For much of his nearly 67 years as a priest, the Rev. Fran Weldgen stood in front of a couple dozen professional football players in Orchard Park and did what he does best.
In this abridged Mass, often held in the linebackers' room in a nearby fieldhouse, Weldgen was given a brief 25 minutes to deliver the day's message. No hymns were sung and there were no pews to sit in. Yet Weldgen created a sacred space for the players to connect with their faith before they put it all on the line.
For a dedicated team chaplain, 25 minutes was enough.
A fixture in the Western New York Catholic community, Weldgen has been a steadfast and calming presence for many, including the Buffalo Bills. He served as chaplain for his hometown team for more than 30 years
and practiced his priesthood for the visiting team for several years before that.
Through bridging that gap between his faith and his love of the game, he's been presented opportunities afforded to few. He's spent game day mornings mingling with players and coaches over breakfast. He married Jim and Jill Kelly in the Tonawanda, New York church he called home for more than 20 years — my extended family are also longtime members of the parish. More recently, he comforted the Buffalo Bills team in the harrowing days after Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in Cincinnati.
When he chose to close that chapter in 2023, he was content. Weldgen was nearly 90, and he would still be able to see the team play — he has owned season tickets for more than 50 years.
But as the Bills' move to the new Highmark Stadium loomed, he knew he would be priced out. It came with mixed feelings and, as it turned out, dashed dreams of sending off the old stadium with a first Super Bowl win.
Then the call came, asking him to come back as team chaplain.
Maybe he could do it. One more year.
Bills chaplain shakeup cuts priest's retirement short
The Bills' chaplain spot opened up after the man who took Weldgen's place three years ago was charged with harassment in a December 2025 incident.
The Rev. Michael LaMarca, who Weldgen did not identify by name, was charged with second-degree harassment earlier this year after allegedly grabbing and pushing a parishioner of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in North Tonawanda. At the time, the Diocese of Buffalo said in a statement shared with WKBW they were aware of the matter and that "the Diocese will allow this matter to be handled in Court and will fully cooperate with law enforcement."
Why Weldgen agreed to rejoin Bills as chaplain
Two days before the Bills' home opener, Weldgen, dressed in all black except for the flash of his white clerical collar fastened around his neck, sat in the living room of his North Tonawanda home.
Two Bills helmets and five footballs — one signed by Jim Kelly as a Christmas gift to Weldgen; the others honoring his time supporting the team — lined a shelf suspended above the front entryway.
Four pristine seat cushions from the Bills' four Super Bowl trips, all of which Weldgen attended, rest against a small wall dividing the living room from the kitchen. And the commemorative towel given out at the Bills' last game played inside the old Highmark Stadium with his former seat number inscribed on it in black marker is framed on a wall near the front door.
Weldgen said the Bills "took the easy way out" in asking him to come back but it was an easy "Yes," because it meant he could be a priest again.
"I love saying Mass, I love being a priest and doing counseling and other stuff along the way," he added. "And, quite honestly, number two was I had no access to the new field, to the stadium. I couldn't afford the tickets."
As chaplain, Weldgen gets two tickets. His seats in the old stadium were aligned with the 40-yard line in the 100 level. Now, he'll be in the end zone.
"I suppose the outside chance of a Super Bowl was also attractive," he added.
Another season, another chance for the big win
On the night before the team's first regular season home game, Weldgen will drive the 40 minutes from North Tonawanda to Orchard Park. He always leaves early, he says, in case there's traffic. And he can't risk being late.
"Mass has to start at 7 p.m. and be over at 7:25 because a meeting starts at 7:30," Weldgen stressed.
And in the limited time he has, he doesn't pray for a victory. Instead, he prays for the players' health and their families.
Over the course of the next year, Weldgen will again help the Bills find his replacement. He's 91, will be nearing 92 by the end of this season. He knows his body can't handle sitting through games in Buffalo winters much longer and the team has offered transportation to-and-from Orchard Park.
But it's a new season in a new stadium with new coaches. So, he's sticking around in hopes he'll have one more chance to witness what all Bills fans believe is the team's destiny to bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
"I have a wonderful life," he says. "God keeps me living. I want to keep on working, keep on ministering."
And if the Bills ask him to come back again, he might just say yes.
Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers' taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: At 91, Bills chaplain comes out of retirement for one more run
