St. Colman Church held its final Mass Wednesday night, marking the end of more than a century of worship.“It’s tough,” Jerry Meyer said. “I was business manager here for 20 years and ran… up until the end. A lot of good memories.”The church is the last of seven in St. Joseph the Worker Parish to close because of declining attendance and financial strain. All services will be held at St. Maurice in Forest Hills.The congregation at St. Colman was established in 1882. The current church building opened in 1978, and many parishioners who attended Wednesday’s final Mass have been part of the community for decades.“I moved here when I married my husband, and he was born, baptized, all his sacraments,” Betsy Kryjowski said. “Our five children went to school here. Three of them have been married here. We taught religion. I ran the religion program, worked in the preschool program. It was perfect. It was wonderful, and we’ll miss it.”Beyond the building and the memories inside it, many parishioners said they realized this was the last time their community would gather as its own congregation.“It’s the kindness, and the love and the peace of the people,” Mary Fisher said. “I’m really going to miss the people. I love this church. It’s sad that it’s ending, but God is with us.”Leaders at St. Joseph the Worker Parish are encouraging parishioners from the closing churches to come together at St. Maurice.“It’s always difficult changing patterns, changing routines,” the Rev. Michael Stumpf said. “And yet, we’ve also emphasized for the folks who are typically from Saint Maurice, this is a change for them, too. As a matter of fact, even the church interior is going to look different when people walk into it this coming weekend.”Some parishioners said that while the building is closing, their faith will continue wherever they gather.“I would go anywhere because Jesus is anywhere,” Mary Rushe said. “As long as he’s in that tabernacle, I don’t care what building I’m in. It’s just a shell.”The new Mass schedule for parishioners begins Saturday with a 4 p.m. vigil service at St. Maurice.

TURTLE CREEK, Pa. —

St. Colman Church held its final Mass Wednesday night, marking the end of more than a century of worship.

“It’s tough,” Jerry Meyer said. “I was business manager here for 20 years and ran… up until the end. A lot of good memories.”

The church is the last of seven in St. Joseph the Worker Parish to close because of declining attendance and financial strain. All services will be held at St. Maurice in Forest Hills.

The congregation at St. Colman was established in 1882. The current church building opened in 1978, and many parishioners who attended Wednesday’s final Mass have been part of the community for decades.

“I moved here when I married my husband, and he was born, baptized, all his sacraments,” Betsy Kryjowski said. “Our five children went to school here. Three of them have been married here. We taught religion. I ran the religion program, worked in the preschool program. It was perfect. It was wonderful, and we’ll miss it.”

Beyond the building and the memories inside it, many parishioners said they realized this was the last time their community would gather as its own congregation.

“It’s the kindness, and the love and the peace of the people,” Mary Fisher said. “I’m really going to miss the people. I love this church. It’s sad that it’s ending, but God is with us.”

Leaders at St. Joseph the Worker Parish are encouraging parishioners from the closing churches to come together at St. Maurice.

“It’s always difficult changing patterns, changing routines,” the Rev. Michael Stumpf said. “And yet, we’ve also emphasized for the folks who are typically from Saint Maurice, this is a change for them, too. As a matter of fact, even the church interior is going to look different when people walk into it this coming weekend.”

Some parishioners said that while the building is closing, their faith will continue wherever they gather.

“I would go anywhere because Jesus is anywhere,” Mary Rushe said. “As long as he’s in that tabernacle, I don’t care what building I’m in. It’s just a shell.”

The new Mass schedule for parishioners begins Saturday with a 4 p.m. vigil service at St. Maurice.