Page 4 - GC-Jan-Feb-22

by Martin Ederer gation – could only be considered The parish was formally
t. Boniface Church, which temporary. incorporated on its dedication
was located at Mulberry and St. John’s second pastor, Rev. day as St. Boniface. The ex-
SLocust Streets in Buffalo’s Rudolph Follenius, decided after King Ludwig I of Bavaria,
Fruit Belt, enjoys the reputation of consulting with his parishioners to credited with donating the
being the most renovated church in build a larger, more substantial three sanctuary windows for
the history of Buffalo’s Catholic brick church. The cornerstone for St. Joseph Cathedral, also
churches. Bishop John Timon the $10,000 structure was laid in
formed the parish in 1849 to serve November 1856, and the church donated – according to parish
German families from St. Louis, was completed and dedicated in accounts – a large painting of
who wished to form a new congre- June of 1857. For the new church, St. Boniface for the new
gation. Originally named St. John the parish – predominantly German church around 1856.
the Baptist, this was the third Ger- – selected a new patron: St. Boni-
man parish in Buffalo, and the area face, apostle of the Germans. cess several wood-carved statues.
that it served was still an almost The parish was formally incor- During his long pastorate, he expe-
impassible wilderness. Rev. Zacha- porated on its dedication day as St. rienced St. Boniface in some of its
rias Kunze, St. John’s first pastor Boniface. The ex-King Ludwig I of most prosperous years and the be-
from 1849-1854, built a wood frame Bavaria, credited with donating the ginnings of St. Boniface’s decline in
church 25 x 60 feet which was com- three sanctuary windows for St. Jo- the 1960s.
pleted May 15, 1849. seph Cathedral, also donated – ac- By the 1970s the parish was on-
The 1850s were both growth cording to parish accounts – a large ly clinging to the edge of viability,
years and crisis years for the infant painting of St. Boniface for the new its German parishioners nearly van-
parish. By 1851, the parish had al- church around 1856. It was installed ished. But the parish nonetheless
ready grown too large for its small over the high altar. responded to the changes facing it
building. Kunze had 40 feet added No sooner had the church been and began to develop a growing
to it, procured a 500-pound bell, and completed when Rev. Henry Feld- African-American base. But it
shortly afterward, installed an or- mann, pastor from 1859-1863, reno- wouldn’t be enough. The school
gan. The original church would vated the interior. An organ was closed in 1971, and was torn down
have probably remained big enough designed for the church in 1863, the Rev. Ferdinand Kolb, who suc- in 1975. By 1979, the outer walls
In 1870, he added a clock to the
for the parish after the 1852 cholera final installation completed the fol- tower, and purchased three bells ceeded Wagner in 1884 after the and the tower of the church had
epidemic took a heavy toll on St. lowing year. Feldmann also built a which were added to the existing crisis was resolved, remained pastor deteriorated – one cannot help but
John’s parishioners, claiming 200 two-story brick school in 1861. Rev. bell. When Rev. Feldmann returned until 1929. And he too did plenty of think from too many renovations.
lives. Nicholas Sorg, who succeeded for a second term as pastor from renovating. He added more elabo- The church was closed and gutted,
In 1854, the church floor col- Feldmann in 1866, renovated the 1873-1880, he redecorated the inte- rate Stations of the Cross in 1886, the windows and organ sold, and
lapsed, fortunately causing no inju- church again in 1867, adding a new rior again, adding frescoes in 1875, and in 1890, he added stained glass demolished in 1979.
ries to the congregation. But the sanctuary, which lengthened the and an imposing high altar in 1877. windows. But the parish lived on for a
collapse did remind the parish that church to 180 feet. In addition, he In 1905, he had new windows time. The former sacristy and offic-
Rev. Chrysostom Wagner, pas-
the frame building – still only mar- added a 125-foot high tower, tran- tor from 1880-1884, is the only ear- installed in the transept and sanctu- es in the rectory were renovated into
ginally large enough for the congre- septs and 2 new sacristies.
ly pastor who did no building or ary, and in 1907, he had the whole a chapel seating 45, and it was re-
renovating, probably because he interior redecorated. In 1916, a dedicated in 1982. By 1984, the
had bigger problems. An unpleasant stone veneer was installed over the parish had grown enough to warrant
relationship developed between brick exterior of the church, giving building a new chapel. This new St.
Wagner and the parish trustees – it a distinctive new look, and the Boniface Church – a thoroughly un-
similar to earlier crises at St. Louis church was wired for electricity. churchlike building – only lasted
– over reincorporating the parish. Rev. Msgr. Ludwin Winter suc- until 1993 when it too was closed,
Bishop Stephen Ryan responded by ceeded Kolb, also remaining at St. suppressed and merged with Our
removing Wagner and placing the Boniface for many years, from Lady of Lourdes, St. Benedict the
parish under interdict from January 1929-1962. In 1937, he renovated Moor and St. Matthew to form St.
until June of 1884. the church again, adding in the pro- Martin de Porres.

bout 25 people attended the
recent Historical Society of
ANorth German Settlements
in NY meeting which was a Christ-
mas Carol sing-a-long at St. Peter's
Lutheran in Wheatfield. The church
was built in 1915, and is reminiscent
of the centuries old churches found
in our ancestral villages in the Uck-
ermark region of Germany. After
the program, participants enjoyed
the cookies made from old family
recipes. Please join us next year!
The January meeting is "Memo-
ries." Participants start with a sub-
ject, then all are welcome to add
their memories. Organizers also en-
courage attendees to bring an heir-
loom and tell us about it. The
February meeting subject is to be
determined.
Meetings are at the Wheatfield
Community Center, 2790 Church
Rd., Wheatfield, near the intersec-
tion of Niagara Falls Blvd. (Rt. 62)
and Ward Rd. (Rt. 429). The Thurs-
day, Jan. 20 and Thursday, Feb. 17
meetings will be at 2 p.m. All are St. Peter's Lutheran in Wheatfield is reminiscent of the centuries old
welcome.
churches found in the Uckermark region of Germany.