The diocese of Allentown and the parish of Our Lady of Mercy have thrown in the towel on the possibility of raising the money needed to repair the main church building. The church, formerly St. Joseph's, was closed two weeks ago and all operations were transferred to the oratory, formerly St. Bernard's.
That the parish had two church buildings may seem odd. However:
- St. Joseph's was the largest of the church buildings and therefore was able to accommodate the three combined parishes
- St. Bernard's was the oldest parish in this part of Pennsylvania, the "mother church" for all the rest, including St. Joseph's.
So there were practical and historico-sentimental reasons for keeping both in operation. Now the large and liturgically rich church will be used only on Christmas and Easter and for
Kirchweihe and the like. Marriages and funerals will be done in it, if requested.
A farewell to old St. Joseph
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