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(Olean) — Local Roman Catholics heading to Mass after Labor Day weekend will need to re-think their normal routine. That’s because a new Mass schedule goes into effect for three area Roman Catholic parishes—Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, St. John the Evangelist Church, and St. Philomena Church in Franklinville.  The new schedule, beginning September 3, reflects a consolidation of Mass times among the parishes resulting in a reduced number of Masses offered, particularly during the weekend, at each of the three recently-linked parishes. In effect, each parish loses a weekend Mass.  The new Mass schedule, announced last month, was developed by the new Roman Catholic clergy team servicing the three linked parishes in consultation with their advisory lay councils. The clergy team includes Rev. Patrick Melfi, regional pastor; Rev. Romulo Montero and Rev. David Tourville, regional parochial vicars; and Deacon Richard Matthews.  

Starting August 1, 2018, we will begin a new reality impacting our identity as church. On that date, the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, Olean, Saint John, Olean, and Saint Philomena, Franklinville parishes will be linked together as a way to address the clergy shortage and in response to the diocese’s Journey of Faith and Grace, circa 2007-2010. This also includes Sacred Heart, Portville as an oratory connected with the basilica. Linking of parishes is the diocese’s way of saying all three parishes will remain independent financially with separate Trustees, Finance Councils, and Parish Councils, but pastored by the same clergy. Our clergy team includes Fr. Patrick Melfi, regional pastor; Fr. Romulo Montero and Fr. David Tourville, regional parochial vicars; and Deacon Richard Matthews. Fr. Melfi and Fr. Montero currently live at St. John; Fr. Tourville lives at St. Mary of the Angels. Deacon Matthews is married and lives with his wife, Linda. Of immediate concern to everyone are the Mass schedules of all three parishes. When considering any changes in the Mass schedule, many factors come into play: the time of Religious Education for our youth and the availability for their Mass attendance; the attendance (which the Diocese recently required every parish to document) of each Mass; the availability of supporting ministries, ie. Greeters, Ushers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion; and the health of the priests all have to be considered. The Franciscan Friars from the university are low in numbers and are not able to assist us as frequently as in the past. The clergy team is revising the Mass schedule that will begin September 3 for weekdays and September 8 for week- ends. You may be asking, “with three priests, why change the Mass schedule?” Please realize that one of the challenges we face here in the Southern Tier is a lack of “extra” priests who can help when a pastor is sick or away on retreat or vacation. So with a third priest on staff, we also will be providing priest coverage for neighboring parishes (Salamanca, Ellicottville, Cuba, etc.) from time to time so as to allow the other pastors time away. So we need to be flexible for those requests as well. As we move forward toward this new reality, your patience, understanding and most of all, your prayers will make this a success. Together we can “do all things in Christ, who strengthens [us].” Philippians 4:13. Fr. F. Patrick Melfi Fr. David Tourville Fr. Romulo Montero Deacon Richard Matthews

OLEAN — Of all the community members out enjoying the summer weather Saturday, and hundreds did so on the grounds of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. While this is the event’s first year as BasilicaFEST, it was the 47th year of the festival — and Olean has been celebrating with St. Mary’s even longer than that. “The church has been doing festivals since the 1870s or 1880s,” said Jennifer King, communications director for the Basilica. “We were running festivals back then. Sometimes at Christmas, one year was at Riverhurst Park … these festivals are important to community lives.” The Very Rev. Greg Dobson — celebrating his last festival before he retires as the basilica’s rector July 31 — agreed. “I am thrilled with the support of the community,” he smiled. “This will always have an important place in my heart, in my life.” It was the second year the church offered tours of the newly-named minor basilica and the crowd kept King busy as she hosted tours every half hour. “(The festival) is designed to be a fundraiser, which is important,” King said, “but what we like about it is it’s something for the parishioners to congregate to and it’s fun for the community — to invite them to our facility, to enjoy our hospitality. That’s what we do here.”

OLEAN — Speakers, singers and a puppet joined the chorus of well-wishers honoring Olean’s “simple country priest” as he heads away after more than two decades in the city. In a large tent dinner blocking the 100 block of West Henley Street, the Very Rev. Gregory Dobson, rector of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, was celebrated by parishioners and visiting guests Friday on the eve of BasilicaFEST. The dinner was meant to mark Dobson’s departure from Olean after 22 years and thank him for his service. “Shortly after I arrived, I knew this was a special place,” Dobson said after a series of speeches, adding he wrote to the bishop, “I don’t know who advised you to send me to Olean, but it was good advice — keep that adviser close.” Dobson announced in April he will leave Olean on July 31 for a temporary reassignment at St. Joseph’s Church in Gowanda before receiving a more permanent assignment, which St. Mary’s officials said coincides with the 70-year-old priest’s long-standing plans to serve the remainder of his ministry in the Buffalo area near his family.

