Religious institutions

The city of Lackawanna is home to fourteen Protestant churches, the Masjid Alhuda Guidance Mosque (the largest mosque in the Buffalo area), ten Roman Catholic churches, including Our Lady of Victory Basilica (OLV); and Saint Stephen Serbian Orthodox Church.

Our Lady of Victory Basilica

Our Lady of Victory Basilica

Our Lady of Victory Basilica, located in Lackawanna, is a National Shrine. Next to the basilica is Holy Cross Cemetery. It has been a parish cemetery since 1849, although burials date back to 1830. Father Nelson Baker was responsible for the building of a working boys' home (protectory) in 1898. He also supervised construction of an infants' home in 1907, a maternity home in 1915, Our Lady of Victory Hospital in 1919, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in 1926. Father Baker named the basilica after the shrine of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris, which he visited as a seminarian in 1874. He was in charge of the basilica and the various institutions of charity until his death at 94, on July 29, 1936.
Father Baker's social programs have evolved into Baker Victory Services, which care for more than 2,500 children each day. Baker Victory Services Adoption Program has evolved into a renowned resource for a wide range of adoptive services. Their mission is to assist birth mothers, families and adoptees through the often complex and always emotional adoption process. Our Lady of Victory Hospital, closed in 1999, is being converted into senior housing.^[15][16] The Homes of Charity provide the funds to continue Baker's social programs through donations.
Our Lady of Victory Basilica had its 75th anniversary in 2001. The Catholic Church named Father Baker a "Servant of God" in 1987, the first step towards declaring him a saint. In 1999, Father Baker's remains were moved from Holy Cross Cemetery and re-interred inside the basilica. This was a recommended step for his canonization process. On January 14, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI approved a document of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints declaring Father Baker "Venerable." His cause for canonization, as an "apostle of charity," continues under review by Vatican officials.^[17][18]