About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · Buffalo, New York
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Roman Catholic parish in Buffalo's First Ward, founded in 1897 by Bishop James E. Quigley and lovingly known to generations as "the Pets." The parish worships in a striking neo-Gothic Medina sandstone church designed by the Buffalo firm Lansing & Beierl and dedicated in 1900. Today it is part of the Catholic Family of South Buffalo (Family #31) in the Diocese of Buffalo, sharing pastoral leadership with nearby parishes while continuing its own devotional life, Mass schedule, and Friday adoration.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help (the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Perpetual Help)
- Rector
- Rev. William J. Quinlivan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a small, intimate neighborhood parish where typical Sunday Mass draws roughly 40 people, and visitors are personally welcomed at the door with a handshake and a parish pamphlet. It offers a faithful weekly rhythm — Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday morning Mass, a Tuesday evening Mass with prayer and healing, Friday confessions and First Friday candlelight adoration — and it is one of the most historically and architecturally significant churches in the First Ward. As a member of the Catholic Family of South Buffalo, the parish shares clergy and resources with several neighboring parishes while keeping its own identity, its 1897 Gothic Revival Medina sandstone church, and the warm 'Pets' community alive.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Saturday: confessions available upon request
- Sunday: confessions available upon request
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM (First Friday Candlelight Adoration)
Parish History & Founding
Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established on March 25, 1897 — the Feast of the Annunciation — by Bishop James E. Quigley of Buffalo, who created the parish out of parts of St. Brigid's and St. Stephen's to serve the growing South Park / Louisiana Street area. Bishop Quigley appointed the Rev. Richard C. O'Connell as the first pastor and he celebrated the parish's first Mass on July 11, 1897, in a building called 'The Clubhouse' on Louisiana Street. Bishop Quigley laid the cornerstone on November 21, 1897, and formally dedicated the finished church on March 21, 1900. Father O'Connell died February 8, 1907, and was succeeded by Rev. Thomas P. Lynch, who built the parish school (1909) and convent (1910) and promoted devotion to the Blessed Virgin under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
- Founded March 25, 1897 by Bishop Quigley
- Carved from St. Brigid's and St. Stephen's parishes
- First Mass: July 11, 1897 in 'The Clubhouse' on Louisiana Street
- Cornerstone laid Nov. 21, 1897
- Church dedicated March 21, 1900
Architecture & Building
The present church is a neo-Gothic / Gothic Revival structure built of Medina sandstone by the Buffalo architectural firm Lansing & Beierl, the same firm that designed the matching brownstone rectory erected in 1900. The planned west tower was never finished, and the spire above the louvered belfry was lost in a windstorm in 1955 and removed that November. The ornate sanctuary and Gothic Revival detailing — visible in photographs from the 2013 Buffalo Mass Mob — are a defining feature of the parish's identity.
- Architects: Lansing & Beierl
- Style: Gothic Revival / Neo-Gothic
- Material: Medina sandstone
- Built 1897–1900
- Matching brownstone rectory built 1900
- West tower never completed; spire lost in 1955 windstorm
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is currently part of the Diocese of Buffalo's Family #31 (Catholic Family of South Buffalo). Father William J. Quinlivan was appointed pastor with additional responsibility for the parish effective December 1, 2024, and Father James W. Kirkpatrick was named senior parochial vicar of the family effective March 15, 2025. Prior to them, Father Paul Seil had been appointed pastor on July 15, 2021, for a six-year term, after more than a decade as pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park.
- Current Pastor: Rev. William J. Quinlivan (since Dec. 1, 2024)
- Senior Parochial Vicar of Family #31: Rev. James W. Kirkpatrick (since March 15, 2025)
- Former Pastor: Rev. Paul Seil (July 15, 2021 – 2024)
The 'Pets' Identity & First Ward Community
From the day the parish school opened in 1909, students and adults alike affectionately shortened 'Our Lady of Perpetual Help' to 'Pets,' and the name has stuck for well over a century. The church sits in Buffalo's First Ward, and parish volunteers have long partnered with the local First Ward museum and historians like Bertha 'Bert' Hyde to celebrate and document the neighborhood. On January 12, 2013, the parish hosted a Buffalo Mass Mob that filled the sanctuary with an estimated 300+ visitors — a vivid reminder of the building's draw and the loyalty of its people.
- Nickname 'Pets' dates to the opening of the parish school in 1909
- Located in Buffalo's First Ward
- Hosted Buffalo Mass Mob on January 12, 2013 (300+ visitors)
- Long-standing ties to the First Ward museum and local historians
Catholic Family of South Buffalo (Family #31)
As part of the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Family of Parishes' model, Our Lady of Perpetual Help is grouped into Family #31, the Catholic Family of South Buffalo. The family brings together St. Teresa (Buffalo), Our Lady of Charity (Buffalo), St. Martin of Tours (Buffalo), St. Ambrose (Buffalo), Holy Family (Buffalo), and Our Lady of Perpetual Help under shared pastoral leadership.
- Family #31 — Catholic Family of South Buffalo
- Sister parishes: St. Teresa, Our Lady of Charity, St. Martin of Tours, St. Ambrose, Holy Family (all Buffalo)
- Pastor of the family: Rev. William J. Quinlivan
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. James W. Kirkpatrick
Visit, Contact & Location
Visitors are warmly welcomed at the door with a handshake and a parish pamphlet. The church stands at 115 O'Connell Avenue (originally Sandusky Street), at the corner of O'Connell and Vandalia Streets SW, in Buffalo, NY 14204. The parish phone line is (716) 852-2671. The parish's primary online presence is its Facebook page at facebook.com/OLPHPETS/.
- Address: 115 O'Connell Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14204
- Phone: (716) 852-2671
- Facebook: facebook.com/OLPHPETS/
- Diocese: Diocese of Buffalo
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Richard C. O'Connell1897 – February 8, 1907 (death)
Founder and first pastor. First Mass in 'The Clubhouse,' 95/100 Louisiana Street, July 11, 1897. Cornerstone laid by Bishop Quigley Nov. 21, 1897. Sandusky Street was later renamed O'Connell Avenue in his honor.
- Rev. Thomas P. LynchMarch 1907 – (succeeded in 1923)
Built the parish school (completed 1909) and the convent (1910). Promoted devotion to the Blessed Virgin under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
- Rev. John J. SheehySeptember 1923 –
Appointed pastor of the parish in September 1923.
- Rev. Paul SeilJuly 15, 2021 – 2024
Appointed by Bishop Michael W. Fisher; previously pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park since 2009; six-year term.
- Rev. William J. QuinlivanDecember 1, 2024 – present
Pastor of Family #31 (Catholic Family of South Buffalo); given additional responsibility for Our Lady of Perpetual Help.