The Buffalo Mass Mob is headed to the city’s historic Lovejoy neighborhood for the Fifty-Fourth Mass Mob on Sunday, August 31, 2025, for 10:30am Mass at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi at Saint Katharine Drexel Parish.
This is the second time the Buffalo Mass Mob is visiting Saint Katharine Drexel Parish. The first time was on Sunday, October 15, 2015. The parish is now part of the Greater East Buffalo Family of Parishes, and the Pastor is Rev. Cole Webster.
Saint Katharine Drexel is a classic Buffalo neighborhood church. It is an anchor in Lovejoy. Please join us in bringing some Mass Mob love to Lovejoy. St. Katharine Drexel Parish was formed in October 2007 with the merging of St. Agnes, St. Francis of Assisi, and Visitation parishes, which had been located in the Lovejoy area of Buffalo. The parish is founded on the site of the former St. Francis of Assisi Parish. Rev. James M. Monaco is the current and first pastor of this parish family.
The history of the church itself goes back to the early 20th century. The following was excerpted from James Napora’s 1995 published history of the church.
Prior to 1900, the East Lovejoy area had become home to a number of Italian families, many of whom came to the area seeking work in the nearby railroad yards. The Catholics amongst them initially attended the German services at St. Agnes Church on Ludington. By the Summer of 1908, with their numbers significantly increasing, Bishop Charles Colton appointed Rev. R. Barsotti to oversee their spiritual needs. On 23 September, 1908 Rev. J. Tomei took over the work of the parish and proceed to erect a modest frame combination church/school building. Being one of three Catholic parishes existing within a geographically close area, the congregation grew slowly. By the late 1940s, the original building had deteriorated to the point that it was economically wiser to build anew than to repair it. In 1949, they built a new school building and began worshipping in the basement of it pending the construction of a new house of worship. Plans for the new building were prepared in 1958 and on 6 April, 1959, they broke ground for the present house of worship. Constructed at a cost of $400.000 the 800 seat building was completed the following year.
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St. Katharine Drexel Church
118 Schiller St. (Church address 133 North Ogden St.)
Buffalo, NY 14206
(716) 895 – 6813
Here are some photos from Mass Mob 13:
Buffalo Mass Mob 
I’m confused . . . . Couldn’t you find any truly Catholic churches to gather at? Or are the only ones left the heretical ones like St. Katherine Drexel, and St. Joe’s University church? I mean, I always assumed that you Mass Mob folks were a solidly orthodox bunch, and so, if you can descend upon St. Kate’s and infuse it with some authentically Catholic spirit, that would be great? Of course, after having entered the doors of that den of iniquity, and spending some time there, you will probably, hopefully, feel an overwhelming desire to go to Confession. Now, my family and I left the place after having given its first pastor, Jimmy Monaco, a fair shot, and before he completely re-arranged the interior of the church, so that his throne would then be the unmistakable focal-point of the Sanctuary.
Problem is, I don’t know if—as part of the interior overhaul—the Confessionals were retained or not, as anyone familiar with Jimmy’s particular form of, “Fun? Wow! What’s sin?” catholic heresy would require such structures, since all those who regularly attend Jimmy’s nauseating parody of Holy Mother Church, Her Teachings, Her Sacraments, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, would ever risk hurting their feelings by bringing up such a potentially tear-provoking concept as the Fall of Man, and the deadly reality of the sin that taints us all. No, all they hear is that, “God is Love, and not characterized by a balance of perfect mercy and perfect justice, and would never judge you for flagrantly disobeying His very clear Commandments. Indeed, the basic message preached there is, “Love is love, so love who you want, how you want, and just keep in your mind a clear picture of Jesus as being, ‘The Great Hippie,’ and heaven is sure to be yours.”
After leaving—(actually, I recommend, fleeing)—the site of the Weekly, Woodstock-style Worship Of, Well, We’re Not Exactly Sure, But It Feels Good, So What Could Possibly Be Wrong With It? If you have a shred of the True Faith in your heart and soul, you will want to do two things: 1). Get to Confession at a real Catholic church as soon as you can, and, 2). Fully immerse yourself in a Lysol bath. Of the two, Confession is, of course, the most important, but the Lysol bath will feel wonderful and complement the knowledge of your having been forgiven and cleansed by the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
My final piece of brotherly advice—(and believe me, I’ve been a soldier in this fray, facing the adversary as he hides himself under a wide variety of disguises)—is that, while I’m sure you already do so, devote yourselves to an even more stringent vetting process than you do now, lest, in the not too distant future you find yourselves, somehow, and against all odds, inviting people to join you in a Mass Mob action at the Chapel At Crosspoint, or some other, somewhat Christian venue that could be a wonderful opportunity for Catholic evangelism, but, baring a strong move of the Holy Spirit, might only prove to be very uncomfortable for both you and your hosts.
I suggest that if it is too late to change the parish you would like to bless with your presence, that you simply cancel your visit to St. Kate’s. From all I’ve been hearing, from people who have always considered your basic idea to be really cool, and who, like my family, have attended one or more of your “Mobs”, and have always thought you to be in the orthodox Catholic camp. But this decision has left many reconsidering that understanding.
I write in love, still supporting your mission, but, in that love, must offer some words of caution if I see my brethren taking what I, and a good many others, consider to be a wrong step. I pray you will accept my criticisms in the spirit in which they are offered, and that God will continue to guide you, look down upon your ministry favorably, and that there will not be any dark clouds lingering over our relationship.
B’Ahavato—(In His Love—I’m what’s known as a, “Hebrew-Catholic),
Rich
Thank you for finding another great Church for us.
Coletta Zubler