St. Anthony's has final Sunday service

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) - Some hearts were heavy in Batavia as parishioners at St. Anthony's  Church attended their final Sunday service.

Parishioner Rosanne Wray says, " I Looked around at all the statues and the windows and looked in the aisle and thought of my parents when they were laid out. Thought about making communion, confirmation, and getting married. Thought about baptizing my children; five generations have gone through here. My grandfather built the first church. It's very difficult but God's the boss."

Saint Anthony's has been around for an incredible 104 years.

Vicki Gautieri Johnson, a parishioner of St. Anthony's says, " It's sad, but I guess like Father says, it is a building. And we're going to take our spirit over to the other church and pray with God there."

The Catholic Church served Italian immigrants back in its early days, once growing to 1,000 members. To save money, St. Anthony's merged with Sacred Heart in 2008 to form Ascension Parish.

The two locations will now be consolidated. The only services left at the Batavia church are the New Years Eve mass, and a special mass January 13th with Bishop Richard Malone.