By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – The Diocese of Buffalo said goodbye Monday to a former leader. A two-hour Mass of Christian Burial was held at Saint Joseph's Cathedral for Bishop Edward Head. It featured more than 160 priests, 11 bishops and one archbishop.
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Former Buffalo Chancellor, Robert Cunningham, now bishop of Ogdensburg, called Bishop Head a "gentle giant." He delivered the homily. Cunningham credited Bishop Head with giving the laity more of a role in the Church. He said the late Bishop also reached out to African-Americans and Hispanics. It's estimated that Bishop Head confirmed 50,000 young people during his 32 years in Buffalo.
Bishop Head was entombed inside St. Joseph's Cathedral. He served as Bishop of Buffalo from 1973 until 1995.