'Important' Meeting Scheduled to Discuss Future of St. John's

A meeting that is “very important” to the future of the historic St. John the Baptist Church will be held next week.

The church will hold the parish-wide meeting Tuesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. in the church's social hall, according to the Save St. John the Baptist Church Facebook page.

During the meeting, the results of an engineering study done on the church will be presented.

“We believe this meeting is very important to the future of St. John’s. We ask that all parishioners, past and present, alumni, community members, concerned neighbors and anyone interested in the fate of St. John’s Church attend this meeting. There is strength in numbers,” a post on the save the church Facebook page reads.

Rumors regarding the church’s future have been swirling,according to a report in the Roxborough Review. That report said a team of engineers has been hired to study what can be done to fix the church, which is the oldest Catholic church in town.

The Save St. John the Baptist Church Facebook page was created in late March. The page, according to its description, was created by a committee of “concerned” lifelong St. John the Baptist community members who want to ensure the church remains open. 

"St. John the Baptist Church, Manayunk’s Cathedral, has been a cornerstone of our town for over 175 years," the Facebook page states.

They describe the church as “a beacon of faith and tradition to many.”