A Saturday Evening Congregation on George Urban Boulevard
St. Patrick's Episcopal Church sits on George Urban Boulevard in Cheektowaga, a working suburb just east of Buffalo. Founded in 1957, the parish has spent nearly seven decades gathering its community around a rhythm that suits shift workers, weekend travelers, and anyone whose Sunday mornings are spoken for: a single Saturday worship service at 4:30 pm. The result is a parish whose members, neighbours, and curious visitors all arrive at the same door at the same time each week, ready to pray together and then head home for the evening.
Worship on Saturday Evenings
The Saturday service alternates in character from one week to the next. On the first and third Saturdays of the month the congregation prays the service of Evening Prayer, a liturgy of thanksgiving, petition, and reflection that closes without Communion. On the second and fourth Saturdays the focus shifts to the Holy Eucharist, the Episcopal Church's central sacramental celebration, sometimes called the Mass, the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion.
The Eucharist service moves through two parts. The Liturgy of the Word includes hymns, scripture readings, and a sermon. The Liturgy of the Eucharist gathers the congregation for the Great Thanksgiving and the sharing of Communion, in which the bread is the Body of Christ and the wine is the Blood of Christ. All who come are welcome at the altar; those who prefer not to receive may cross their hands over their chest and the priest will offer a blessing instead.
Inside the pew are two books that anchor Episcopal worship: the Book of Common Prayer, which contains the liturgies and the Psalms, and the Hymnal. Bulletins guide worshippers to the right page. The clergy wear robes with ancient symbolism, but the dress code is simple: come in a Sunday best or come casual. Children are welcome to wiggle, wonder, and ask questions; the church believes children who worship with their families carry that gift into adulthood. Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot be present.
An Episcopal Identity
St. Patrick's belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion through the Episcopal Church, a tradition that traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity and retains ancient liturgical structure while celebrating in many languages around the world. The parish holds three core convictions about this inheritance. In Baptism, every person is made a member of one family, sons and daughters of God, with sins forgiven and the promise of eternal life. In the Holy Eucharist, worshippers share the Body and Blood of Christ and are made one with God and with one another. And in daily life, parishioners strive to love their neighbours as themselves, to seek and offer forgiveness, and to put the work of love before uniformity of opinion.
These commitments shape the parish's welcome. All of God's children are welcome at God's Table, and unity in Christ is celebrated alongside the differences that members bring with them.
Founded in 1957, Still Growing
St. Patrick's was founded in 1957, in the post-war years when Cheektowaga was filling in with new homes and new congregations. Decades on, the parish describes itself as a welcoming community with open arms and loving hearts, a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Faith here is meant to be put into action: members are guided through prayer to serve God and all His creatures by demonstrating God's love and fostering others on their spiritual journey.
Mother Bonnie and the Leadership Team
Mother Bonnie Morris has served as priest-in-charge since June 2022. She holds an M.Div from Christ the King Seminary and an M.B.A. from the University at Buffalo. Her sermons often carry references drawn from Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Snoopy, and Harry Potter. She is the first point of contact for those who want someone to talk or pray with, for couples planning weddings, for families arranging funerals, and for anyone discerning a call to serve.
The parish is led alongside her by two wardens. Kathy Parkhurst, a warden, fields conversations about serving in the community and general church information. Wendy Schumacher, also a warden and the Missioner for Youth and Children, answers questions about children's and youth programming. Sue Stanislawski serves as Pastoral Care Minister, Treasurer, and Building Usage Coordinator, offering a listening presence and helping groups schedule use of the parish hall. Ed Grzywna directs the music programme and welcomes anyone interested in getting involved musically.
Youth United in Ministry (YUM)
Young people in fifth grade through high school are invited into Youth United in Ministry, known by the easier name YUM. YUM is a collaborative youth programme supported by a group of partnering churches within the Diocese, and its gatherings rotate among those parishes so that young people get to know several communities, not just their home one. Each month looks a little different: some meetings are built around games and discussion, others take the group on local field trips or mission projects that put faith into action.
The Donation Station: Local and Global Outreach
St. Patrick's has turned one corner of its ministry into an ongoing Donation Station that gathers goods for neighbours both near and far. Clothing and personal care items travel from the parish to Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society, where more than seventy girls in Honduras live safely in a loving home that offers dignity, care, and hope. Accepted items include girls' clothing from infant through adult sizes, socks, underwear, hair ties and elastics, toothbrushes, and hair brushes. Non-perishable food items collected at the same station help stock food pantries across the area. Members of the parish and neighbours passing by are invited to drop off contributions anytime the church is open.
Music, Hall, and Parish Life
Music is an integral part of Episcopal worship, and the parish encourages everyone to sing out, noting that God loves a cheerful voice and that the whole congregation is blessed by every voice raised. Those with musical gifts can connect with Ed Grzywna to get involved.
The parish hall is also a working part of parish life. Groups interested in using the building for meetings or events can reach out to Sue Stanislawski, who coordinates scheduling. Weddings and funerals are celebrated through the parish, with Mother Bonnie offering guidance and support for both.
St. Patrick's fish fry, a longstanding tradition in many Episcopal and Catholic parishes, is kept alive here with online ordering. Newcomers can sign up for the newsletter to stay current with parish news, and anyone with a prayer need, large or small, can post it on the parish Prayer Wall. Cheektowaga's Saturday-evening Episcopal congregation invites all who come to receive and enjoy what they can, to participate as they are able, and to stick with it, because the liturgy, in the church's own words, is ancient, beautiful, meaningful, and like a flower opening from a bud.