Former Conneaut Catholic Church's bell removed

CONNEAUT — Corpus Christi Parish began removing the bell from the site of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, once a Catholic Church, Tuesday. The former church was one of two in the parish, the other of which — St.

Francis Cabrini — is still in use. Nick Perkoski, the Diocesan pastoral associate for the parish, said the parish had a hard time with the St. Mary’s infrastructural problems, including rotten wood in the steeple and a tower with crumbling masonry.



“With the effects of COVID and losing some of our congregation, our finances were in even worse a condition to maintain both buildings,” he said. Since the church closed, the parish has been desacralizing the property, which involves removing sacred items from the former church, which included the church bell’s removal. Perkoski said the reaction from Conneaut has been mixed.

“Most of our parishioners understand that we’re a smaller congregation now,” he said. “We can’t afford to have two buildings, and our focus really isn’t about buildings, it’s about doing our ministry, bringing people to God. So, putting all our finances and all our efforts into trying to keep two buildings going, we felt it necessary, as well as the Diocese of Youngstown .

.. decided that it was time to have it closed.

” Perkoski said St. Mary’s was where he learned his faith. “My family lived closer to St.

Mary, so we often went there instead for mass on Sunday,” he said. “My growing up here was kind of a formation for me and my faith.” Perkoski said the parish sympathizes.

“We understand how sensitive this has been for those who have such an attachment [to St. Mary’s],” he said. “This has been a difficult process for the parish community and for the community of Conneaut, but we’re moving forward with our mission.

” Perkoski said the former church building is in the process being put up for sale. “We’re hoping that there is [interest],” he said. “We have to be very careful of who we sell it to because it is a former church, so along with it goes deed restrictions.

” Before it is sold, the Diocese of Youngstown will send a representative to the former church to see if it’s been properly desacralized..