St. Andrew’s Catholic Church a victim of time, change, expense — and, soon, the wrecking ball

Oct 08, 2018 1268

BY: KEVIN LEININGER

Fifteen years after hosting its final congregational mass, the century-old St. Andrew Catholic Church is slated for demolition. “It’s in need of repair, the bricks and steeples, and there are safety concerns. Repairs would cost about $2.1 million, and with no parish there, obviously, it makes no sense,” said the Rev. Mark Gurtner, vicar general for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

Erected in 1911, then-Bishop John D’Arcy closed the 103-family parish in 2003 when it was led by the Rev. Phillip Widmann, who was also pastor at the nearby and much larger St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Declining membership and a priest shortage requiring some men to serve more than one congregation contributed to the decision, D’Arcy explained at the time.

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SOURCE: http://www.news-sentinel.com

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