It may seem like just a number but to former members of this church, every day counts.
Bishop Henry made the decision to shutter Saint Patrick’s church on August 11, 2011, Saint Basil’s and Our Lady of Assumption were also set to follow suit, making way for a 1200 seat mega-church.
But plans for a new church have been on hold following a backlash from the catholic community.
“There are people who were baptized in this church, married in this church, their children have received their sacraments in this church so it means a great deal to many parishioners,” said Naronha.
The association says with each passing day, the temporary closure becomes more and more permanent. But the desire for its re-opening remains strong judging by the hundreds that turned out for its centennial celebration in august.
“It’s pretty hard to let go of something that’s loved so deeply, and that still has potential,” said St’s Patrick’s Centennial Chairman Brian Wright.
Plans for a mega-church came into play when it was determined all three churches would need extensive repairs to remain fully functional.
Father Kevin Tumback, the pastor at All Saints Parish, said he did not want to go on camera to discuss the closure, but says all three Lethbride churches are being assessed for repairs, and Tumback says once he has the damage estimates he will share those numbers with Global News.
Tumback says if the cost of restoring the three churches rivals the estimated $15-21 million mega-church the choice will likely be to build from the ground up.
An idea that’s not easy for parishioners to swallow.
“If these three churches were to be repaired and brought back into service we could then really assess if a new church is needed,” said Noronha. “If there is a need for a new church then that movement should come from the people, not from up top.”
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