- Immaculate Conception Catholic Church has been closed for more than a year and a half.
- Parishioners are asking questions about the closure.
- Corpus Christi Diocese has an engineering report that names a list of issues for the closure.
- Parishioners hired an independent engineer who reports that the church is safe to open unless there are high winds.
The Concepcion community is asking questions about the closure of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. The church is the longest-standing church in Duval County, Texas.
Parishioners learned their beloved church would be closing in July of 2022. Not long after the announcement – they learned of an engineering report and a secret meeting in January 2022 to discuss that report.
The congregation started asking questions about the closure and for more than a year and a half, they told KRIS 6 there has been no communication from the Corpus Christi Diocese.
The Concepcion community has owned the property that the church sits on since the late 1800s. The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was restructured in 1947.
“This engineering report stated that it was not safe, it was not cost-effective to repair. That the church needed to be demolished. And that mass – get this – that mass could be held in the mission hall next door to our church,” said Cecilia Black, spokesperson for the Concepcion community and the non-profit organization Save Our Church.
Eventually, the bishop allowed the congregation to get an independent engineer to inspect the church. The inspection said that the church was safe unless there were high winds. The church has withstood several high winds including those associated with hurricanes.
“My concern is that our independent engineers turned in a report that said it could be open and utilized – of course - not use it when there are strong winds. And we’re ready to open it,” said parishioner Jose Salinas Jr.
The congregation has had to gather at the mission hall next to the church for mass…something that 72-year-old Salinas said isn’t the same.
“We’d like to have it open, and we’d like to have mass. It’s not the same going to mass at the hall compared to the church. You’re more closer to God here. Then you are over there,” Salinas said.
Black and the congregation said they aren’t going to stop asking questions. They want their church. They want to have mass – as well as other services for their community.
Things they haven’t been able to do for more than a year and a half such as baptismal, weddings, and funeral services.
KRIS 6 reached out to the Diocese but was told they were unavailable to interview with us on Monday.
The Save Our Church non-profit organization will hold a peaceful assembly will be held Dec. 13th in Corpus Christi. They’re hoping to get their answers at this assembly. The assembly will be at 555 Carancahua Street.
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