A Roman Catholic church in the Slate Belt that the Allentown Diocese calls an “aging structure in need of many costly repairs” is closing.

Our Lady of Good Counsel church in Bangor will hold its last Mass on Feb. 7, the diocese announced Monday in a news release.

The church had been merged with Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Roseto in January 2023, but remained open as a worship site with one weekly Mass being held there. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is located just over a mile away.

In the news release, the diocese said the Bangor church structure is in need of a slew of repairs, including a new roof, HVAC system replacement and plumbing. Squirrels and bats have also taken shelter in the structure, leading to further damage and raising health concerns.

“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, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, said in the news release. “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.”

The diocese said the closure was approved by the parish pastoral and finance councils, the diocesan Council of Priests, and by Bishop Alfred Schlert, who wrote a letter to parishioners explaining the decision that was read at Sunday Masses on Jan. 18. The decision follows a town hall meeting held with parishioners last September to discuss the building’s future.

The church is the latest one in the Slate Belt to close in recent years. When Our Lady of Good Counsel merged with Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 2023, The Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul in Portland closed its doors. The diocese cited a shortage of priests at the time, with just one priest to cover all of the Slate Belt.

St. Roch’s Roman Catholic Church in West Bangor was shuttered in 2008 during a major diocesan consolidation that saw dozens of churches close their doors.

With just one priest left in Slate Belt, Allentown Diocese to close Portland church