PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Roman Catholic church founded 82 years ago for Providence’s Lithuanian population is closing.
The Providence Diocese announced Wednesday that St. Casimir Parish will shut down July 1 because the church building has significant structural damage that is too costly to repair and attendance at Mass has declined sharply.
Bishop Thomas Tobin says the decision came after “several years of study, discussion and downsizing.”
The diocese says there were no baptisms, first Communions or confirmations from 2014 to 2016, and only one wedding during that period. Just 12 people attended the last Mass in March.
Leaks in the church’s roof have caused interior water damage, and the cost to repair the roof alone is estimated at $90,000.
St. Casimir’s sacramental records will be stored at St. Patrick.
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