About Our Mother of Good Counsel · Blasdell, New York
Our Mother of Good Counsel is a Roman Catholic parish in the village of Blasdell, a small working-class community just south of Buffalo, New York, in the Diocese of Buffalo. The parish was established in 1905 under the pastoral care of Venerable Nelson Baker, then pastor of St. Patrick Church (later renamed Our Lady of Victory National Shrine & Basilica), and its original church and school were dedicated on May 13, 1906. The current mid-century Gothic Revival complex — church, parochial school, and convent — was built in the early 1950s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. As part of the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal' reshaping plan, the parish was designated in 2024 to merge with neighboring Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Orchard Park, with its sacramental records now housed there.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- Our Mother of Good Counsel (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Mother of Good Counsel — 'Mater Boni Consilii')
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Orlowski (Pastor, listed in the 2022 Official Catholic Directory of the Diocese of Buffalo; assigned to Family #26 under the 2024 Road to Renewal final decisions)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Our Mother of Good Counsel offered a traditional, family-friendly Catholic community in the heart of Blasdell — a single parish of roughly 450 households gathered around one Sunday worship schedule (two Masses), a Saturday Vigil, weekday Masses, Saturday confessions, and a First Friday Holy Hour of Divine Mercy. Families with children were served by an on-site parish school and a Family Faith Formation program, while the parish's pastoral staff supported sacramental preparation, respect-life work, outreach, and music ministry under the direction of Sr. M. Barbara Amrozowicz, CSSF. For visitors, the parish provided a small, welcoming setting rooted in more than a century of Catholic life in the Southtowns and a direct link to one of the diocese's most beloved servants, Venerable Nelson Baker.
Mass times at Our Mother of Good Counsel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:40 PM
Adoration times
- First Friday Holy Hour of Divine Mercy at 3:00 PM
Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish
Our Mother of Good Counsel was a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Buffalo serving the village of Blasdell and surrounding Southtowns communities of Erie County, New York. The parish took its name from the ancient Marian title 'Mater Boni Consilii,' with the patroness's feast celebrated each year on April 26 in keeping with the Augustinian tradition dating to Pope Pius VI's 1779 grant. Originally founded in 1905 by Fr. Nelson Baker (now Venerable Nelson Baker) and dedicated on May 13, 1906, the parish grew with its village through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first before being designated for merger in 2024.
- Founded: 1905 (church and school dedicated May 13, 1906)
- Diocese of Buffalo, Southern Erie Vicariate
- Member of Family #26 ('Three Catholic Sisters of the Foothills' area) under the 2024 Road to Renewal
- Patroness feast: April 26 — Our Mother of Good Counsel
History of the Parish
The parish's origins are intertwined with Venerable Nelson Baker, the legendary 'Padre of the Poor' who served as pastor of St. Patrick Church in Buffalo (later re-named Our Lady of Victory National Shrine & Basilica). Baker established the mission to Blasdell in 1905, and the first church and school were dedicated on May 13, 1906. As the Southtowns grew through the mid-twentieth century, the parish undertook a major building program: excavation for the present Gothic Revival church began on June 9, 1952, creating the cohesive church, school, and convent complex that still stands on South Park Avenue. In December 2020 the complex was recognized for its architectural and historical significance with listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The New York State Board for Historic Preservation noted it as 'one of the most intact representations of a mid-20th century church complex in the towns south of Buffalo.' Following the Diocese of Buffalo's 2024 'Road to Renewal' final decisions, Our Mother of Good Counsel was designated to merge into Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish in Orchard Park, with the Blasdell property slated for sale and sacramental records transferred to Orchard Park.
- 1905 — Parish established by Fr. Nelson Baker while pastor of St. Patrick, Buffalo
- May 13, 1906 — Original church and school dedicated
- June 9, 1952 — Excavation begins for the current Gothic Revival church
- December 21, 2020 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- September 2024 — Final decision to merge into Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Orchard Park
- 2025 — Sacramental records (1905–2025) transferred to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Orchard Park
Feast Day and Patroness
The parish is named for Our Mother of Good Counsel, a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary after the miraculous fresco said to have appeared on a wall of the Augustinian church at Genazzano, Italy on April 27, 1467. The devotion spread rapidly through papal approval, including Pope Leo XIII's insertion of 'Mater Boni Consilii' into the Litany of Loreto and Pope Pius VI's 1779 grant to the Augustinian Order of the feast on April 26. Pope John XXIII famously prayed before the Genazzano fresco before convoking the Second Vatican Council.
