It is with profound sorrow and enduring gratitude that we share the passing of Amy Betros, beloved co-founder and director of St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. Amy passed peacefully in her sleep early this morning, April 30, 2025, embraced by the love and prayers of the mission community she so selflessly served.

Together with the late Norm Paolini, Amy founded St. Luke’s on August 1, 1994. For more than 31 years, their unwavering devotion brought God’s mercy to life in Buffalo’s East Side. Under their leadership, St. Luke’s became a haven for the most vulnerable in our community — serving over 1,000 meals daily, clothing those in need through the Mission Mall, sheltering single mothers and children at Gospa Village, and preparing to open Build Promise, a transformative new facility for homeless men, later this year.

Amy, 71, was no stranger to hard work or heartfelt service. Before answering the call to ministry, she ran the much-loved Amy’s Place restaurant in Buffalo. It was there that she first began feeding not only stomachs but spirits — an act of mercy that would define the rest of her life.

“While the vision for St. Luke’s was given to Amy and Norm some 31 years ago, they surrounded themselves with many missionaries and thousands of volunteers, donors, and friends — all of whom now share that vision and are dedicated to bringing it to fruition,” said Dennis Gilhooley, Lay Missionary at St. Luke’s.

“The spirit that animated Amy and Norm — expressed in the mission of St. Luke’s — remains firmly in place and will continue to guide our every decision and action. The greatest way to honor her memory is to carry forward her work: to love, to serve and to show mercy,” added Mr. Gilhooley.