BANGOR, Pa. - Another church is closing in the Diocese of Allentown.
The diocese announced it will close the Our Lady of Good Counsel Church building in Bangor because of its age and the need for costly repairs.
Our Lady of Good Counsel parish includes what used to be three separate churches – Our Lady of Good Counsel, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Roseto and St. Vincent DePaul Church in Portland.
They came together in 2023 in another round of consolidations.
The final Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel at 436 S. Second St. will be Saturday, Feb. 7, the diocese said in a news release.
After the church closes, parishioners who attended the one weekly Mass there will be invited to worship with the rest of the parish at Our Lady of Mount Carmel a little more than a mile away in Roseto, according to the diocese.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which for decades hosted the annual summer Big Time celebration, holds three Masses per week.
“While these repairs are daunting and would be very costly, I also recognize that Our Lady of Good Counsel is valued by many.”Rev. Daniel Kravatz, parish pastor
A letter to parishioners by Bishop Alfred Schlert, explaining the decision to close the Our Lady of Good Counsel building, was read at all Masses over the weekend.
The Rev. Daniel Kravatz, parish pastor, said the decision has been months in the making.
“For everyone who would rather not see this building close, please know that I and all parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel will do everything we possibly can to welcome you to worship with us in Roseto,” Kravatz said in the news release.
He said Our Lady of Good Counsel needs a new roof and trusses, as well as plumbing repairs and a new HVAC system. Nesting squirrels and bats in the building have caused health concerns, he added.
“While these repairs are daunting and would be very costly,” Kravatz said, “I also recognize that Our Lady of Good Counsel is valued by many.”
In September, the pastor held a town hall meeting with parishioners to discuss the future of the building and to seek input on its future, according to the diocese.
Kravatz said because of declining attendance, an ongoing operating deficit and the cost and scope of repairs, the decision was made to close the building.
Besides Bishop Schlert, the closure was approved by the parish pastoral and finance councils, and the diocesan Council of Priests, the diocese said.
