St. John's Roman Catholic Church, a secondary site of the Holy Apostles Parish, will remain open after the Buffalo Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church reversed its decision to close the church. Ss. Peter and Paul, one of the oldest churches in Jamestown, will close instead.

Several Catholic churches in the southern part of Chautauqua County will close, including Ss. Peter and Paul, one of the oldest churches in Jamestown.

“As you are aware, the Diocese of Buffalo has been undergoing significant changes,” wrote Father Paul Cygan of the Catholic Neighbors In Faith Family Of Parishes. “One of these changes involves the rightsizing and reshaping of the diocese, which has necessitated the sale and closure of various buildings, including some of our worship sites. The diocese made recommendations to each family of parishes and allowed for counterproposals. There was much prayer, numerous meetings and listening sessions during this past summer. The diocese took all these elements and recommendations into account. In the end, a difficult decision was made.

By 2030 there will be two active priests for the Catholic Neighbors in Faith region. That will be accomplished by closing Ss. Peter and Paul, the site of Holy Apostles Parish, on Fourth and Cherry streets and sell the entire campus. Holy Apostles will merge with St. James Roman Catholic Church at 27 Allen St. Our Lady of Loreto in Falconer will also merge with St. James and its campus sold.

The Buffalo Diocese is also following through with closing the Our Lady Of Snows in Panama and selling the property. Our Lady of Victory in Frewsburg will also close and be sold.

The only parishes to remain open in the south county are St. James, Sacred Heart in Lakewood and St. Patrick in Randolph. St. John’s Roman Catholic Church on Newton Avenue will remain open as a secondary site. It’s a reversal from the diocese’s original announcement, which saw St. John’s closing and Ss. Peter and Paul remaining open.

“We understand that this news is challenging and may bring feelings of sadness and loss,” Cygan wrote. “However, we believe that these changes will ultimately strengthen our community and help us to better serve our mission. Let us continue to support one another through this transition and keep our faith strong. While this period of change is difficult, it is also an opportunity for renewal and growth. We turn to our faith and our foundation of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mother Mary to see us through.”

Going forward the Diocese will have 79 parishes and 39 secondary worship sites remain after the merger/closure process.

Closings are expected to begin in the spring of 2025.

Here is a breakdown for the county and region:

Parishes staying open: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Silver Creek; Holy Trinity, Dunkirk; St. James, Jamestown; Sacred Heart, Lakewood; St. Patrick, Randolph; St. Mary of Lourdes, Mayville; St. Dominic, Westfield; Christ Our Hope, French Creek; St. Joseph, Gowanda; and Immaculate Conception, Eden.

Secondary worship sites: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Dunkirk; St. Anthony, Fredonia (until Feb. 15, 2026); St. Hyacinth, Dunkirk (until Feb. 15, 2026); Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, St. John site, Jamestown; and St. Mary of Lourdes, Bemus Point.

Parishes/sites merging and closing: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Forestville site; St. Joseph, Fredonia; St. Anthony, Fredonia (Feb. 15, 2026); Blessed Mary Angela, St. Hyacinth site, Dunkirk (Feb. 15, 2026),

Blessed Mary Angela, St. Hedwig site, Dunkirk; Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, SS. Peter and Paul site, Jamestown; Sacred Heart, Panama site; St. James, Frewsburg site; Our Lady of Loretto, Falconer; St. Dominic, Brocton site; Christ Our Hope, Sherman site; Holy Spirit, North Collins; and St. Mary, Cattaraugus.