BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — St. Bernadette in Orchard Park will remain a freestanding parish after a ruling from the Vatican, the Diocese of Buffalo confirmed to WIVB News 4 on Tuesday.

The ruling from the Vatican comes after parishioners publicly opposed the Diocese's decision to merge the church with SS. Peter & Paul in Hamburg and appealed the ruling to the Vatican.

St. Bernadette was among around 30 Western New York churches that filed appeals to the Vatican after the Diocese announced major changes last year to merge dozens of churches and close as many as 70 in an effort to pay back tens of millions of dollars owed in settled child sex abuse cases.

"The Diocese, will, of course, abide by this ruling and looks forward to [the] St. Bernadette parish community fully incorporating into the

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