WATERBURY, Conn. — The Hartford Archdiocese has announced plans to close a Catholic church, St. Joseph's in Waterbury.
Officials made the announcement, saying they regretted the action, but only 67 registered households in the parish make it difficult to leave the parish open.
The Archdiocese says only one mass is celebrated there during the week. The church holds cultural significance to area Lithuanian Catholics, but the only mass is celebrated in English.
"Given the vocational crisis our archdiocese is facing, it simply is not feasible to dedicate a full-time priest to the parish with the fewest registered parishioners of any Catholic parish in Hartford, New Haven, and Litchfield counties," said officials.
The St. Joseph community will merge with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. "Lithuanian social and cultural activities and spiritual devotions, should the people support them, can certainly continue at Our Lady of Mount Carmel."
The last mass will reportedly be held on September 24.
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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