The transit police officer who survived a showdown with the …
Newport woman among the many victims returning to the city for …
Gov. Deval Patrick and his wife, Diane, are grandparents for …
Advertisement
Parishioners protest church closing
Church Buried in Debt, Needs Millions in Repairs
Updated: Saturday, 14 Jul 2012, 8:35 AM EDT
Published : Saturday, 14 Jul 2012, 8:35 AM EDT
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) -- Parishioners from a New Bedford church are doing everything they can to keep its doors open.
Friday night they held a candlelight vigil on the front steps of St. John the Baptist Parish. The Fall River Diocese plans on closing the church, which dates back to 1913. It is the oldest Portuguese parish in the country.
The church is facing a mountain of debt, and is in need of millions of dollars worth of repairs. However, members say things are improving. They've reduced the debt by $60,000, and increased registrants. They're praying the bishop will reconsider his decision to close the church, which many describe as a large family.
If the church is forced to shut down, the parish will merge with Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is less than a mile away.
Copyright WPRI
Ground rules for posting comments: No profanity or personal attacks. Please comment on the subject of the story itself. If you do not follow these rules, we will remove your post. Keep it civil, folks!
Our commenting section is powered by IntenseDebate. If you registered for an account but didn't receive a verification e-mail, check your spam folder or click here for more information. For additional technical help, click here.
Email This
Print This
View Story on a Single PageAdvertisement
Advertisement