Basilica dome restoration to be completed after OLV receives $1.2 million

LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WIVB) — The State Assembly is investing in furthering the legacy of Father Nelson Baker by helping fund the restoration of Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna.

“This place isn’t just a church, it is significant to every person in Western New York. Father Baker and this place is built into who we are,” said Assemblyman Patrick Burke, New York State Assembly District 142.

On Tuesday, Burke and Speaker for the New York State Assembly Carl Heastie, handed OLV a check worth an amount the church was not expecting.

“Never in a million years, and I mean this, never in a million years did I think he was going to go from 250,000 to 1.2 million, and that is transformational,” said Monsignor David LiPuma, the president of the OLV Institution. “That is going to help us now to complete the work we’ve begun there and allow us to do so many other things that also need to be done.”

LiPuma shares that OLV helps 12,000 children and family youth every year.

“Just the legacy of what Father Baker done here and what continues, that’s what you hope that when you do positive things, you hope that it bears fruit later on in life, and I think the best way for us to give a thank you to Father Baker is to continue to support his work,” said Heastie.

OLV is also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the building of their crown jewel: the Basilica.

Since 2021, they have been working on restoring the Basilica, restoring the infrastructure, the interior flooring and pews, and they’re working on restoring the copper dome.

LiPuma said the cost for the entire restoration project is around $13 million, including $4.5 million to restore the dome. They’ve been working on closing a gap of $1.2 million to complete the funding for the dome.

“Together we are all ensuring that this Basilica remains a place of faith, culture and community impact for the next century,” said LiPuma.

They expect the restorations happening inside the Basilica to be complete in May of 2026, and the copper dome restoration to be complete in 2027.