- The parishioners of the Immaculate Concepcion Catholic Church held a peaceful assembly in hopes of reopening their church.
- The Diocese closed the church in 2022 after an engineer report said the church was unsafe.
- The Bishop permitted the parishioners to hire an independent engineer. This engineer stated the church was safe unless high winds were present.
- The parishioners were not confronted by the Diocese during the assembly.
With signs in hand, the parishioners of the Immaculate Concepcion Catholic Church held a peaceful assembly in front of the building where the Diocese of Corpus Christi offices are. The Diocese decided to close the church because of safety concerns.
The congregation hopes that the bishop will answer their prayers – to open the church and let them repair it.
Pete Flores is a member of the church who recalls the sentimental value the church holds. Flores grew up in the church and remembered his time as an altar service.
“It’s in black and white. Read the engineering reports. We’re willing to raise the money to fix it and put it back to where we can use it. There’s something special about that church. The acoustics on it and everything else. You know – You can feel the Lord’s presence in that church,” Flores said.
The church is the oldest standing church in Duval County. The land the church sits on was donated in the 1880s. The current church was restructured in 1947.
Cayetana Palacios Perez doesn’t understand why the Diocese would tell them there were issues with their church. She had been attending the Immaculate Concepcion Catholic Church since she was a child – up until July of 2022 when the Diocese closed the church’s doors.
“We’re very, very heartbroken. There was people out there – you know – in tears because we were told this was going on. We were blinded sided. We didn’t know and when they told us that the church was going to that the church was going to be closed. This was in July (2022) and some of this people already knew since January (2022) and because the church was unsafe,” Cayetana Palacios Perez said. “Why did we go from January to July attending mass in that church when they said the church was not safe.”
The parishioners were out in front of the Diocese offices for several hours.
According to Cecilia Black, the spokesperson for the parishioners, said the only person who spoke with them Wednesday morning was a security guard to tell them the officers were on lockdown and that the parishioners were not allowed to go up to the offices.”
The congregation wants answers. They would like to be able to have the church open so that they could repair it. Black and others said that would not be a cost to the Diocese. They have sponsors willing to provide financial assistance if they can get the church opened.
Wednesday, Katia Uriarte Philipello, Communications Director for Diocese of Corpus Christi, emailed KRISTV reporter Melissa Trevino a statement from the Diocese:
“While we understand the concern that’s being raised, we balance the needs of the entire Diocese and safety is of utmost concern. We routinely look at the needs of everyone in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, mainly for their spiritual well-being. In October we held a State of The Diocese where parishioners were asked for their input concerning the future for ALL parishes and buildings. These important decisions undergo a lengthy internal process that takes time. All of this has been communicated to the Immaculate Conception community and the Diocese will continue to do so.”
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