In December of 2007, STEEL wrote about the closing of St. Gerard Church. At the time, his concern was that, like so many other closed churches left to languish and denegrate, St. Gerard would be one more loss.
In May of 2008, WCP wrote about the Catholic Diocese plan, under the direction of Bishop Edward Kmiec, to form new a committee that would tackle the problem of reuse of churches that were closed as a result of parish consolidation – as was the case with St. Gerard’s.
Following up in October of 2008, WCP wrote about the proposal to move St. Gerard to Georgia. Reader comments ran the gamut, with some vehemently opposed, while others thought the move made perfect sense. STEEL followed in September of 2009 with “Born Again,” announcing a meeting that involved stakeholders and looked for answers.
Yesterday, this article appeared in USA Today. It is an in-depth study from several vantage points, and brings up the topic again of preservation by relocation. Surely, the removal of St. Gerard would be a loss for Buffalo, even as the bell still tolls, with a tree growing from its tower roof. Would it be best to move the church to a new life in Georgia, or allow it to die a slow death here?