600 Doat Street
Buffalo, NY 14211-2602
(716) 892-4141
History of the Convent
In 1893, the Felician Sisters purchased a 6-acre site in Cheektowaga, a suburb of Buffalo. Over the next 20 years, as more and more young women joined them, they outgrew this property. In 1921, they purchased a new site on the outskirts of Buffalo, and in 1929, they dedicated the new chapel, motherhouse and academy. With 80,000 square feet, Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent comprises of two broad rectangular buildings, each with an inner court, and a church with a choir at the center, constructed of red brick in Gothic revival style. Built with plans brought to America from Poland, this convent was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The original school, known as Villa Maria Academy, closed in 2006 and was repurposed in 2023 as Angela’s House, affordable housing for seniors.
