‘I had tears’: Parishioners say goodbye to St. Paul’s Church in LaSalle

Parishioners say goodbye to St. Paul’s Church in LaSalle

Teary-eyed parishioners at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in LaSalle wished a heartbroken farewell Saturday evening after the church’s final mass.

About 312 people, from longtime attendees to members of other churches, filled the church pews one final time.

For the past 73 years, St. Paul’s has been a staple for people like Rita Marcotte, who has attended since it opened.

“I had tears… when they put the candle out,” Marcotte said of the final mass, “Tabernacle open. That’s the end.”

St. Paul’s opened on Jan. 25, 1953, after it was blessed by Bishop J.C. Cody.

In addition to contractors, local parishioners helped dig out the basement, shingle the roof, lay cement blocks, and secure a bell from a Windsor fire hall.

“It was an extended family, you knew everyone, and everyone knew you,” Marcotte said of her time growing up in the parish.

Throughout the years, St. Paul’s was a home for baptisms, weddings and community to gather.

“It meant a lot to our parents. My mother used to cook for the priests here,” said parishioner Anita Bergeron, fighting back tears.

“We were close. We’ll miss it.”

The church’s closure comes after years of declining attendance and a budget that’s been in deficit, with extensive repairs needed for the building.

Fr. Dwayne Adam, a Pastor of the LaSalle River Canard Catholic Family of Parishes, said they were happy to see members from other parishes join in the final mass.

“Certainly, a beautiful experience for people who wanted to come and be of support to each other, and the remembering is such a significant part of what we realize we are losing,” Adam said.

The closure means about 100 families will transition to Sacred Heart in LaSalle or St. Joseph’s in River Canard.

Bishop Ronald Fabbro of the Diocese of London acknowledged the closure of St. Paul’s is “a loss” for the community.

“What was also present at the mass is people from the other churches, the two other churches, and they’re really ready to welcome them,” Fabbro said.

Diocese policies and processes in place will now proceed, which will include deciding whether the building is sold and how the proceeds will be divested.