About St. Joseph Cathedral · Buffalo, New York
St. Joseph Cathedral is the mother church and seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, located at 50 Franklin Street in downtown Buffalo, New York. Founded in 1847 by Bishop John Timon, the first Bishop of Buffalo, and dedicated in 1855, it is a Gothic Revival landmark within the Joseph Ellicott Historic District. Beyond its regular parish Mass schedule, the cathedral hosts over 25 special diocesan events each year — including the Chrism Mass, the Red Mass, and the Respect for Life Mass — and serves as the location for all ordinations of priests and deacons in Western New York. Its 1877 Hook & Hastings "Centennial" organ, the Le Mans carillon once housed in its south tower, and the lancet windows donated by King Ludwig II of Bavaria make it a destination for pilgrims and music lovers alike.
- Established
- 1847
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Seán Paul Fleming (Rector)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Joseph Cathedral is the spiritual heart of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and a true landmark — a place to encounter more than 170 years of Western New York's Catholic life, hear the celebrated Hook & Hastings Centennial Organ, and attend diocesan liturgies such as the Chrism Mass, the Red Mass, the Respect for Life Mass, and ordinations that are ordinarily celebrated here. Downtown's revival centers on its doors, and the parish offers a weekday Mass schedule around downtown working hours, a sung Sunday liturgy with the Cathedral Choir, a permanent deacon serving the community, and Franciscan hospitality on weekends. Visitors and parishioners alike describe the cathedral as an oasis of prayer in the city — open for quiet prayer and adoration before and after Mass and welcoming to anyone who walks through its doors.
Mass times at St. Joseph Cathedral
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 11:45 AM (before 12:10 PM Mass)
- Friday 11:45 AM (before 12:10 PM Mass)
- Saturday 4:00 PM (before 4:30 PM Vigil Mass)
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- The Cathedral is open before and after Masses for quiet prayer and adoration (per the parish website).
About St. Joseph Cathedral
St. Joseph Cathedral was established in 1847 by Buffalo's first bishop, John Timon, CM, and dedicated in 1855. It is the spiritual center and mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and plays a vital role in the revival of downtown Buffalo. In addition to its regular parish schedule, the cathedral hosts more than 25 special events each year, including ordinations, the Red Mass, the annual Respect for Life Mass, and the Chrism Mass. The Cathedral Community is served by the Fifteenth Bishop of Buffalo (Most Rev. Michael W. Fisher), the Rector (Rev. Seán Paul Fleming), Permanent Deacon Timothy Chriswell, the Conventual Franciscan Friars who assist on weekends, and Director of Music Brad Wingert, Ph.D.
History of the Cathedral
Bishop John Timon founded St. Joseph's in 1847 as the seat of the newly erected Diocese of Buffalo. He raised construction funds in Europe and — at the advice of Pope Pius IX — chose St. Joseph as patron. The cornerstone was laid February 6, 1851; the Gothic Revival building, designed by Patrick C. Keely, was dedicated July 1, 1855; the south tower was completed in the summer of 1862; and the cathedral was formally consecrated on August 21, 1863, by Bishop Timon, assisted by seven bishops and attended by hundreds of priests and thousands of lay faithful, after the $150,000 construction debt had been retired.
- 1847 — Diocese of Buffalo erected; Bishop Timon establishes St. Joseph's.
- 1851-02-06 — Cornerstone laid.
- 1853 — Storm from Lake Erie; Bishop Timon opens the unfinished cathedral to shelter homeless families.
- 1855-07-01 — Cathedral dedicated (more than 3,000 attendees in a torrential rainstorm).
- 1862 — South tower completed; statue of St. Joseph placed above the main entrance.
- 1863-08-21 — Cathedral formally consecrated by Bishop Timon.
- 1873 — Lady Chapel added at the rear by Bishop Stephen V. Ryan.
- 1877-02-13 — Hook & Hastings Centennial Organ (Opus 828) installed after the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.
- 1902 — Bishop James Quigley purchases Delaware/Utica property for a 'new' cathedral.
- 1912–1915 — Aristide Leonori's 'New Cathedral' constructed.
- 1924 — New Cathedral transepts require major repairs; 1927 towers removed for instability.
- 1977-05-30 — Demolition of the New Cathedral; Old Cathedral regains status as St. Joseph's Cathedral.
- 2005 — Cathedral celebrates its 150th anniversary.
- 2026 — Cathedral celebrates the Centennial Organ's 150th anniversary with a July 4 concert.
Architecture & Sacred Art
Architect Patrick C. Keely (a collaborator of A. W. N. Pugin) designed the cathedral in the Gothic Revival style, using local stone in a cruciform plan measuring 120 by 73 feet. Only the south tower of the original paired-tower facade was built. Bishop Stephen V. Ryan added the Lady Chapel in 1873. Today the cathedral is best known for three treasures: the Hook & Hastings 'Centennial' organ (Opus 828, restored by Andover as Opus R-328 in 2001, with three manuals and 90 stops); the three lancet windows above the altar, a gift of King Ludwig II of Bavaria produced for the 1855 Paris Exposition; and the surviving two bells of the Bollée & Son carillon (1869). Renovations were carried out in 1882, 1903–05, 1937–47, and 1977.
