Our Lady of the Rosary Church at 131 High St. in Sabattus, seen Thursday, is scheduled to close next June, the Rev. Daniel Greenleaf of the Prince of Peace Parish said in a recent newsletter to the congregation. He cited the cost of maintaining the property with fewer parishioners as the reason for the decision. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Two Roman Catholic churches, one in Lewiston and one in Sabattus, are slated to close by next summer.

“We will stop doing Masses at Our Lady of the Rosary and Holy Cross churches next June,” the Rev. Daniel Greenleaf of the Prince of Peace Parish said in a recent newsletter to the congregations.

“This is the last winter that we will have in these churches,” he said, unless iffy boilers at both churches fail.

The boilers might not last through the winter, said Greenleaf, who could not be reached Thursday.

The move will reduce the number of Catholic churches in Lewiston to two. A quarter century ago, Roman Catholics had five in the city — and once there were six Catholic churches in Lewiston, three in Lisbon, one in Greene and another in Sabattus.

Greenleaf said that while faith remains strong in the community, municipalities “once filled with Catholic families living in a Catholic church” have changed.

With fewer parishioners, he said, “It is becoming financially impossible and it is poor stewardship of resources to maintain all the properties.”

The priest said he formed a property task force last winter, which includes parishioners from a number of churches, to discuss properties owned by the parish “and to provide direction to meet the needs of the parish today and in  the future.”

Holy Cross Church at 1080 Lisbon St. in Lewiston, seen Thursday, is scheduled to close in the spring, the Rev. Daniel Greenleaf of the Prince of Peace Parish said in a recent newsletter to the congregation. He cited the cost of maintaining the property with fewer parishioners as the reason for the decision. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The decision made in mid-October to close two more churches came at the recommendation of the task force.

“I know that people will be sad and angry at me because of these necessary changes,” Greenleaf said in his Oct. 20 newsletter, issued shortly after he delivered the news in person to parishioners.

He said it is not surprising that the number and size of existing churches “were created to meet the needs of another time in this area of Maine.”

“We all know that demographics in this area of the state has changed dramatically from the days when the mills were going strong, and Catholics came to work,” the priest said.

He said the decision to reduce the number of churches in the area “is not just to reflect the size of the Catholic community but to ensure the continuation of opportunities for growth in the faith given the economic realities of these aging structures.”

“The histories and customs that shaped and formed these communities demonstrate a great love and devotion to the churches they built, making this process a painful experience for many. However, the harsh reality of economics with costs rising at significant rates, much of our resources are being spent on aging buildings rather than people,” Greenleaf said.

Greenleaf, who is holding meetings with parishioners to discuss the decision, said that “many Catholics have moved from the area and their children are no longer raising their families here. A significant number of young people have left for an education or better job opportunities.”

“This coupled with very small family sizes, not to mention the number of fallen away Catholics, results in fewer Catholics in the area to maintain the number of churches we currently have,” he said.

The Pew Research Center said 21% of Mainers identify themselves as Roman Catholics, the lowest rate in New England.

At the height of immigration from Quebec a century ago, as many as two-thirds of Lewiston residents were Catholics.

Holy Cross Church at 1080 Lisbon St. in Lewiston opened in 1924 and celebrated its 100th year in June. It may not make it to 101.

In its early years, the church served more than 500 families. It was built to accommodate as many as 850 people at a time.

It’s not clear when Our Lady of the Rosary opened in Sabattus opened, but it was almost certainly at least a century ago.

Town historians say the parish held masses at a small park in 1910 as well as some at the Green Street schoolhouse at about that same time. The church, which stands at 131 High St., was likely built soon after, but records are scant.

The Prince of Peace Parish includes five Roman Catholic churches. The proposal would leave just three: the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul and Holy Family Church in Lewiston, along with Holy Trinity Church in Lisbon Falls.

The church has shuttered buildings in the past, including St. Joseph’s on Main Street and St. Patrick’s on Bates Street, each of which closed in 2009. St. Mary’s on Cedar Street, now the Franco Center, shut its doors in 2000.