CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — Scores of Catholic churches in the Buffalo Diocese are facing their doors being shuttered, leaving each parish to work to get the diocese to spare their closures.

"The amount of money that it has to go out is staggering," said St. Aloysius Gonzaga parishioner Dan Furmanek. "They need a new home. Their home is up for sale. So, you know, St. Aloysius, we are offering a pledge."

His parish in Western New York is putting their name in the ring, a proposal which would save their house of worship, among other things.

"We have a food pantry here. The fire trucks come here to train," he said. "We have many services for the police. Dogs come here to train, polling places where you come to vote."

Local dioceses are facing struggles, from legal to financial.

"So right now, donations. Nobody's giving donations because everybody's adopted a wait-and-see kind of an attitude," he said. "Well, when the dust settles, the diocese, the catholic center will once again prosper."

That's brought some like Furmanek to head up a pitch process. Others in the region are giving organizations like Preservation Buffalo Niagara a ring.

"We've had hundreds of people call about their churches, we've had emails, from a place of just desperation," said Preservation Buffalo Niagara executive director Bernice Radle.

The idea of at least saving the brick and mortar while other processes play out has been a go-to 'hail mary.'

"The first question is, it a local landmark? Is it on the National Register of Historic Places?" she noted.

So what can people like Radle and PBN do? Help sort through paperwork, make sure available grants and programs are utilized, although it's been overload.

"We normally do. I would say, like, in a good year if I, if we have our fully staff, we're doing all the things I'd say between 5 and 10 local landmarks is where we would love to be," Radle said. "In the last 30 days, we have completed six local landmarks for our churches. We have multiples of them also being edited right now."

Organizations like PBN are immensely helpful for parishes who might be looking to buy out their building and keep a community together rather than keep the backing of the Catholic Church.

"I've encouraged a lot of people to call the diocese and say, can we buy this," she added. "Especially if they really care about it. Can we buy? This is the question. And then I'm like, if they say yes, if it's on the table, call us and we will help. I will personally help them walk through pro forma on their building. What is their income? What could their expenses be? What does their insurance look like, you know, to help them guide them through that process?"

Time is running out for a number of parishes, but Furmanek and some others are hoping to get the diocese on board.

"Because just like the military says, leave no soldier behind. We will go back and we will save what we can save," said Furmanek.

The idea that saving the brick and mortar, setting up a new HQ to rebuild and reconvene, there's no shortage of faith.

"We will help recover. Buffalo needs to recover. These are dark times, but there's better times ahead, I promise you. As sure as the sun will come up, there are better days ahead," he said.