SEA ISLE CITY – Advocates for preserving a century-old church in Sea Isle City see new hope in a letter from Cardinal Benimo Stella in Rome.
“We have been told that this is an extraordinary step for the Vatican to take and that it may indicate our appeal will be successful,” stated Tom Henry, part of a group that wants to save the old St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church building. A new, much larger church was consecrated on the same block in 2011.
Parish officials said the old church needs extensive work and is no longer needed. The fight has torn at the close-knit, year-round Catholic community in Sea Isle. In February, Bishop Dennis Sullivan declared the building is no longer a church, relegating the building to “profane but not sordid use.”
Proponents of preserving the old church saw that as the first step toward demolition, although Rev. Joseph Perrault said, at the time, there was no talk of tearing down the old church. In several interviews, he stated the parish doesn’t have the money to preserve the building.
Those seeking to save the building appealed the bishop’s decision. Stella indicated the appeal was made in time to be considered, according to emailed correspondence.
In a recent email, Henry said he also heard from Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, also at the Vatican.
“To have two powerful cardinals speak on our efforts to save the historic St. Joseph Church gives us hope that the church will be saved and used in accordance with the promise contained in the diocesan directive, dated Dec. 29, 2008, that ‘the current church will continue to be used as a chapel and for weddings, funerals, etc. when appropriate,’” reads a recent email from Henry.
