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Second Oldest Church on Staten Island Among 4 in Borough to Close

By Nicholas Rizzi | November 3, 2014 3:45pm
 St. Mary's Church, which opened in 1852, will stop hosting weekly services and merge into another parish, the Archdiocese of New York announced. The church is the second oldest in Staten Island.
St. Mary's Church, which opened in 1852, will stop hosting weekly services and merge into another parish, the Archdiocese of New York announced. The church is the second oldest in Staten Island.
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DNAinfo/Nicholas Rizzi

ROSEBANK — The second oldest church in Staten Island will be merged into a different parish, the Archdiocese of New York announced.

St. Mary's Church, which has operated for more than 150 years at 1101 Bay St., will cease regular church services on August 1, 2015. The parish will merge into St. Joseph's, at 171 St. Mary's Ave., the Archdiocese said Sunday.

The church is among four parishes to close in the borough.

"This time of transition in the history of the archdiocese will undoubtedly be difficult for people who live in parishes that will merge," Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a statement. 

"There will be many who are hurt and upset as they experience what will be a change in their spiritual lives, and I will be one of them."

While St. Mary's might still be used occasionally, it will cease to host weekly services, the Archdiocese said.

The pastor of St. Mary's, Rev. Victor Buebendorf, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Aside from St. Mary's, three other churches in the North Shore will fold into nearby parishes. Assumption St. Paul will merge into St. Peter's; St. Mary of the Assumption will join Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Roch will merge with St. Adalbert.

St. Mary's first opened for service on Oct. 2, 1852 and is the second oldest church still standing in the borough, behind St. Peter's, according to Catholic New York. The parish it will merge into, St. Joseph's, opened nearly 50 years later.