Parishioners dedicate monument to former parish

Does a parish really die when the parish church closes for good? Not according to members of the former St. Patrick’s Church in Hurdsfield. Although their church closed in 2019 after 112 years of service to the faithful, the last of seven Christian churches to close in the city, parishioners wanted to create a lasting memory to attest that their church once stood and was a thriving place of worship in the Hurdsfield area.

On June 22, about 30 former parishioners gathered in the Catholic portion of the Hurdsfield city cemetery to dedicate a monument to the memory of their church and parish. Parishioners authorized the purchase of the memorial marker out of parish funds that remained after the church closed.

“This is one of the things we wanted to do, to have some sort of recognition of our church out here,” said Carol Rask, a former parishioner. “A parish doesn’t really die; we just keep on living at different churches.”

Four pastors representing neighboring parishes that absorbed St. Patrick’s parishioners when the church closed attended the memorial dedication. Father Brian Bachmeier, of St. Augustine’s Church in Fessenden, led the prayers and dedication, and was joined by Father Terry Dodge of Sacred Heart in Carrington, Father Kevin Boucher of St. Cecilia’s in Harvey, and Father Thomas Graner of Holy Family in McClusky.

“I feel the closure of a parish is part of the Paschal Mystery,” said Father Boucher. “Although our mortal bodies die, there is eternal life that awaits us. And although a corporation may come to an end, those who were a part of it and still living move on to the other places, so there is a resurrection that follows that. We’re blessed at our parish to have some of these members there.”

Parishioners also set aside funds when the parish closed for perpetual care of the graves of the faithful buried near the new marker. Remaining funds were sent to surrounding parishes. Members of St. Patrick’s felt it was fitting to place the marker near the graves of those who pioneered the Catholic faith in the Hurdsfield area and kept the parish alive for so many years.

“The church is closed, but I look at this as a way to say thank you,” said Carol Rask. “It’s a little heartbreaking, but it’s fulfilling to see that we did this; that instead of just our church closing we did this as a way to say thank you.”

Although there is no more Catholic church in Hurdsfield, the building is still in use. It has been turned into one-room apartments with shared laundry and restroom facilities. The kitchen and gathering area in the former church basement are being used for the same purposes for those who rent rooms. It’s a fitting legacy left behind by 112 years of fellowship and hospitality that was once the parish family of St. Patrick’s.