Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church is one of the finest examples of 12th century Lombard-Romanesque architecture in the United States. Located at 317 Leroy Avenue in the heart of Buffalo, New York, the edifice is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its unique style makes it stand out from other churches in Western New York.

Blessed Trinity Parish was established in the northeast section of the City of Buffalo in 1906. In the early 1920s, the second pastor, Rev. Albert Fritton, wanted to build a new church like those found in northern Italy. He selected Chester Oakley and Albert Schallmo as architects. Construction began in 1923 and the church was dedicated in 1928. When it was completed, the total expenditures amounted to $513,000. In 1976, the replacement cost of the building was estimated at four and a quarter million dollars. Today, it would be impossible to reproduce as it now stands because craftsmen knowledgeable in the various processes used in its construction are no longer available.

 

 

Scheduling a Tour

Individuals or groups wishing to schedule tours of the church may do so by contacting the rectory at 716-833-0301 during office hours or using the contact form at the bottom of this page. At this time there are no COVID restrictions and visitors are not required to wear masks. Docent guided tours of the church exterior are also available.

Summertime 2024 Tour Opportunities
June 23, July 28, Aug 25, Sep 22

Blessed Trinity Church introduces its summertime “Sacred Space Sundays.” Join us for worship and stay for an informal tour on the fourth Sunday of June, July, August and September. Docents will be available beginning at approximately 11 AM for anyone wishing to know more about the building’s history, art and architecture. No reservation is required. Located at 317 Leroy Avenue in Buffalo, our Landmark church is wheelchair accessible with off-street parking.

Eighty-eight years later, we're still celebrating the history of our Landmark Church, its place in our community, and the congregations who have called it home. Photo credit: Todd Treat

One hundred years later, we’re still celebrating the history of our Landmark Church, its place in our community, and the congregations who have called it home. Photo credit: Todd Treat

Construction Centennial Observance, August 6, 2023

Blessed Trinity R. C. Church, a Buffalo Landmark since 1977, is observing the centennial of the laying of its cornerstone on Sunday, August 6, 2023. Rev. Robert L. Gebhard, Jr., Senior Parochial Vicar, will conclude the 10:00 AM Mass with an outdoor rededication ceremony commemorating the original dedication by Bishop William Turner on August 7, 1923. It marks the beginning of a five-year centennial observance of the building’s construction from 1923-1928. The anniversary event will begin with...

Sacred Sites Open House, Sun. May 21, 2023

May 21st Sacred Sites Open House ~ Docents and greeters alike were pleased with the turnout at this year's Sacred Sites Open House. Blessed Trinity was one of more than 100 houses of worship celebrating the New York Landmarks Conservancy's 50th anniversary celebration by participating in their statewide Sacred Sites Open House Weekend. We welcomed more than 50 visitors, doubling our 2022 numbers, and 27 stayed to enjoy the 3pm finale. Elizabeth Clay made a presentation on the church's 1927...

Sacred Sites Open House, Sun. May 21, 2023

Blessed Trinity’s Sacred Sites Open House Sunday, May 21, 2023 1:00-3:00 p.m. Blessed Trinity Church celebrates the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s 50th anniversary by participating in its statewide Sacred Sites Weekend. This year's theme, Congregations and Communities, seeks to "highlight how sacred sites create community connections...." We invite the public to learn about our Landmark site and the connections our faith community has made over more than a century at an Open House on Sunday,...

“Inside Blessed Trinity Church” with Explore Buffalo, Feb. 19, 2023

Blessed Trinity Welcomes Explore Buffalo Sunday, February 19 at 2:00 p.m. Click HERE to reserve your place. Built between 1925 and 1928, Blessed Trinity Church is considered to be the purest replication of twelfth century Lombard-Romanesque architecture in the USA. In addition to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a NYS Historical Site and was the first architectural landmark recognized by Buffalo’s Landmark & Preservation Board in 1977. Experienced docents will...

“Inside Blessed Trinity Church” with Explore Buffalo, Jan. 7, 2023

Blessed Trinity Welcomes Explore Buffalo for the first tour of 2023. Saturday, January 7 at 2:00 p.m. Click HERE to reserve your place. Built between 1925 and 1928, Blessed Trinity Church is considered to be the purest replication of twelfth century Lombard-Romanesque architecture in the USA. In addition to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a NYS Historical Site and was the first architectural landmark recognized by Buffalo’s Landmark & Preservation Board in...

Visit Buffalo’s Medieval Masterpiece on Oct. 30, 2022

Explore Buffalo®, is a non-profit organization providing opportunities to discover Buffalo’s great architecture, including Blessed Trinity. Visit https://explorebuffalo.org to reserve your place for our unique All-Hallows Eve/All Saints Day tour on Sunday, October 30 at 12:30 p.m. Think skulls, devils, monsters and graveyards are just symbols we associate with Halloween? You’ll find them all in the medieval iconography displayed on the church facade. Inside, marvel at a saintly procession in...

September “Sights and Sounds” Attract Large Audience

An appreciative audience of more than 125 attended a performance by the St. John Paul II Schola Cantorum, following Explore Buffalo's Sacred Sites tour of Blessed Trinity on September 16, 2022.

The Sights and Sounds of Blessed Trinity, Sept 16, 2022

Blessed Trinity Church will join Explore Buffalo’s free “Doors Open Houses of Worship Series” on Friday evening, September 16. Following a 6:30pm presentation on its history, art and architecture, enjoy a docent guided tour of one of Buffalo’s most amazing churches. At 7:30pm, experience the building’s splendid acoustic as the a cappella voices of the St. John Paul II Schola Cantorum sing Catholic choral masterpieces from the sixteenth through twenty-first centuries. Click HERE or call (716)...

Sacred Sites Open House, Sat. July 23, 2022

Blessed Trinity’s Sacred Sites Open House Saturday, July 23, 2022 2:00-3:30 p.m. Blessed Trinity Church joins the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Eleventh Annual Sacred Sites Open House. This year’s theme, Open Doors, celebrates the return to in-person programming and highlights the broad spectrum of historical periods, faith traditions, and styles of religious architecture found in communities throughout the Empire State. As a participating congregation, Blessed Trinity will showcase its...

Blessed Trinity, University Presbyterian featured on 2021 Virtual Statewide Tour of Churches

New York Landmarks Conservancy Virtual Statewide Tour of Churches Thursday, August 19. 2021, 6 – 7 PM You may have visited Blessed Trinity during one of the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House Weekends – an annual event held each May from 2010-19. After a pandemic cancellation in 2020, the Conservancy chose to restart with a virtual tour of 11 houses of worship in 6 different New York counties. Blessed Trinity and University Presbyterian Church, both located in Buffalo,...