Religious Groups and Congregations

This theme showcases the myriad religious groups and congregations located in the Western New York area and their varied traditions.  The Western New York area has a rich tapestry of many religions and traditions.  The Kaleidoscope project seeks out these varied and robust examples.

In the first video, we learn about the historic St Philip's Episcopal Church. Every February since 1926, Americans have honored the gifts and contributions of African Americans with the celebration of Black History Month. In honor of this tradition, The host of Kaleidoscope, Rev. Dr. G. Stanford Bratton, Executive Director, NRC, spoke with leaders of historic African American denominations and congregations located in Western New York.  He welcomed guests Ms. Sheila Nickson and Mr. Edeston V. Leslie, about the founding and history of St. Philip's Episcopal Church, the seventh most senior African American church in America. Sheila Nickson and Edeston V. Leslie are both longtime members of St. Philip's Episcopal Church.

In the next video, we learn about the Christian celebration of Pentecost, and the renewal movement known as Pentecostalism. Pentecost is the great festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost means “fiftieth day” and is celebrated 50 days after Easter. Pentecostalism is a renewal movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Pentecostalism is an umbrella term that includes a wide range of different theologies and cultures. During this time, when Christians celebrate Pentecost, Rev. Dr. G. Stanford Bratton, Executive Director, NRC spoke with the Reverend Jeff Carter, pastor of Ephesus Ministries, about the meaning of Pentecost, the history and diversity of Pentecostal movement, and what one might experience while visiting a Christian Pentecostal service of worship.

Buffalo is known for its incredible architecture. Part of this architectural mix are the many churches located throughout the city. These houses of worship helped shape the city as we know it. The Buffalo Mass Mob hoped to help create more awareness and appreciation for sacred sites in Western New York through the simple act of experiencing them in their intended purpose, and encouraging people to attend more of Buffalo's historic churches. Rev. Dr. G. Stanford Bratton, Executive Director spoke with Danielle Huber, educator and Mass Mob organizer, Alan Oberst journalist and Mass Mob organizer, and Gregory Witul, marketing expert and Mass Mob organizer about the Mass Mob, how it started, its uses of social media, its successes, and how it has grown into a national movement.

Music plays an important role in spiritual worship. Each religion has its own way of celebrating their beliefs with different types of music. The Canisius College Video Institute, visited with three different music groups of various faiths to see how they celebrate their religion through song. Rev. Dr. G. Stanford Bratton, Executive Director, NRC, hosts guests Sharon Colbert,Congregation Shir Shalom; Martha Connar, Methodist Church; Liz Harris, Methodist; Carolyn Liakos, St. Andrews Catholic Church; Mary Teresa Murphy, Yvonne Patterson, Tim Wells to discuss the variety of programs.

Western New York is the home of a variety of educational institutions, one of these being Christ the King Seminary which was located  in East Aurora. Its mission was to educate students for ministry in the Church. The students at the Seminary came from many different traditions, including Roman Catholic. Rev. Dr. G. Stanford Bratton, Director of the Network of Religious Communities, spoke with Mrs. Kathleen Castillo, Director of Theological Field Education at the Seminary, and Sam Giangreco. They discussed Christ the King Seminary, its Field Education Program, and the preparation for the priesthood.

In this video, we learn about Zen Buddhism. Buddhism is one of the major world religions and has a set of beliefs and practices largely attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha. The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern part of India, sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. Presently, there is great interest in the practice of Buddhism in the Western world. Sam Giangreco, student, Christ the King Seminary hosts guest Ray Eigen Ball, practitioner and Coordinator at the Buffalo Zen Dharma Community, which gathered on Delaware Avenue at the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Eigen spoke about Zen Buddhism, and dispels some of the misconceptions about his religion.