Pittsburgh Diocese Announces Closure Date Of St. John Vianney Church

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - For years, the Pittsburgh Diocese has been faced with declining numbers of parishioners. As a result, they have been forced to close historic churches all around the city.

Over the weekend, it became official that the Allentown neighborhood will be losing St. John Vianney when the diocese closes the church this spring.

According to a release from the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, the parish is a little more than $3 million in debt, and repairs to the church would cost more than $1 million. Additionally, parish membership has dropped severely in the past decade from around 5,800 to less than 1,500. In late 2014, there were discussions about Saint John Vianney's financial state, and in late summer of 2015, the decision was made to dissolve the parish and close the church.

"I was very surprised. I know it was coming, but I didn't think it would be that soon," Mary Lou Parker said.

It was the news they all new was coming, but they didn't know when.

"It's been announced at all the masses that our church St. John Vianney is going to be closing on April 3," Bob Kress, of the St. George Church Preservation Society, said.

Parishioners in Allentown had been told as much as a decade ago that their financially strapped church would close. Now, there is a date.

"I have been going here all my life. I've been here as a child -- went to school -- and now it's gone. I got married here and I won't be able to come here anymore," Maryann Weber said.

"This is where we meet everybody. This is where we are home to everybody. You know? This is where all our friends are. I don't know. I don't like it. You have to do what the bishop says," Parker said.

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"Where have the people gone? They went to other churches because of negativity around here. There was too much negativity. We were told ten years ago that this church was going to close. It was going to be a parking lot. Ten years ago," Andrea Evans said.

The St. George Church Preservation Society isn't ready to give up the fight. They said they have support among the parishioners and pledges for financial backing, too.

The group has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for the church repairs and restoration.

"Initially, we will appeal this to the bishop and ask him to reconsider our proposal and we will modify it and try to enhance it so that it is something he can approve," Kress said.

In the meantime, the harsh reality is setting in that the only Catholic church in Allentown will be no more.

"We need this church. We need this building. It's not just bricks and mortars. There's souls in there," Evans said.

The parish territory will be split between Saint Basil in Carrick, Saint Mary of the Mount in Mount Washington and Prince of Peace in South Side. Allentown, Arlington Heights, Beltzhoover, Knoxville and Mount Oliver are all included in the parish territory.