Members of a Catholic church in New Rochelle say they are
fighting for their faith and their future as the church faces closure by the
Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Members of St. Joseph’s Catholic
Church located on Washington Avenue rallied Sunday after hearing the
church is set to close July 1.
The archdiocese cited low attendance, lack of profitability, the
condition of the building and shortages of priests statewide as reasons for the
closure.
Maria Figueroa-Valencia has been a member of the church since childhood.
"The church is the heart of our community, and we have to fight for
it and the archdiocese has to know that we will do what we can to save it,” says Figueroa-Valencia.
The battle to serve the church includes faithful defenders of all ages.
Members are hoping the archdiocese will reverse its decision and save St.
Joseph's for generations to come.
"With everything that’s going on in their world, we need a little bit of faith, a little bit
of community, especially in New Rochelle and we feel very strongly about our
parish," says Philip Sidoti, a church trustee.