LEWISTON — People filled the columned nave of the city’s oldest Catholic church Tuesday to say goodbye.

“I am heartbroken,” said Bruna Spugnardi Austin, 80, as she sat in St. Joseph’s Church for the last time. “This is my home. This is my family.”

She was surrounded by longtime members of the congregation, people who were saddened that the imposing brick church on Main Street might succumb to the squeeze of too little money and too few parishioners.

“It’s a sad night for me to see this happen,” said Joe Paradis of Lewiston. “I never thought it would close. There was always hope that the attendance would grow.”

In the end, the pressures on the church were too much. Lewiston’s Prince of Peace Parish could no longer afford to keep the 152-year-old church open. In August, Monsignor Marc Caron recommended closure for St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s churches. Bishop Richard Malone agreed.

Even with the closures, the parish is predicting a $100,000 budget shortfall. In the past 10 years, the number of Catholics in the city has fallen by
about one-third, from 21,000 in 1999 to about 14,000 today, parish leaders said.

Ironically, Tuesday night’s final Mass at St. Joseph’s — officiated by Malone —  filled every pew.

The sword-carrying Knights of Columbus ushered the bishop into the church as the attendees sang “Table of Plenty.”

Malone and others hoped to lift the sadness of churchgoers by asking them to see past their grief.

“We never stop at grieving because we are giving thanks to God,” Malone said. “The church is God’s people. The church is all of you.”

The Mass included scripture readings, soloists, Holy Communion, and a homily from the Rev. Frank Morin, who led St. Joseph’s for nine years. His remarks included a long list of services to the community.

“You have been good stewards,” Morin said. “Our Lord God knows our sadness and he takes it serious.”

Malone encouraged people to continue attending church.

“You are still God’s people,” he said. “We still are on a mission.”

People who have traditionally attended services at St. Joseph’s will likely move on to one of the Parish’s other churches. However, by the start of November, there will only be three left: The Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on Ash Street, Holy Family Church on Sabattus Street and Holy Cross Church on Lisbon Street.

St. Patrick’s Church on Bates Street is scheduled to close on Oct. 27 in a service that will again be led by Bishop Malone.

A new church may have some of the same people and sit less than a mile away, but it will be tough to transition, Austin said.

“I think it’s going to be horrible,” she said.

She has attended other churches. She always returned to the place she felt was warmer and friendlier than all others, she said. And none could feel as familiar.

She recalled taking her first Communion at 7 years old here alongside her brother.

The memory drew a smile that spread across her face.

“We’ve had very good memories,” she said.

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St Joseph’s Church parishioner pray during the last Mass held on Tuesday; pictured in front is Dick Pelletier.