About St. Margaret · Buffalo, New York
St. Margaret Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Buffalo located at 1395 Hertel Avenue in the North Park neighborhood of Buffalo, New York — the heart of the Hertel Avenue commercial district. Founded in 1916 by Reverend Thomas J. Timmons at the appointment of Bishop Dennis Dougherty, it was created to serve the growing Catholic population of North Buffalo and named in honor of St. Margaret, fulfilling a wish of the late Bishop Colton to name a parish after his deceased sister, Margaret Bingham. The parish was linked with neighboring Holy Spirit Parish in 2012 under a single pastor, Reverend Joseph D. Wolf, and as of March 2025 the parish has merged under St. Mark's Parish as part of the Catholic Community of Buffalo, North (CCBN).
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- St. Margaret (named for Bishop Colton's late sister Margaret Bingham, with St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland)
- Rector
- Reverend Joseph D. Wolf (since October 1, 2012; also pastor of Holy Spirit Parish; parish now merged into St. Mark's Parish as of March 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo (as of March 2025, part of the Catholic Community of Buffalo, North, under St. Mark's Parish)
Why belong here
St. Margaret's is a long-standing North Buffalo parish on Hertel Avenue with deep roots in the community — its parish school educated generations of neighborhood children from 1917 until 2012, and the current Gothic Revival church (built 1957–1958) remains a Hertel Avenue landmark. Today it is part of the Catholic Community of Buffalo, North, which brings together All Saints, Assumption, Holy Spirit, St. Margaret, St. Mark and St. Rose of Lima under shared faith formation, liturgy and outreach. Parishioners can take part in the Holy Spirit Food Pantry, the St. Francis Xavier Dining Room, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Legion of Mary, the Holy Name Society, a Marian Prayer Group, a Padre Pio Group, Grief Support, senior gatherings, and liturgical ministries including Lay Commentators and Ministers of Holy Communion.
Mass times at St. Margaret
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
St. Margaret's was founded in 1916 to serve the growing Catholic population of North Buffalo. Bishop Dennis Dougherty walked the still-barren North Park neighborhood in September 1916 and saw its promise; on December 6, 1916 he appointed Reverend Thomas J. Timmons as the founding pastor. The first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Eve 1916 in a small frame chapel that had been built through a December blizzard. The parish began with only forty-nine families but grew steadily through the twentieth century.
- Founded December 6, 1916 by Bishop Dennis Dougherty; first pastor Fr. Thomas J. Timmons
- Named for Bishop Colton's late sister Margaret Bingham and St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland
- Land purchased for $45,000, bounded by Hertel, Linden, North Park and Saranac Avenues
- First census: 49 families
- First Mass: Christmas morning 1916 in a temporary frame chapel
Church Buildings
Three buildings have served as St. Margaret's church since 1916. The original 1916 frame chapel at Hertel and North Park served until 1918. A second, larger church-school building was completed by New Year's 1919 at a cost of about $135,000 and considered one of the finest of its kind in the country; after the current church was built it became the school. The present Gothic Revival church, designed by architect Mortimer J. Murphy, was built 1957–1958 (cornerstone laid June 3, 1957 by Auxiliary Bishop Leo R. Smith). The 1924 rectory is still in use.
- 1916 — temporary frame chapel (Hertel at North Park)
- 1919 — church-school building (now The Cornelius apartments)
- 1924 — rectory
- 1957–1958 — current Gothic Revival church (architect Mortimer J. Murphy)
- 2014–2017 — former school converted by Iskalo Development into The Cornelius, 23 apartments plus retail
Architecture & Sacred Art
The current church is in the Gothic Revival style, with cross finials, lancet windows, vertical pier buttresses, compound arches, plank doors and a belfry on the exterior. The interior has Gothic Revival ribs in the nave and sanctuary, a main altar flanked by two chapel altars, and stained glass windows designed by Josef Mazur (whose signature appears on the St. Francis of Assisi window).
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Architect: Mortimer J. Murphy
- Stained glass designer: Josef Mazur
- Padre Pio Chapel at the east end of the narthex
- Statue of Padre Pio on the front lawn
St. Margaret's School
St. Margaret's parochial school opened on September 19, 1917 with a Solemn High Mass; Father Timmons was celebrant and the school was staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph (Sister M. Frederic and Sister M. Paul of the Cross). The first class graduated Ernest Cavanaugh, John Dwyer and Pauline Riley. The school peaked at 600 students in the 1980s but closed in June 2012 with enrollment below 100. The Diocese later sold the building to Iskalo Development, which in 2014 announced a $5.4 million conversion into The Cornelius — 23 market-rate one- and two-bedroom apartments plus about 2,000 sq. ft. of retail.
