NATIONAL FUND PROFILE :
Our Lady of Victory
By Lily Hamilton
Grants Manager , National Fund for Sacred Places
Visible for miles in all directions , Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica ’ s massive copper dome dominates the Lackawanna skyline on the edge of Buffalo , New York . For over 100 years , Our Lady of Victory has been a local bedrock , at times attracting more than 40,000 visitors annually . It has served as a boost to Lackawanna , which has endured decades of transition since the closure of Bethlehem Steel ’ s manufacturing facility in the 1970s .
Father Nelson Baker , a priest , businessman , and Civil War veteran , was the visionary behind Our Lady of Victory . Known as the Padre of the Poor , Fr . Baker left a legacy of service to the Western New York community that has lasted decades . Particularly passionate about serving children , he led the construction of a boys ’ protectory , a home for infants , and two schools on the parish campus . After a fire damaged the original St . Patrick ’ s Church beyond repair in 1916 , Fr . Baker — inspired by his lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary , as well as by the many magnificent Catholic shrines of Europe — enlisted an international team of craftspeople to assist in designing a grand basilica to take its place . He envisioned a “ city of charity ” to benefit his parishioners and the surrounding community .
10 SACRED PLACES • FALL / WINTER 2023 – 24