HTR profiles parish merger and sale in Manitowoc

MANITOWOC – St. Francis of Assisi Parish and Hope House officials believe if St. Boniface were alive on Earth today he would approve of what's happening to the church bearing his name.

They know they have the required blessing of Catholic Diocese of Green Bay Bishop David Ricken.

A recently signed agreement opens the way toward possible sale of the historic church, which opened in 1853, to the organization providing shelter to homeless women and couples, with or without children in the adjacent rectory.

St. Boniface Catholic Church has not been the site of regular worship services for nearly 10 years since the July 1 "birth" of the consolidated St. Francis of Assisi Parish. The last two years' Christmas and Easter liturgies that had been at the church were moved to Roncalli High School.

"Our merger into one parish really brought the Catholic community together," said the Rev. Dave Pleier, who on Thursday signed a new lease with option to buy agreement with Sister Camilla Wolfgram, Hope House's current board chairwoman.
continue at HTR News

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

They always give this spin after the closing of parishes. I am sure there are plenty of people who did not join the "merged parish" and others who when they died were buried right from the funeral home. And if they have to go to the Catholic high school for Christmas Masses, why don't they open up the parishes that were closed?

Anonymous said...

Yeah St. Boniface really would apporove of another Catholic church closing.

Badger Catholic said...

Agreed, I thought this article was unfair to those who didn't want the merger.

Anonymous said...

Is this another case of a beautiful, historical Church building at the heart of a community ( the sort of place where one can get a sense of the " smell of the sheep" to quote Pope Francis) being closed in lieu of a large, modern building outside of town with ample parking but looks very little like a church?