Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
DORCHESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A grassroots effort to keep a historic Dorchester church and school open is underway.
A fiscal crisis has had Gallivan Boulevard's St. Brendan Church on an Archdiocese of Boston list for permanent closure called 'relegation' since at least 2018.
But the church received a reprieve from Cardinal Sean O’Malley just days before its doors were scheduled to be shut.
Instead, he assigned a group to work on a financial plan that would keep the church open.
Parishioner John O'Toole is one of a group of volunteers called 'Friends of St. Brendan' who has been lending their time and talents to give the church and school a makeover. "It's a beautiful church with a beautiful stained-glass window," he said.
Declining attendance and rising costs have made it difficult for the archdiocese to keep churches from closing.
O'Toole said about $100,000 has been raised so far to keep the nearly 100-year-old St. Brendan Church open.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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