With one last hymn, parishioners bid farewell to 150-year-old church in small Minnesota town

The decision was expected, parishioners said. But the congregation splintered, as most families opted to worship in Winona, where there were more opportunities for shopping and other errands after service.

The merger was part of a series of consolidations and closures in southeast Minnesota triggered by the Diocese’s “Vision 2016″ plan, which was meant to address shortages in clergy and declining church attendance. It was around the same time that the Diocese filed for bankruptcy in response to claims of abuse by clergy. The Diocese later reached a $21.5 million settlement with 145 childhood sexual abuse victims.

Over the past few years, more than a dozen churches in southern Minnesota have merged with nearby, larger churches. Most of the churches, including ones in Harmony, Elba and Houston, have been relegated to “profane but not sordid use,” meaning they could be sold for secular purposes, so as long as that use is not immoral or offensive to Catholics.

In the case of the Wilson church, the decision to demolish the church is as much about the building itself as it is the property it stands on. The Diocese notes that the church is in need of numerous repairs, including to its foundation and interior. The church is also having trouble finding people to continue keeping up the building, and there are concerns about the impact of a sale of the building on the adjoining cemetery.

“Alienation or selling the property to a third party would result in a long-term relationship that may affect the spiritual and peaceful atmosphere of the cemetery as the land area is narrow and would require an easement for the driveway,” reads a decree from the Diocese, signed by Bishop Robert Barron.

While most parishioners have come to accept the Diocese’s decision to raze the church, a determined few are still working to save it from the wrecking ball. Mariar Redig Gannon, who grew up in the church and now lives in Bloomington, said she has accepted that the church will no longer serve as a parish, but questions why the Diocese will not sell the building to someone who promises to preserve it.