Our Lady Help of Christians Church Announces Closure Due To Financial Strain
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced that the Our Lady Help of Christians Church building will no longer serve as a worship site and it will close as a Roman Catholic Church.
The announcement follows a series of attempts to repair and maintain the church, but the costs were too substantial.
The financial strain has led Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. to approve the relegation that will close the worship site on June 4th.
Located in Northeast Philadelphia, Our Lady Help of Christians Parish merged with Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in June 2016.
The merger was part of a Parish Area Pastoral Planning Initiative that had been ongoing in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Parishioners of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary were told the news at Masses over the weekend.
The formal request to close this worship site originated from the pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish together with his parish pastoral and finance councils.
During 2017, the total debts incurred by Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish for Our Lady Help of Christians Parish exceeded $140,000.
By the end of March 2018, debts already exceeded $20,000.