Amherst priest one of four candidates in election to take place Saturday, November 20

Episcopal clergy and delegates from the Diocese of Western New York’s 60 churches will gather at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Buffalo on Saturday, November 20, 2011, to elect their eleventh bishop.

The nominees are:

The Rev. Michael N. Ambler, Jr., rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Bath, in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine;

The Very Rev. Canon Michael A. Bamberger, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Sierra Madre, California, in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles;

The Rev. Dr. R. William Franklin, senior associate priest at St. Mark's Church, Philadelphia, PA, in the Episcopal Diocese of of Pennsylvania; and

The Very Rev. Canon Barbara J. Price, rector of St. Peter's Church in Eggertsville, NY, in the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York.

Catholics in the Diocese of Buffalo will have the opportunity to “Share in the Care” of senior religious by participating in the annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious, to be held in parishes the weekend of Dec.11-12. The collection is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) in Washington and provides financial support for the day-to-day care of thousands of elderly Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests.

Last year, the faithful of the diocese contributed $799,000 to the appeal. As a result, 14 congregations of women and men religious based in the diocese and ministering in the eight counties of Western New York received $924,450 in assistance made possible by the Retirement Fund for Religious.

Section 6 won only one game in the Far West Regionals this year. Each of the last two years Section 6 produced four New York State Champions.

This year only Fredonia from Section 6 came out a winner. The Hillbillies will play General Brown Saturday in the State semifinals in Rochester.

Our man Dick Gallagher discusses what happened to the teams from Section 6. Dick says they weren't dominated but that slow starts really hurt a couple of Section 6 teams, Silver Creek and Clarence in particular.

Dick told Stu Boyar why he thought Section 5 was so successful in this year's Far West Regionals.