The effort to save St. Michael’s Church on North Clinton Avenue continues. A second proposal recently submitted has given the diocese another option to consider.
Friends of St. Michael's is a group of community members, some of them non-Catholics, who all want to keep the doors of the church open. The group submitted a proposed five-year plan to partner with the diocese.
The plan includes covering a $113,000 debt, developing community support programs and fundraising. In exchange, the diocese would keep control of the building and continue weekly Mass.
A member of the group, Miriam Miranda-Jurado, said faith is an important part of the community and with their proposal, they would like to see the church used for what it is intended for.
“Our stand is that the church could be a focus that could offer the spiritual hope that is so needed to move forward in trying situations,” said Miranda-Jurando.
Members of the St. Michael’s Society submitted a previous proposal in November.
Miranda-Jurado said many members of Friends of St. Michael's submitted their names to work on the Society’s proposal but were never contacted.
“Their proposal is to keep the church as a sacred space. The difference is that in order to do that they are only offering one Mass a year.”’
Miranda-Jurado says the decision is ultimately up to the diocese, but the community wants to be a part of that decision.
The Catholic Diocese of Rochester states that the “matter is still in process.” They maintain that they still have not made the decision to close the church.
