Several members of the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Gills Pier gathered for a prayer hour as the 140-year-old parish is being downgraded to a limited-use church by the end of June.
“This place is so beautiful. I used to walk here before I was Catholic and go up into the cemetery, and I would always find peace,” parishioner Mary Leon said. “When it turned out that I was diving into the faith, I found that this parish was so welcoming, even though I wasn’t Catholic, they accepted me. This church helped me see the love of Jesus in our daily walk over the years ... I want to see that the light of this church remains lit. The candle over in the front is red, and that signifies the Eucharist ... There’s sadness that this is where we are at as a body of Christ.”
The last full-mass is slated for Sunday, June 28. St. Gertrude in Northport will face fate. Mary joined the parish in 2011 alongside her mother Susann Lederle, who’s been in the church for almost 40 years.
