Church To Close In West Haven

WEST HAVEN, CT — St. Lawrence Church in West Haven will be closing due to the high cost of needed major repairs and maintenance to the building, according to the New Haven Register.

Rev. José Mercado, pastor of St. John XXIII Parish, told parishioners of the decision to close the church during a meeting that was streamed on Facebook over the weekend. St. John XXIII Parish is a parish community comprised of parishioners from the former parishes of St. Lawrence, St. Louis and St. Paul.

The parish community includes the campuses of St. Lawrence Church on Main Street and St. Louis Church on Bull Hill Lane.

The Register reported that an inventory of the buildings found that it would cost more than $2 million to make all the needed repairs, but St. Lawrence Church – the oldest church in West Haven – had the most expensive cost.

A “dwindling in religious practice” was also a factor in deciding to close a building, according to the Register.

Mercado also told parishioners that St. Lawrence School will remain open. He said in a letter that the school “remains vibrant and will continue to be.”

Read more at the New Haven Register here.