Historic Bridgeport Church Shuts Down

A Catholic church in Bridgeport that has been open since 1892 is shutting down after 124 years in operation, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Sunday.

Maintenance costs needed to keep Saint Augustine Church in shape have built up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese said.

Saint Augustine had merged with Sacred Heart Parish in the summer of 2014. The church had an operating deficit of nearly $300,000 in its first year after that merger, church officials said.

Mold issues were also discovered in the basement of Saint August in December of 2015 that prevented the use of the church for any reason.

The church said that the pastor of Sacred Heart will determine what the building will be used for going forward.

Plans to shut the church down had been announced in the summer of 2015.

Image courtesy Archdiocese of Philadelphia.