- Opened September 19, 1917 with 41 pupils
- Staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph
- Peak enrollment: 600 students (1980s)
- Closed June 2012
- Reopened as The Cornelius apartments (2014–2017)
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. Margaret's has been served by five pastors in its history. After the 1993 death of Monsignor Duggan, Father Raymond Mahar served briefly as administrator, and parishioners were consulted through the Priests Personnel Board about the qualities they wanted in a new pastor — a notably collaborative moment in parish life. Monsignor James G. Kelly, appointed on May 1, 1993, led the parish for nearly twenty years before his 2012 retirement. Father Joseph D. Wolf became the fifth pastor on October 1, 2012.
- 1st pastor — Rev. Thomas J. Timmons (1916–)
- Monsignor Duggan (d. January 23, 1993)
- Father Raymond Mahar — administrator (1993)
- 4th pastor — Monsignor James G. Kelly (May 1, 1993 – 2012)
- 5th pastor — Rev. Joseph D. Wolf (October 1, 2012 – present)
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. Margaret's offers a wide range of ministries, many shared across the Catholic Community of Buffalo, North. Outreach ministries include the Holy Spirit Food Pantry (Thursdays 9–10 a.m. and 5–6 p.m., serving the 14216 and 14207 zip codes) and the St. Francis Xavier Dining Room (Saturdays 12:00–1:00 p.m. in the Black Rock neighborhood). Devotional and fellowship groups include the St. Rose of Lima Legion of Mary, the Holy Name Society, the St. Margaret Marian Prayer Group, the Padre Pio Group, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
- Holy Spirit Food Pantry (Thursdays 9–10 a.m. & 5–6 p.m.)
- St. Francis Xavier Dining Room (Saturdays 12:00–1:00 p.m., Black Rock)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Legion of Mary (meets the 13th of each month after 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Rose of Lima)
- Holy Name Society
- St. Margaret Marian Prayer Group (3rd Wednesday, 3:00 p.m. at St. Margaret)
- Padre Pio Group (2nd Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. May–Oct / 3:00 p.m. Nov–Apr)
- Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lay Commentators
- Grief Support Group (1st Monday, 6:00 p.m., Holy Spirit Winter Chapel)
- Senior Group (2nd Thursday at noon, Sept–June, Holy Spirit Church Hall; ages 55+)
Catholic Community of Buffalo, North
St. Margaret's is one of six parishes in the Catholic Community of Buffalo, North (CCBN), alongside All Saints, Assumption, Holy Spirit, St. Mark, and St. Rose of Lima. Rooted in the Eucharist, the community unites these parish families to bring people to Jesus Christ through reverent worship, lifelong faith formation and compassionate service in North Buffalo and beyond. As of March 2025, St. Margaret's has merged under St. Mark's Parish within the CCBN.
- Member parishes: All Saints, Assumption, Holy Spirit, St. Margaret, St. Mark, St. Rose of Lima
- Mission: reverent worship, lifelong faith formation, compassionate service
- St. Margaret merged into St. Mark's Parish, March 2025
Visiting & Contact
St. Margaret's is on Hertel Avenue in the heart of the North Buffalo commercial district, served by the Diocese of Buffalo. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the parish is active on Facebook.
- Address: 1395 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216
- Phone: (716) 876-5318
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmargaretbuffalo.com/
- Facebook: @stmargaretbuffalo
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Thomas J. Timmons1916–appointed founding pastor
First pastor and founder; appointed by Bishop Dougherty on December 6, 1916; celebrated first Mass in the temporary frame chapel on Christmas Eve 1916.
- Monsignor Dugganserved until January 23, 1993
Called home to his heavenly reward on January 23, 1993.
- Father Raymond Mahar1993 (interim)
Served as administrator until a new pastor was appointed.
- Monsignor James G. KellyMay 1, 1993 – 2012
Fourth pastor; oversaw parish picnics, breakfast on the deck and the children's choir under Mrs. Theresa Marinaro; retired in 2012 at the Diocese's mandatory retirement age of 75.
- Reverend Joseph D. WolfOctober 1, 2012 – present
Fifth pastor; also pastor of Holy Spirit Parish; oversaw school closure, sale of school building to Iskalo Development, and merger into St. Mark's Parish (Catholic Community of Buffalo, North) as of March 2025.