St. Joseph's Church, located at 237 W Frack St., Frackville, announced to it's parishioners via a lettered dated October 9th, that it will be closing it's doors after services November 1st.
Three Frackville parishes: St. Joseph, St. Ann and Annunciation consolidated in July 2013 under the St. Joseph’s name. Worship services continued to be held in all three church buildings. Over the past two years, the pastor, Father Robert Finlan and the parish finance and advisory councils continued to study the situation, knowing that the parish’s financial condition would not long permit the use of all three buildings.
In the letter to parishioners, Father Robert Finlan sites that he submitted engineering reports to the Parish Capital Improvement Committee of the Diocese of Allentown for review and the PCIC responded with a recommendation that the church be closed and that the status changed under Church Law, so that it may be demolished.
The letter also sites that the church does not have a functioning boiler and due to the approaching colder weather that parishioners prepare for a final mass.
A letter from the Diocese of Allentown Bishop John Barres was read at all masses this past weekend to officially announce the closure.
In his letter, Bishop Barres wrote, “This closing will cause heavy hearts because the church building has been a cherished (part)…of your faith lives for many years. As you face this loss with courage, I and the faithful of the Diocese of Allentown will stand with you in prayer.”
The final mass has been scheduled for November 1st, 2015 at 11:30am.
Construction on the building that will close began in 1912. The cornerstone was laid in September of that year and the church was dedicated in 1913.