FORESTVILLE — St. Rose of Lima is not giving up in its battle to remain open in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

“We are trying to save our church,” said Theresa “Tammy” Green of Silver Creek, who is the procurator for the location. “We have already been closed but through the work of prayer and the Vatican have been given the opportunity to hold on while the Diocese is renewing itself and figuring out the Road to Renewal.”

Green, along with Aimee Rodgers of Forestville, are heading up the fight to keep the church in operation. Next week, the place of worship is being allowed to open for a Mass.

On Sunday, Aug. 23, at noon, the church will celebrate Feast Day of St. Rose of Lima. All residents are invited to attend at 11 Center St. Following the Mass, there will be a chicken and potluck luncheon.

“Whether you’re in our (Lord’s) Vineyard or not, we will always have a place for you on our branch and want to keep it from being broken off,” Green said.

Last April, The Buffalo News reported St. Rose of Lima had heard from the Vatican acknowledging a request from parishioners to intervene and reverse Bishop Michael Fisher’s decision to close the location. According to Green, the fight is not over to reopen the parish.

“They call our family of parishes ‘The Lord’s Vineyard,’ ” she said. “And it’s ironic that I am watching the grapes fall off the vines. People are leaving because our branches are being broken one by one as our Diocese sells our churches in the vineyard.”

Churches that remain open at the moment in the northern Chautauqua County group include: Blessed Mary Angela at St. Hyacinth and Holy Trinity in Dunkirk that includes the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton location; St. Anthony’s in Fredonia and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Silver Creek.

Both St. Hyacinth and St. Anthony’s will remain open through February in the current plan.

In June, the Diocese indicated each parish received a detailed statement of their expected contribution to the settlement fund. Those contributions would be based upon a progressive percentage applied to the parishes’ self-reported and unrestricted cash and investments held as of August 31, 2024, the end of the Diocesan fiscal year. Unrestricted cash and investments exclude any prepaid tuition held, Mass offerings and donor-restricted gifts.

According to the Lord’s Vineyard website, it notes each parish in the group has not been informed of how much financially it will be responsible for in the Diocese of Buffalo’s bankruptcy settlement related to the Child Victims Act.