Under the leadership
of Msgr. Joseph Gambino, who served as our first pastor well into
the 1960's, Holy Cross Church was established in 1914. Originally
our parish ministered to the many Catholic Italian immigrants to
Buffalo's Lower West Side. Through its parishioners, Holy Cross
Church exercised a major influence in the integration of Italian
Americans into the mainstream of religious, civic, social and political
life of Western New York. When the ethnic composition of our neighborhood
began to change in the 1960's, our parish continued its ministry
to newly arriving waves of immigrants. While retaining our Italian
roots, Holy Cross continues to be a beacon of hope for newly arriving
Catholics from Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Our proclamation
of the Lord Jesus in Word and Sacrament remains central to our purpose.
We are still a people of prayer. Over the years we have added programs
of social outreach and ministry to all parishioners and residents
of our neighborhood, especially our children, teenagers and young
adults. While the primary purpose of a Catholic parish is to meet
the spiritual needs of its members, our parish has always engaged
in social programs in keeping with the magnificent social teachings
of the Catholic Church.