- Feast Day: April 26
- Image tradition: the fresco at Genazzano, Italy (c. 1467)
- Patroness invoked under the title 'Mater Boni Consilii' (Mother of Good Counsel)
The Church Complex and Architecture
The OMGC complex at 3688 South Park Avenue and 15 Oakwood Avenue is a cohesive mid-twentieth-century ensemble consisting of the Gothic Revival church, a parochial school, and a convent. Excavation for the present church began on June 9, 1952, replacing the original 1906 church and school. The State Review Board and the National Park Service recognized the complex's local architectural significance when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Components: church, parochial school, convent
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, December 21, 2020 (local significance: Architecture)
- Processional cross from Venerable Nelson Baker located at the left front of the church near the statue of Mary
Pastoral Staff and Clergy
The pastoral team at Our Mother of Good Counsel has been led by Fr. Robert J. Orlowski as pastor, with Deacon Michael T. Dulak serving as permanent deacon. A Felician sister, Sr. M. Barbara Amrozowicz, CSSF, directed the music ministry. Supporting staff coordinated faith formation, sacraments, safe environment, outreach, and parish business operations.
- Rev. Robert J. Orlowski — Pastor (and Pastoral Ministry Director)
- Deacon Michael T. Dulak — Permanent Deacon
- Sharon Oddo — Business Manager
- Rachael Tremblay — Family Faith Formation / Sacramental / Safe Environment / Special Needs Coordinator
- Sr. M. Barbara Amrozowicz, CSSF — Music Director
- Edward M. Oddo — Outreach Coordinator
- John Swanekamp — Respect Life Coordinator
Devotions and Prayer Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish fostered a traditional Catholic devotional life rooted in Eucharistic adoration, the Divine Mercy chaplet, and the Rosary. The First Friday Holy Hour of Divine Mercy at 3:00 PM was a regular parish observance, and the Rosary was recited before Sunday Masses and after weekday morning Masses.
- First Friday Holy Hour of Divine Mercy — 3:00 PM
- Rosary before Sunday Masses
- Rosary after weekday morning Masses
Faith Formation, School, and Sacraments
Faith formation for parish children was coordinated through the Family Faith Formation program, which worked in tandem with the on-site parochial school. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Matrimony was coordinated through the parish office, and the parish maintained a Safe Environment / Special Needs coordinator for the protection of children and vulnerable persons.
- Parochial school on site
- Family Faith Formation program
- Sacramental preparation: Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick and funeral liturgies available on request
Ministries and Outreach
Parish ministries offered parishioners of all ages opportunities for liturgical service, catechesis, charitable outreach, and public witness. The music ministry, led by a Felician sister, supported the parish's sung liturgy. The outreach coordinator and respect-life coordinator organized the parish's charitable and pro-life efforts within the broader community of the Southtowns.
- Music Ministry (Sr. M. Barbara Amrozowicz, CSSF)
- Family Faith Formation
- Outreach Ministry (Edward M. Oddo)
- Respect Life Ministry (John Swanekamp)
- Safe Environment / Special Needs Coordination
- Parish Pastoral Council
Road to Renewal and Diocesan Restructuring
Our Mother of Good Counsel was part of Family #26 of the Diocese of Buffalo's 2024 'Road to Renewal' reshaping plan. Under the final decisions announced in September 2024, OMGC was designated to merge with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish in Orchard Park, with the entire Blasdell property slated for sale. The Diocese directed that sacramental records covering the parish's full history (1905–2025) be transferred to and maintained by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Orchard Park. The merged community was placed under the pastoral care of priests assigned to Family #26, including Rev. Adolph Kowalczyk, Rev. Robert Contarin, Rev. Sebastian Aristizabal, and Rev. Christopher Coric, OFM Conv., with active deacons including Deacon Michael T. Dulak.
- Family #26 — merges OMGC into Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Orchard Park
- Entire Blasdell property of OMGC designated for sale
- Sacramental records (1905–2025) maintained at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Orchard Park
- Projected active priests for Family #26 by 2030: 3 (including OLV)
Visiting the Parish
Travelers approaching Blasdell from the New York State Thruway (I-90) were directed to take the exit for Milestrip Road, turn right onto Milestrip, then turn right onto South Park Avenue. The parish offices could be reached by telephone at (716) 822-2630 or by email at [email protected]. Mass and confession schedules, parish bulletins, and announcements were also published through the parish's Facebook page and the Diocese of Buffalo directory.
- Address: 3688 South Park Avenue, Blasdell, NY 14219-1194
- Phone: (716) 822-2630
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.omgcbny.com/
- From I-90: take Milestrip Road exit, then right onto Milestrip, then right onto South Park Avenue
- Facebook: Our Mother of Good Counsel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Venerable Nelson Baker1905–1906 (founding pastor)
Founded the parish while serving as pastor of St. Patrick Church, Buffalo (later Our Lady of Victory National Shrine & Basilica). The original church and school were dedicated on May 13, 1906. A processional cross he donated remains at the left front of the church near the statue of Mary.