- Architect: Patrick C. Keely (New York)
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Materials: Local stone
- Dimensions: 120 ft × 73 ft
- South tower: completed 1862
- Lady Chapel: 1873
- Hook & Hastings organ (Opus 828, 1877) — restored by Andover Organ Company (Opus R-328, 2001)
- Bollée & Son 43-bell carillon (1869) — 2 bells remain
- Sanctuary lancet windows: gift of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1855 Paris Exposition)
- Renovations: 1882, 1903–05, 1937–47, 1977
Music at the Cathedral
Music has been central to the cathedral's life since 1877, when the Hook & Hastings Centennial Organ was installed in the choir loft. The instrument was updated in 1925 and 1976, fell silent by 1996, and was fully restored and expanded by the Andover Organ Company, which installed the rebuilt Opus R-328 in 2001 with three manuals and 90 stops. Brad Wingert, Ph.D. serves as Director of Music; the Cathedral Choir (and Schola) sings the Sunday 10:30 AM Mass, which is live-streamed to the parish YouTube channel.
- Hook & Hastings Centennial Organ (1876/1877)
- Andover restoration (Opus R-328, 2001): 3 manuals, 90 stops
- Director of Music: Brad Wingert, Ph.D.
- Cathedral Choir / Schola sings the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass
Special Diocesan Liturgies
Because it is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Buffalo, St. Joseph's is the venue for the major diocesan-wide liturgies of the year. These include all ordinations to the priesthood and the permanent diaconate, the Chrism Mass during Holy Week in which the Bishop blesses the oils used throughout the diocese, the Red Mass invoking the Holy Spirit upon those in the legal and judicial professions, and the annual Respect for Life Mass.
- Ordinations to the Priesthood and Permanent Diaconate
- Chrism Mass (Holy Week)
- Red Mass (annual)
- Respect for Life Mass (annual)
Clergy & Staff
The Cathedral Community is led by the Fifteenth Bishop of Buffalo, Most Rev. Michael W. Fisher. Day-to-day pastoral leadership rests with the Rector, Rev. Seán Paul Fleming, who also serves as Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Buffalo (appointed May 1, 2020, for a six-year term). Permanent Deacon Timothy Chriswell assists with ministry, and Conventual Franciscan Friars provide weekend assistance. Brad Wingert, Ph.D. directs the music program.
- Most Rev. Michael W. Fisher — Fifteenth Bishop of Buffalo
- Rev. Seán Paul Fleming — Rector & Director of the Office of Worship
- Deacon Timothy Chriswell — Permanent Deacon
- Conventual Franciscan Friars — Weekend Assistance
- Brad Wingert, Ph.D. — Director of Music
Parish & Family of Parishes
St. Joseph Cathedral is part of "Downtown Buffalo Family of Catholic Parishes" (Family #22), grouping it with St. Louis (Buffalo), Blessed Sacrament (Buffalo), St. Anthony of Padua (Buffalo), and St. Michael (Buffalo) for collaborative pastoral planning. The parish currently lists 327 registered families. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM; appointments are available at other times.
- Family #22 (Downtown Buffalo Family of Catholic Parishes)
- Sibling parishes: St. Louis, Blessed Sacrament, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Michael
- 327 registered families (per diocesan directory)
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Sacraments & Devotions
The cathedral celebrates all the usual sacraments of a Roman Catholic parish. Confession is offered three days a week before Mass and by appointment; baptisms and marriages are arranged through the Cathedral Office; the Anointing of the Sick and pastoral care for the homebound are available on request. The cathedral is open before and after Masses for quiet prayer and adoration.
- Eucharist (daily and Sunday)
- Reconciliation (Wed/Fri 11:45 AM, Sat 4:00 PM, or by request)
- Baptism (by arrangement)
- Marriage (by arrangement)
- Anointing of the Sick and pastoral care of the sick
- Holy Orders (ordination liturgies)
Visiting & Tours
Visitors are welcome whenever the cathedral is open — typically just before and after scheduled Masses, when the doors open about 15 minutes before Mass for quiet prayer and adoration. Guided tours of the cathedral and its treasures (the Centennial Organ, the sanctuary lancet windows, the Lady Chapel, the south tower's surviving carillon bells, and the historic facade with the statue of St. Joseph) may be scheduled by calling the Cathedral Office at (716) 854-5855.
- Open for quiet prayer/adoration before and after Masses
- Tours by appointment: (716) 854-5855
- Wheelchair accessible
- Inside the Joseph Ellicott Historic Preservation District
Contact, Support & Live Stream
Parishioners and friends may support the cathedral's mission by credit card, EFT, or text-to-give (text CATHEDRAL to 716-281-5682). The Sunday 10:30 AM Mass is live-streamed on the cathedral's YouTube channel, and updates are posted on the parish Facebook page.
- Phone: (716) 854-5855
- Fax: (716) 854-5861
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: www.buffalocathedral.org
- Facebook: stjosephcathedralbuffalo
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/SaintJosephCathedral
- Text-to-give: CATHEDRAL to (716) 281-5682
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Bishop John Timon, CM (founder; consecrated the cathedral, 1863)1847–1867
First Bishop of Buffalo; established St. Joseph's in 1847 and personally raised funds in Europe.
- Rev. Seán Paul Fleming2020–present
Appointed Rector of St. Joseph Cathedral effective May 1, 2020, for a six-year term, with additional duties as Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Buffalo.