About St. George · West Falls, New York
St. George Roman Catholic Church is a small Catholic parish in the hamlet of West Falls, in southern Erie County, New York, about five miles south of Orchard Park and just off NY Route 240. Established in 1912 as a mission chapel for Catholic families in West Falls and nearby Jewettville, the parish grew through the mid-20th century and was formally incorporated as an independent parish in 1942 under the Diocese of Buffalo. Today it is served by the priests of Family #6 and is one of the smaller faith communities in the diocese. As part of the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal' initiative announced in 2024 by Bishop Michael Fisher, St. George is scheduled to merge with Immaculate Conception in East Aurora, with the historic original chapel — the Memorare Chapel — slated to remain open for private prayer.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. George
- Rector
- Rev. Gerard Skrzynski (Family Pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. George is a close-knit, small Catholic community where weekday Mass-goers, prayer shawl knitters, the Rosary Altar Society, the St. Vincent de Paul conference, and the Catholic Men's Fellowship all know one another by name. Worship is centered in the historic 1912 Memorare Chapel for daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, with Sunday liturgy in the larger hall just behind it, and the parish actively serves the broader community through the Bread of Life Mobile Food Pantry distributed at the Colden Fire Department each month.
Mass times at St. George
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — call the parish office at (716) 652-3153
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM, in the Memorare Chapel
- First Friday Mass & Adoration: 8:00 AM Mass followed by Benediction and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 10:00 AM
- Catholic Men's Fellowship Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday mornings 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
History of St. George Parish
St. George was founded in 1912 to serve Catholic families in the small, rural communities of West Falls and Jewettville, who had previously traveled north to Nativity of Our Lord in Orchard Park for worship. The original frame church was built that same year on Old Glenwood Road and is still standing on the parish campus as the Memorare Chapel. In 1942, the mission was formally elevated to an independent parish alongside Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Colden and St. George in Jewettville. By 1958 the West Falls congregation had grown large enough that a larger, multi-use worship building was constructed behind the chapel, and the original 1912 structure was rededicated as the Memorare Chapel for daily Mass and Eucharistic devotion. The Diocese of Buffalo notes that St. George is the only Catholic church in the diocese dedicated to the memory of St. George. In June 2024, Bishop Michael Fisher's 'Road to Renewal' reorganization recommended that St. George merge with Immaculate Conception in East Aurora; the merger was scheduled to be finalized between October 2024 and June 1, 2025.
- Founded: 1912
- Became independent parish: 1942
- Larger worship hall added behind the original chapel: 1958
- Original 1912 building preserved as the Memorare Chapel
- Only Catholic church in the Diocese of Buffalo dedicated to St. George
- Scheduled to merge with Immaculate Conception, East Aurora, under the diocese's Road to Renewal
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. George is served by the priests of Family #6 in the Diocese of Buffalo's family-parish model. The parish is pastored by a team of three priests and a retired Monsignor who assist across the family of parishes.
- Rev. Gerard Skrzynski — Family Pastor
- Rev. Karl Loeb — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Aaron Kulczyk — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Msgr. James E. Wall ('Fr. Jim')
Parish Ministries and Groups
St. George's small size is reflected in the close, intergenerational character of its ministries. Several lay-led groups meet weekly or monthly, and the parish partners with FeedMore WNY to operate the Bread of Life Mobile Food Pantry at the Colden Fire Department.
- Catholic Men's Fellowship (CMF) — weekly Saturday gathering with Eucharistic Adoration
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — knitting/crocheting prayer shawls, with morning coffee
- Rosary Altar Society (RAS) — monthly Rosary and meetings
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference — parish-based charitable outreach
- Parish Council — leadership and pastoral-planning meetings
- Women's Gospel discussion group — weekly faith-sharing
- Bread of Life Mobile Food Pantry — 4th Thursday of the month, 11 AM–1 PM, Colden Fire Dept., in partnership with FeedMore WNY (no pantry in November and December)
Devotions and Devotional Life
Beyond the Sunday and daily Mass schedule, the parish maintains several long-standing devotional practices in the Memorare Chapel. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved there for weekday Adoration, and the rosary is prayed communally once a month.
- Wednesday Novena to Our Lady (preceded by Communion Service, 8:00 AM)
- Monthly Rosary in the chapel — 4th Tuesday at 6:30 PM, led by the Rosary Altar Society
- First Friday Mass & Adoration with Benediction
- Saturday morning Eucharistic Adoration with the Catholic Men's Fellowship
Road to Renewal: Merger with Immaculate Conception
In June 2024, Bishop Michael Fisher and Fr. Bryan Zielenieski (Vicar for Renewal) announced recommendations under the Diocese of Buffalo's 'Road to Renewal' initiative that would reduce the number of parishes in the diocese from roughly 160 to about 106. Under this plan, St. George of West Falls was recommended to merge with Immaculate Conception in East Aurora. St. Joseph in Holland was also recommended to merge with Immaculate Conception and close. The Diocese stated that the closings and mergers are an effort to address declining Mass attendance, fewer vocations to ministry, and the ongoing impact of the abuse crisis, while also completing the Chapter 11 reorganization process. The final merger date for St. George was scheduled to be set by parishioners and parish leadership between October 2024 and June 1, 2025. After the merger, the historic 1912 Memorare Chapel is to remain open for private prayer and may continue to host some sacramental celebrations as a secondary worship site.
- Announced June 2024 by Bishop Michael Fisher and Fr. Bryan Zielenieski, Vicar for Renewal
- St. George to merge with Immaculate Conception, East Aurora
- St. Joseph, Holland, also recommended to merge with Immaculate Conception and close
- Merger effective between October 2024 and June 1, 2025
- Memorare Chapel to remain open for private prayer after merger
- Part of a wider diocese plan to reduce parishes from ~160 to ~106
Visit, Contact, and Location
St. George is located at 74 Old Glenwood Road in the hamlet of West Falls, just off NY Route 240 about five miles south of Orchard Park, NY. The parish office can be reached by phone at (716) 652-3153 or by email at [email protected]. Visitors are encouraged to check the parish calendar for the latest Mass, adoration, and ministry schedules, which are updated on the parish website.
- Address: 74 Old Glenwood Road, West Falls, NY 14170
- Phone: (716) 652-3153
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stgeorgercchurch.org
- Located just off NY Route 240, ~5 miles south of Orchard Park