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Our
History
Mother
of Divine Grace parish was founded in May 1946. Portions
of the territories of Our Lady Help of Christians and
St. Aloysius parishes were used to form the boundaries
of our parish. Rev. James Harold Lucid was appointed
pastor and served as such until his death in October
1975.
Until completion of the church, services were held in
the Tiorunda Community Building on Maryvale Drive. The
Cornerstone for the church was laid and dedicated by the
Most Rev. John F. O'Hara, Bishop of Buffalo, on October
26, 1947. The cornerstone contains copies of various
newspapers, historical documents of that time, and US
coins of all denominations. The Holy Name Society and
Christian Mothers Sodality were also established in
1947.
 The
combination church and school building was completed in
May 1948. The convent and the rectory followed. The
parish held its first recorded First Holy Communion
Class in the church proper on May 23, 1948. A
"Building Fund Appeal" in 1954 provided
revenue which added to the school's expansion. In 1967,
the New York State Thruway cut through Cheektowaga,
changing the boundaries of the parish.
 The
appointment of Rev. S. Paul Ayoub as pastor in 1975, brought
about new ideas and progressive changes in the parish.
His knowledge and foresight initiated the drilling of a
gas well on the church property in October 1979. The
church was renovated and rededicated on October 19,
1980. Lighted facetted glass doors and windows enhanced
the beauty of the church, as did the new bell chimes,
which were added in 1983.
In 1988, the former convent was converted into Senior
Citizens apartments. The escalating cost of education,
and poor enrollment contributed to the closing of the
school in June 1989. The school building now houses a
Pre-School classroom, Kid's Klub Day Care, the Catholic
Pamphlet society, and Bethel Head Start. The remaining
classrooms are used for the parish Rel-Ed program.
Article by: Joan Schneiderman
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