Spotlight Tour: Holy Family Church

Buffalo has an amazing number of beautiful worship spaces and Holy Family Church is certainly one of them! As the burgeoning Irish population settled in South Buffalo, from the First Ward, it necessitated the Catholic Diocese to open new parishes to serve its members. Holy Family Parish was established in 1902 as the second parish after St. Theresa on Seneca Street. The present church building was completed in 1908.

The design is in the Romanesque style and was richly decorated with murals by the Rambusch Company, established by Danish artist, Holvag Rambusch. The murals in the sanctuary were adapted from the Book of Lindisfarne, while those in the side altars were adapted from the Book of Kells. Over time, the entire church was painted over and all the art was “lost.” 

However, they were recently “rediscovered” and painstaking efforts were made to bring them back to life by Swiatek Studios. The stunning collection of stained glass windows were imported from Austria and are considered priceless.

This tour will be led by master docent, Maureen Evans, a lifelong resident of South Buffalo and avid historian. She will discuss the history of the Irish in South Buffalo, the creation of the parish and the symbolism of the murals, carvings and windows. This tour is truly a feast for the eyes.