The popular 2011 movie "The Help" will be used as the basis for an exploration of diversity and how one might hold on to their sense of self while being open to others who are different from themselves. To learn more and to register

The Right Rev. R. William Franklin will celebrate Christmas Eve services at St. Paul's Cathedral at Pearl and Church Streets in downtown Buffalo for the first time since his consecration as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York. The services are scheduled for 5 and 11 p.m. on December 24, each preceded by a 30-minutes of music.

"For me, Christmas Eve services each year are especially moving. After the crush of preparing for the holiday, attending a worship service on Christmas Eve has always provided me with a deeply spiritual pause in which I find a great sense of wonder and peace," says Bishop Franklin. "I invite all who are able to join me at St. Paul's Cathedral to share this experience with me."

Bishop Franklin warmly welcomes those who live in other areas of Western New York to worship at other churches in the diocese. Church names, locations and service times can be found at www.welcomewny.org.

Whether or not church attendance has ever been a part of your life, whether you are a steadfast believer in Jesus Christ or someone who has a lot of questions about matters of faith, you'll find a warm welcome at all Episcopal churches in Western New York.

(Calendar courtesy of Trinity Wall Street)

Bishop Franklin will welcome members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday, October 20 at 8 am. St. Paul’s is providing space for two of the conference’s general sessions and is also included in their Downtown Buffalo Walking Tours.

Trinity Church on Delaware Avenue will also welcome the conference goers during Thursday's Walk & Gawk tour.On Tuesday, St. John's EPiscopal Church in Medina opened its doors during a special pre-conference tour of the town.

The current edifice of St. Paul’s Cathedral was designed by the noted architect Richard Upjohn and consecrated in 1851. It is said that Upjohn, who designed many churches during his career, considered St. Paul’s his finest church.

In May of 1888 the Cathedral suffered a gas explosion. All that remained after the ensuing fire were Upjohn’s sturdy stone walls. Reconstruction began in 1889, supervised by Robert W. Gibson. Gibson retained the original walls, introducing only minor changes to the exterior, and artfully bestowed the interior with a pleasing composite charm that mixed details from various architectural periods. The Cathedral reopened in January of 1890.

Trinity Church offers conference attendees the opportunity to view an incredible collection of stained glass windows by Tiffany and LaFarge. In 1869 the ladies of the parish commissioned LaFarge to design Trinity’s five chancel windows and its Rose Window. LaFarge, already famous in Boston and New York for his opalescent glass, filled the chancel with windows that told of the life of Jesus, based on European paintings from the High Renaissance. The ladies then commissioned twelve additional windows for the nave over the next ten years, including four more by LaFarge and five by the young Tiffany Co.

We are pleased to be able share these architectural gems.