BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Preservationists and city residents went before Buffalo lawmakers Tuesday to protect five Catholic churches from the possibility of ever being demolished in a push for the approval of landmark status. Last month, the Diocese of Buffalo announced its official list of church closures and mergers due to a shortage of priests and plummeting church attendance, among other issues. Churches that are currently on track to get landmark status are Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. John Kanty, St. Stanislaus, St. Rose of Lima and St. Thomas Aquinas. The city's Preservation Board has recommended landmark status for these churches and now it's up to city lawmakers to act. "Oftentimes, it was the churches that came first that built the neighborhoods around it and I think that adaptive reusing the structures will help the City of Buffalo and revitalizing itself and we're sophisticated enough where we've seen at churches all around the world can try to be adaptively reused," said Buffalo Common Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski. In committee, lawmakers approved landmark status for the five churches, but the full council still needs to vote a week from Tuesday. The diocese said the granting of landmark status won't change its plan on the closing and merging of churches. Latest Local News Haunted attraction in Cheektowaga donating proceeds to local charity NYSDOT proposes improvement project to portion of Milestrip Road in Hamburg Jury finds property owner, tenants of Bethlehem Steel site negligent in 2016 fire Five Catholic churches in Buffalo to be granted landmark status 1 dead after shooting on West Ferry Street Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here.