About Ss. Columba-Brigid · Buffalo, New York
Ss. Columba-Brigid is a multicultural, bilingual Catholic parish on Buffalo's East Side at 75 Hickory Street, formed in 1987 by the merger of St. Columba and St. Brigid parishes and now affiliated with the Diocese of Buffalo under Franciscan administration. The parish describes itself as a welcoming, inclusive community inspired by the Holy Spirit, with worship offered in both English and Spanish and a livestreamed Mass available on YouTube. It runs an unusually broad social-ministry footprint — a food pantry, Family Promise housing program, refugee shelter partnership, Bible study, faith formation for all ages, and a Peace Garden honoring Sister Karen Klimczak, SSJ, a parishioner and co-founder of the Bissonnette House who was murdered in 2006.
- Established
- 1987 (merged parish; St. Columba founded 1888, St. Brigid founded c. 1850)
- Patron
- Saints Columba and Brigid
- Rector
- Rev. Robert L. Gebhard, Jr. (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
Ss. Columba-Brigid is a small but extraordinarily active bilingual parish where a single visit can connect you to a food pantry, a housing ministry, Bible study, a children's summer camp, and a worshipping community that prays in English and Spanish. The parish is known for its social-justice footprint — hosting Family Promise of Western New York and partnering with Buffalo House of Hope for refugees — and for the Peace Garden honoring Sr. Karen Klimczak, whose spirit of forgiveness and nonviolence still shapes the community. Weekend Masses are intimate and livestreamed, and Deacon Jerry personally welcomes new members by phone or text.
Mass times at Ss. Columba-Brigid
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 20 minutes before every Mass (except Sunday) — as published by the Diocese of Buffalo Advent reconciliation schedule for Family #21
History of Ss. Columba-Brigid
The parish is a 1987 merger of two east-side Buffalo churches with deep 19th-century roots. St. Columba celebrated its first Mass on January 28, 1888, in a Seneca Street tenement chapel and dedicated its Romanesque Revival church at Hickory and Eagle in February 1892. St. Brigid's old wooden church (1850) on Louisiana and Fulton was replaced in 1860, then destroyed by fire in 1968 and razed in 1969. After the 1987 merger, the parish worshipped in the former St. Columba church until that too burned in 2004 when a prayer candle was knocked to the floor. The current modern church, designed by George Lukaszewicz and dedicated in 2006, was built in the midst of a citywide wave of parish closures and remains the newest Catholic church building in Buffalo. A Peace Garden beside the entrance honors Sister Karen Klimczak, SSJ, a parishioner and co-founder of the Bissonnette House who was murdered on Good Friday 2006.
- St. Columba first Mass: January 28, 1888 (354 Seneca Street)
- St. Columba church cornerstone: June 1891; dedicated February 1892
- St. Brigid wooden church: 1850 (Louisiana & Fulton)
- St. Brigid church destroyed by fire: 1968, razed 1969
- Ss. Columba-Brigid parish merger: 1987
- St. Columba church destroyed by fire (prayer candle): 2004
- Current modern church built and dedicated: 2006
Sacrament Preparation & Faith Formation
All faith-formation and sacrament preparation is coordinated through the parish office and Deacon Jerry Hodson, Director of Faith Formation. Programs are offered throughout the year so that children, teens, and adults can be initiated and fully received into the Catholic Church at the appropriate age.
- First Reconciliation — March–April, grade 2 or higher
- First Communion — May–June, grade 3 or higher
- OCIA for Children — year-round for unbaptized children over age 7
- Confirmation — various times of year for grade 10+, young adults, and others
- Contact: Deacon Jerry Hodson, 716-863-4800, [email protected]
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music is integral to Ss. Columba-Brigid's bilingual worship life, with distinct leaders for each Sunday Mass. The 9:00 a.m. Spanish Mass is led by Music Minister Pedro Rivera; the 11:00 a.m. English Mass is led by Choir Director Linda Appleby; and Saturday's 4:00 p.m. Mass has its own Music Minister. The parish holds a One License (X-729593) for livestreaming and podcasting its liturgical music.
- 4:00 p.m. Saturday Mass — Music Minister
- 9:00 a.m. Spanish Mass — Pedro Rivera, Music Minister
- 11:00 a.m. Mass — Linda Appleby, Choir Director
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Ss. Columba-Brigid operates one of the wider social-ministry portfolios among Buffalo parishes, with both on-site direct service and partnerships with outside non-profits. The parish hall hosts fellowship after Mass and a potluck after the last-Sunday bilingual Mass; Bible Study meets Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. (except the last Sunday).
- Food Pantry and Clothing Closet — last Sunday of the month
- Family Promise of Western New York — hosted on site
- Buffalo House of Hope — refugee temporary housing partner
- Bereavement Ministry — funeral planning with parish staff and clergy
- Fellowship — coffee after Masses, potluck after last-Sunday bilingual Mass
- Hope Fund — emergency assistance for individuals, families, and organizations
- Summer Fun Camp — month-long afternoon program for children
- Bible Study — Sundays 10:00 a.m. (except last Sunday of month)
- Compassion Ministry — Communion visits to homes, nursing homes, hospitals
- Parish vegetable garden — produce for the food pantry and parishioners
Multicultural & Hispanic Community Life
The parish's bilingual Mass schedule, Spanish-language livestream readings, and annual Hispanic Heritage Mass (hosted by the bishop) reflect Ss. Columba-Brigid's identity as a welcoming, multicultural community — a charism that is also explicit in the bilingual parish mission statement. The community garden and food pantry are two cross-cultural ministries that bring English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners together around shared practical work.
- Bilingual parish mission statement (English & Spanish) on homepage
- Weekly readings provided in English and Spanish during livestreams
- Annual Hispanic Heritage Mass with Bishop Michael W. Fisher
Our Parish Team
The parish is administered under the Diocese of Buffalo with a lay-and-clergy staff led by an Administrator and supported by a permanent deacon who also serves as Director of Faith Formation. Pastoral associates coordinate bilingual ministry and formation, while dedicated music ministers serve each Mass and a business manager and parish secretary keep operations running.
- Rev. Robert L. Gebhard, Jr. — Administrator
- Jerry Hodson — Permanent Deacon and Director of Faith Formation
- Paula Hunt — Pastoral Associate
- Carmen Rivera — Pastoral Associate
- Corey Gallagher — (staff)
- Pedro Rivera — 9:00 a.m. Mass Music Minister
- Linda Appleby — 11:00 a.m. Mass Choir Director
- Bill Marks — Business Manager
- Karen Helinski — Parish Secretary
Getting Involved & Contact
Anyone interested in joining the parish or learning more is invited to contact Deacon Jerry Hodson directly by phone or text at 716-863-4800, or by email at [email protected]. Sacramental and parish inquiries can also be directed to the parish office at 716-852-3331 or [email protected].
- Deacon Jerry Hodson — 716-863-4800 — [email protected]
- Parish office — 75 Hickory St., Buffalo, NY 14204
- Phone — (716) 852-3331
- Email — [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Roy Herberger
Pastored the parish during the 2004 church fire and the 2006 rebuilding of the current modern church; worked alongside Sister Karen Klimczak on the project.
- Fr. William 'Jud' Weiksnar, OFM
Franciscan pastor referenced in 2022 coverage of the parish's Hispanic Heritage Mass and community garden initiatives.