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Diocese finds buyer for Immaculate Conception Church

Morning Journal file/Jo Ann Bobby-Gilbert The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church as its looked in 2011.

WELLSVILLE — The building which previously served as Immaculate Conception Church will be under new ownership by the end of the year.

The former church, located on Main Street in Wellsville, merged with the St. Aloysius and St. Ann parishes, in East Liverpool, in 2011 as a result of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown’s reconfiguration to form Holy Trinity Parish.

According to a bulletin from Holy Trinity Parish this weekend, an offer was accepted on the former Immaculate Conception Church and was in the process of closing and finishing paperwork with plans to turn over the keys by the end of the year.

The bulletin did not name the new owners or the selling price, but did say the buyer will also acquire the former rectory and parking lot and would re-sell it as a church. The church also said that deed restrictions attached to the sale will prevent Immaculate Conception from being sold for any profane use.

It was also said that Immaculate Conception is currently being cleaned for mold removal, and that all holy objects that were inside the church — such as sacred vessels, vestments, the tabernacle and altar stones — have been moved to the parish archives, and whatever can be cleaned and still usable will be donated to the missions “so that they can continue in their purpose of bringing about the Eucharist to those in need.”

In a statement made by Save the Immaculate Conception Church member Beverly Hentzell, she thanked fellow members who worked to try to keep the church open over the past seven years.

“This church was built and maintained by generations and the interior holds countless beautiful memories,” Hentzell said. “Thank you to all members of the Save ICC Committee and all who supported the church remaining open. God bless each and every one of you. Wishing you blessings in the New Year.”

Immaculate Conception was one of several churches which were affected as part of the 2011 reconfiguration — per a decree made by Bishop George V. Murry — which was done because of the declining population throughout the diocese’s six-county reach along with a decline in the number of available priests. The final regular Sunday service at Immaculate Conception was held later that year.

Several former parishioners, however, challenged Bishop Murry’s decree, formed the Save the Immaculate Conception Church committee and filed an appeal with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, which handles these matters.

The Vatican Congregation ruled in 2012 that the reasons to close Immaculate Conception were not “sufficient and grave” as required by Canon Law, and Bishop Murry rescinded his relegation of the church to non-sacred status. Under a new decree, the church would remain open, but only for prayer and devotion once a week and to hold one mass annually on Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

In 2015, however, the diocese determined that the church had not received enough financial or local support to keep the church going, and issued a decree last year that the reasons for closing were sufficient and grave under Canon Law, and again relegated the church to non-sacred status, a decision upheld by the Vatican Congregation soon after.

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