Historic Buffalo parish church, closed in 2008, to be moved to Atlanta
October 05, 2010
An Italian Renaissance style parish church in Buffalo, built in 1911 and closed in 2008, will be moved to a suburb of Atlanta for $15 million, where it will serve as the new church of a rapidly expanding parish.
“I was totally amazed, thinking this was a bizarre idea,” said the Buffalo parish’s last pastor. “But when Father [David] Dye walked into the sanctuary and saw Mary, Our Queen in the dome, he knew this was the building. I’m happy the faith of the founders and the testimony of the people who built that great church will live on 900 miles south. It’s a testimony of the strength of our Catholic faith, and our people here have supported this move enthusiastically.”
The structure, which is one third of the size of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, will be the largest ever to be moved and reconstructed in the United States.
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Posted by: extremeCatholic -
Oct. 05, 2010 11:15 AM ET USA
When I saw the headline, I thought -- is this a caravan of Catholics in moving vans with their pastor and parish staff -- in a spiritual "Grapes of Wrath"-style migration from Buffalo to Atlanta? No. It's only moving the church. I guess marking the abandonment of Catholics, or at least Catholics who care, from Buffalo to parts (or creeds) unknown. Ite Missa Est.