre-Baptism class. Marriages are arranged through the rectory at least six months in advance. Anointing of the Sick is available any time after Mass for those preparing for surgery or who are seriously ill, and a special Padre Pio Healing Mass with Anointing is offered on the second Wednesday of each month. Letters of Recommendation are issued to parishioners who have supported the parish for at least three months.
- Baptisms — Sundays, with required pre-Baptism class
- First Holy Communion and Confirmation
- Marriage — arrangements at least six months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick — any time after Mass
- Padre Pio Healing Mass — second Wednesday of the month
- Letters of Recommendation — after three months of parish support
Parish Life, Fundraisers & Outreach
Our Lady of Czestochowa runs several ongoing fundraisers and community events to support parish life. Drop-off days for the Savers clothing/soft-goods/household-items fundraiser are scheduled after weekend Masses in the OLC parking lot garage on Clinton Street. A Bottle & Can Drive is also active year-round, with pick-up arrangements available by calling Sandy Blamowski at 716-823-9080. Coffee Socials are held in the upper school hall after the 8:00 AM Mass on select Sundays, and Bingo nights are part of the community calendar. The Parish Council meets regularly in the upper school hall and all registered parishioners are encouraged to attend.
- Savers Clothing / Soft-Goods / Household-Items Fundraiser (drop-off after weekend Masses)
- Bottle & Can Drive — pick-up arranged through Sandy Blamowski, 716-823-9080
- Coffee Social — upper school hall after Sunday 8:00 AM Mass
- Parish Council meetings — upper school hall (next: Monday, May 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM)
- Bingo
Roman Catholic Community of Cheektowaga – Kaisertown – Sloan
Our Lady of Czestochowa is one of three parishes in a collaborative Roman Catholic community serving Cheektowaga, Kaisertown and Sloan, sharing clergy and a Central Office.
- Our Lady of Czestochowa — 2158 Clinton St / 23 Willowlawn Pkwy, Cheektowaga, NY 14206 — (716) 822-5590
- St. Andrew — 34 Francis Ave, Sloan, NY 14212 — (716) 892-0425 (Central Office); Thrift Shop (716) 892-0425
- St. Casimir — 160 Cable St, Buffalo, NY 14206 — Food Pantry / Neighborhood Outreach (716) 891-8753 — stcasimirbuffalo.com
- Central Office: Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–4:00 PM; closed on Holy Days and Holidays
St. Casimir & the Polish Catholic Tradition
St. Casimir's was named an oratory in 2011 and merged with Our Lady of Czestochowa. In 2012, under Fr. Czeslaw Krysa (now the community's Senior Parochial Vicar), its status was changed to a 'church of particular use,' providing for the care of the faithful — particularly those of Polish descent — and preserving Polish Catholic traditions. A Sunday 10:00 AM Mass in Polish continues to be celebrated there.
- St. Casimir became an oratory in 2011 and merged with OLC
- Designated a 'church of particular use' in 2012 to preserve Polish Catholic traditions
- Polish-language Mass — Sundays at 10:00 AM
Visit, Contact & Location
The church sits at 2158 Clinton Street in Cheektowaga, with the rectory mailing address at 23 Willowlawn Parkway, Cheektowaga, NY 14206. The parish can be reached by phone at (716) 822-5590, by fax at (716) 822-5597, and by email at [email protected]. Central Office hours (at the St. Andrew campus, 34 Francis Avenue, Sloan) are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, closed on Holy Days and Holidays. Visitors are warmly welcomed at any of the three Masses or for the many devotions and community events offered throughout the week.
- Church address: 2158 Clinton St, Cheektowaga, NY 14206
- Rectory mailing address: 23 Willowlawn Pkwy, Cheektowaga, NY 14206
- Phone: (716) 822-5590 — Fax: (716) 822-5597
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: olc-cheektowaga.com
- Central Office: 34 Francis Ave, Sloan — Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–4:00 PM (closed Holy Days/Holidays)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis Guzy1922–
Commissioned by the Diocese of Buffalo to organize the parish for the Polish community; acquired the Clinton Street/Willowbrook Avenue property and converted a horse stable into a church.