OLEAN — The bells of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels will ring Friday for 15 minutes straight in honor of the Very Rev. Gregory J. Dobson, who is stepping down from his post after more than two decades. St. Mary’s famous bell in the west tower is the largest in the city and can be heard from a radius of more than 2 miles. It will ring starting around 6:45 p.m., church officials announced. It is anticipated the chimes located in the east tower — the last Deagan 25-chime set still operating in the United States — will play as well. Friday’s bell ringing in a slow toll will honor Dobson as the third-longest serving pastor in the 166-year history of the church — now a basilica. The pastor of the parish for almost 22 years, he recently announced his retirement effective Aug. 1. As the bell tolls, the church is set to host a community appreciation dinner in Dobson’s honor with 250 people, which is not open to the public. Although the parish’s BasilicaFEST starts Saturday, the appreciation dinner is not part of that event. The dinner will take place on the basilica grounds starting at 6 p.m. and will cause the first block of West Henley Street to be closed. The dinner will celebrate Dobson’s time with St. Mary’s as well as his 35th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Saint Mary of the Angels’ bell, which has been part of the Olean landscape since 1878, weighs 2,500 pounds. It was cast in 1915 from the two former bells that hung in the bell tower of the previous church building built in 1860 by the Franciscan Friars at St. Bonaventure College — as the university was known at the time. Those bells were donated in 1878.

“This festival could not be done without the benevolence and hours of time spent by our volunteers,” Tominez said. “Our volunteers are not only of the church, but they are from other parishes. They are also from out-of-state and come here to partake in this great community event.” He and Colarusso said proceeds from the event will benefit the basilica and parish activities, as well as charities in the community. Colarusso, who has chaired the event since 2006, said the festival has taken on special meaning under the auspices of the basilica.

Very Rev. Gregory J. Dobson, VF, Rector of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and pastor of the basilica’s parish community for the past 22 years, will be leaving his assignment in Olean this summer, he announced to parishioners this weekend during all four scheduled Masses. This announcement has been long anticipated by both Fr. Dobson and the local Catholic community.   Beginning August 1, he will be serving as the priest in Gowanda at St. Joseph’s Church.  Most Rev. Richard J. Malone, Bishop of Buffalo, confirmed Fr. Dobson’s temporary reassignment last week that coincides with the Olean pastor’s long-standing plans for serving the remainder of his tenure in ministry as a Roman Catholic priest in the Buffalo region near his family.    While in Gowanda, Fr. Dobson will be covering for Rev. Joseph Porpiglia, pastor of St. Joseph’s,  while Fr. Porpiglia is on sabbatical until Christmas. A more permanent assignment for Fr. Dobson will be announced by the bishop later this year, it is anticipated.      The 70-year-old South Buffalo native arrived in Olean in January, 1997, and celebrates his 35th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood this July.  He has always teased about being a simple country priest no matter where his ministry took him.   Following his ordination, he served 14 years as a parochial vicar in several Buffalo parishes. Fr. Dobson took on his first assignment as a pastor when Most Rev. Edward Head, Bishop is Buffalo, assigned him to St. Mary of the Angels in 1997.  With this assignment came the additional appointment as Vicar Forane, Southern Cattaraugus Vicariate.        In 2003 Fr. Dobson assumed the pastorship of Sacred Heart parish in Portville, a position he maintained until the 2007 merger with St. Mary's in Olean.    Among highlights of his past 22 years in Olean, Fr. Dobson helped clear the parish debt; strengthened several parish ministries including the annual Christmas Dinner serving more than 900 meals on Christmas Day, youth ministry, Stephen Ministry; became an integral leader in strengthening the local Catholic schools, ecumenical and interfaith interactions and dialogue ; and led a parish capital campaign to refurbish the 103-year-old historic church building which included painting the spectacular artwork in the ceilings. Fr. Dobson is credited with spearheading the Vatican application process in getting the historic Olean church designated as a Minor Basilica—a title Pope Francis granted in 2017.    He is one of the senior clergy member among all Christian clergy in Olean.   Fr Dobson served as Canonical Administrator for Southern Tier Catholic School and currently serves on Archbishop Walsh Academy’s governing board. He is a frequent  speaker at Catholic, ecumenical and community events.   Some of the region’s top civic citations have been bestowed upon Fr. Dobson.  Among them:        ◦     the Chamber of Commerce's Good News Award (2001)        ◦     The Olean Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Fellow (2001), Rotary’s highest honor.        ◦     Unity Award by the Bahá’í Community (2002) for his work in fostering religious unity in the community        ◦     The Olean YMCA's Salute to Olean (2007) in which he was honored for humanitarian leadership in the community        ◦     The BPO Elks Man of the Year (2007); he joined their ranks in 2008        ◦     St. Bonaventure University’s Gaudete Award for his leadership in western New York exemplifying the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi through his “joy, hope, positive outlook on life, sincerely compassionate spirit and desire to serve humankind.”        ◦     Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce’s Heart of Olean Distinguished Service Award    Fr. Dobson has served through his time in Olean on several governing boards including the Olean YMCA, Greater Olean Association of Churches (president), Friends of Good Music (president), the Renodin Foundation of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, and Genesis House family shelter in Olean.   In addition to the governing boards, Fr. Dobson serves as chaplain to the Olean Police Department and other area chaplaincies.   In the Fall of 2014, Fr. Dobson was appointed to the Catholic Charities of Buffalo Board of Trustees.    Coinciding with the worldwide Christian Unity Week in January, 2016, he was awarded the Ecumen Award by the Greater Olean Association of Churches for fostering an ecumenical spirit in the Olean-area for almost 20 years.   The Olean community will honor Fr. Dobson at a special dinner celebration sponsored by the parish on the basilica grounds on June 8. A celebration with members of the parish community is being planned later this summer. Audio recording of his announcement is at the link.

