About St. Raphael · Niagara Falls, New York
St. Raphael was a Roman Catholic parish in the DeVeaux neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York, in the Diocese of Buffalo. The parish was incorporated in 1946 and served the local community for decades at 3840 Macklem Avenue, alongside its parish hall and a school at 1018 College Avenue. As part of the Diocese of Buffalo's sweeping restructuring, St. Raphael was closed and merged into a parish family that included St. Peter's in Lewiston, and the church property was sold. The building later became a Baptist church according to public records.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Raphael (Archangel Raphael)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
St. Raphael has been a worshiping community in the heart of the DeVeaux neighborhood, with Mass celebrated in a traditional Roman-Latin rite and a weekly schedule including Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, plus daily morning Masses. Confessions were heard Saturday afternoons before the Vigil. The parish complemented its liturgical life with a parish school, a parish hall, and active community involvement through organizations like the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Mass times at St. Raphael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
Parish Identity and Location
St. Raphael was a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Buffalo, located at 3840 Macklem Avenue in the DeVeaux neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York 14305. The parish complex included the church, a rectory, a parish hall, and a school at 1018 College Avenue, all clustered within a single block of one another in what local residents have described as one of Niagara Falls' most desirable and largely owner-occupied residential areas.
- Address: 3840 Macklem Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY 14305
- School address: 1018 College Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY 14305
- Diocese: Buffalo
- Rite: Roman-Latin
History and Founding
According to IRS and GuideStar records, St. Raphael Roman Catholic Parish was formally established in 1946 at its Macklem Avenue address in Niagara Falls. The parish grew alongside the DeVeaux neighborhood and maintained a school, parish hall, and active sacramental life for decades, before being included in the Diocese of Buffalo's sweeping parish reorganization.
- Established / ruling year: 1946
- Patron: St. Raphael the Archangel
- Diocese of Buffalo founding year: 1847
Closure, Merger, and Reuse of the Property
St. Raphael was placed on the Diocese of Buffalo's final list of parish closures as part of the diocese's broader restructuring effort. The parish did not submit an alternative proposal during the family-parish process and was merged into a parish family that included St. Peter's in Lewiston. The church, rectory, parish hall, and former school were listed for sale during the diocese's bankruptcy proceedings, with the diocese noting the church itself would carry restrictive covenants regarding future religious use. DeVeaux residents publicly raised concerns about the future of the school and rectory, which were marketed as potential apartment, business, or office sites in an area zoned for single-family residential use. GCatholic records show that the church closed on February 22, 2025, and the building was subsequently repurposed as a Protestant (Baptist) church.
- Listed in the Diocese of Buffalo's final closure and merger announcement
- Merged into a parish family with St. Peter's, Lewiston
- Property sold by the diocese during its bankruptcy proceedings
- Church building closed on February 22, 2025 (per GCatholic)
- Building now used as a Baptist church
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
During its years of operation, St. Raphael followed a traditional Roman-Latin rite schedule with Mass offered seven days a week. Weekend Masses included a Saturday Vigil and a single Sunday morning Mass, supported by a Saturday morning daily Mass. Confessions were heard Saturday afternoons before the Vigil Mass.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 AM
- Daily Mass Monday–Friday and Saturday morning: 8:00 AM
- Confessions: Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
Parish Facilities
The parish campus included the main worship space at 3840 Macklem Avenue along with a rectory, a parish hall, and a parish school at 1018 College Avenue, all within a single block of the church in the DeVeaux neighborhood.
- Church: 3840 Macklem Avenue
- School: 1018 College Avenue
- Parish hall
- Rectory (within the same block)
Faith Formation, Religious Education, and Youth
St. Raphael maintained religious education and youth ministry programs that were visible on the parish's Facebook page for 'St. Raphael Religious Education and Youth Group.' These programs complemented the parish school's faith formation for younger members of the community.
- Religious education / CCD program
- Youth group (Facebook presence)
- Parish school at 1018 College Avenue
Outreach and Charitable Works
Like many parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, St. Raphael was connected to wider Catholic charitable efforts. Parishioners and families often directed memorial contributions through the parish to organizations including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul (memorial contributions directed through the parish)
- Catholic Charities–style outreach typical of the Diocese of Buffalo