Diocese to close Warren church
St. Jean Baptiste had served Warren since 1882
St. Jean Baptiste Church, one of Warren’s oldest and last remaining houses of worship, will soon close after 135 years serving Warren.
Rev. W. Douglass Grant, pastor of St. Jean and St. Mary of The Bay Church, recently recommended the closure to the Diocese of Providence, and the Diocese concurred. Pastor Grant cited “a decay in sacramental custom,” along with the rising and ongoing costs to preserve the church building, as the main reasons.
The church’s last Mass will be held on Dec. 31.
“I commend Father Grant and his parishioners for handling this change in such a professional and compassionate manner,” Bishop Thomas Tobin said. “The decision to close the church building, while understandably difficult, is necessary and it will strengthen the spiritual mission of the parish.”
In 2010, due to gradual patterns of population decline and diminishing parish income, St. Jean Baptiste Parish was merged canonically into St. Mary of the Bay Parish and became “a mission” of St. Mary of the Bay. Over the past year, officials from the Diocese of Providence and Father Grant have acknowledged causes that support the case for closing, including the high annual costs of maintenance, the negative effect of the overall financial condition of the parish at-large, and a declining attendance.
In 1990, there were 750 registered families in the parish. By 2009 that had dropped to 500 registered families, and recent turnout at the only remaining weekend Mass topped out at about 80 parishioners.
In addition, other traditions usually centered around the church have declined. Just two weddings — and no baptisms — have been held this year.