The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels celebrated its first anniversary Sunday by unveiling new artwork, announcing a new celebration and looking toward the future. St. Mary’s officials and parishioners gathered at the 103-year-old West Henley Street church to reflect on last year’s basilica designation from Pope Francis. The actual anniversary of the designation is Feb. 14 — the day Pope Francis’ decree was signed — but Feb. 14 falls on Ash Wednesday this year so the Mass was held Sunday instead. For the Most Rev. Gregory Dobson, St. Mary’s pastor, the Mass was about celebrating not only the basilica’s present, but also its future. Fr. Greg's blessing of the coat of arms... May the Lord bless this coat of arms. May it declare our devotion to our Holy Father; to all the successors of the apostles. May we reverence the apostolic mission of the church. And when we reverence that here, may we pay tribute to those who have dreamed about this place. May we honor those who make it what it is today. And we pray for those who will be the parishioners of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels for years to come. May this holy insignia truly be blessed this day as I pray a blessing upon all of you. And so we unveil the coat of arms of Pope Francis “to be here as long as this building stands. To dedicate this special space to this pope and to show our affinity and our devotion to the Holy Father. It’s a very simple way for us to remember Pope Francis here forever.”

Jean Smith's letter to the editor reporting results of our Annual Christmas Dinner and thanking those who contributed time and treasure and talent so generously!

from Olean Times Herald

An overview of the annual Christmas Dinner with chairwoman, Jean Smith's, unique perspective. [Following the dinner, it was announced that we served more than 900 dinners that day!]

Annual free Christmas Community Dinner Reservation Deadline is Friday, December 22 Who: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels What: Annual Community Christmas Dinner     The complete dinner includes: ham, potatoes, mixed vegetables, applesauce, pineapple, rolls, dessert, treat bag. Where: Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels - in dining hall lower level of church. Use South First Street entrance. When: Christmas Day, December 25, 2017     dine-in hours 12:30-1:30pm     take-out Noon-12:30pm     home deliveries  11:00am - 12:30pm Cost: FREE For: anyone who would like a complete ham dinner on Christmas Day, no questions asked. Reservation Deadline: December 22      call parish office 716-372-4841 (Mon-Fri 9am-2pm)     call Saturdays 814-598-0158 (9am-Noon) Volunteers: call parish office 716-372-4841 (Mon-Fri 9am-2pm) Online Donations (to help defray costs) and more information at smaolean.org

Sunday, Oct. 29th in Bradley Centennial Hall. Click link for full details and our flyer. We need volunteers to help! We also need food donations, donations of theme baskets, donations of pies. You can purchase your $20 raffle ticket on line at this link! https://smaolean.org/spaghetti-dinner-raffle Please join us for a great afternoon beginning at 12:30pm.

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  |  September 22, 2017   National Life Chain Sunday comes to downtown Olean October 1st (Olean, NY) On October 1, the main corridor of East and West State Streets will be lined with people holding signs in silent prayer from 1:30 to 3:00PM. This is part of National Life Chain Sunday 2017, the 30th annual prayer witness that is to take place on "village" sidewalks throughout America and Canada. "The goal of this public witness is to hopefully change hearts, save lives, and further unveil the grievous curse of legal abortion,” said Colleen Crino, an Olean-area pro-life activist who, along with her husband, Mark, lead the pro-life ministry at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. While citizens sympathetic to the pro-life cause witness publicly in this manner every first Sunday of the month near Lincoln Park, this particular Sunday they encourage a wider participation of “chainers,” as they call them, to come out as part of the National Life Chain event.  “We witness prayerfully and peacefully, without confrontation, no matter what the weather,” said Colleen Crino who notes that the seriousness of the subject requires participants to adhere to a particular code of conduct. Likening abortion to a national holocaust, the pro-life movement across the nation and here in the Olean area offer this public witness as part of a larger effort throughout the year that includes conducting prayer vigils and public talks, constructing visual displays and offering concrete abortion-alternative guidance and assistance through agencies such as the Southern Tier Pregnancy Care Center here in Olean.  “We do everything we can to give voice to the voiceless and help mothers in the midst of their unexpected pregnancies,” said Colleen Crino.  Have their efforts paid off? The Crinos say they have seen hearts and minds change in the midst of some of their public pro-life initiatives they have been involved with in the area since the early 1990s. Mark Crino points to the story of a woman who was scheduled for an abortion and happened to walk by a display of crosses he was installing at St. Mary's. After talking to Mark for a few minutes, she told him she changed her mind and would elect to keep her unborn child.  “She wanted to know what all the little crosses signified,” Mark Crino said. “I told her they each represent an innocent human life killed in abortion. And as we looked over so many dozens scattered throughout the lawn, I explained that this is how many are killed each day just in New York State alone,” he said. “We’re not confrontational or judgmental,” he added. “We just want to help save lives and give hope.” The October 1 Life Chain begins at 1:30PM with participants asked to come to Lincoln Park at 1:15PM to register and select a sign to hold during the duration of the hour and a half silent witness. More information on the National Life Chain and can be found at…

OLEAN — At the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels Sunday morning, scouts from Boy Scout Troop 617 walked down the center aisle with two folded American flags — the same two flags that were first brought to the church and placed on the altar on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001. St. Mary’s officials brought out the flags — as they sometimes do for special occasions like Memorial Day and Veterans Day — for its Blue Mass, which honored local first responders one day before the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The Rev. Gregory Dobson, St. Mary’s pastor, and the Rev. Patrick Melfi, pastor of St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, gave words of appreciation and a standing ovation was held for the several dozen police officers, firefighters and paramedics, as well as their families, that were in attendance. “This is what we're about: showing appreciation and praying for you,” Dobson told the congregation. Dobson, the Olean Police Department chaplain, thanked first responders for their security at St. Mary’s basilica solemnization Mass in June and said it’s important to “acknowledge heroes.” “Many have said to me, ‘Oh it’s just my job, Father. I’m just an ordinary Joe,’” Dobson said. “When you go to work, you’re always at risk. There's no guarantee you're going to come home. That’s heroic what you’re doing for this community and we are grateful.” While he said it was not his place to tell them how to do their jobs, Dobson did offer first responders some advice: take care of yourself by being physically, mentally and spiritually fit. He also noted that first responders sometimes see “pretty awful things” in their line of work, and it’s crucial they seek support, if they need it. “You need to process that so you don’t bring it home,” Dobson said. Melfi, the Olean Fire Department chaplain, said that “sadly” it’s taken an event like 9/11, in which 414 first responders lost their lives, for people to realize the dangers first responders put themselves in. “Unfortunately that loss of life brings us to that moment where we want to take that time to recognize they put their lives on the line for us so we can have a safe community,” he said. Olean Fire Chief Robert Bell said the anniversary of 9/11 has a special meaning for first responders. “For me, 9/11 shows us we're going inside buildings, we’re doing our job,” he said. “It’s real easy for us to say, ‘It’s our job,’ but it’s a community of first responders, police officers, firemen, where if you need to help, all you need to do is ask for it and a bunch of us show up.” He called Sunday’s Blue Mass “humbling.” “The real heroes are the guys over there fighting those wars and the people down fighting (Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida),” he said, “but the acknowledgment surely is appreciated, but it’s always there in the community.”

26 photos from our Blue Mass held Sunday, September 10, 2017 at the basilica.

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