The Prince of Peace Parish has entered into a 20-year lease with Catholic Charities Maine for the priory, or former monastery, at 27 Bartlett St. in Lewiston to be converted to administrative offices and space to provide service programs for the charities.

Bishop James Ruggieri will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking and bless the renovation work at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul at 122 Ash St. in Lewiston.

The priory, a four-story, 20,000-square-foot, brick building, has been empty for 25 years. One wall is attached to the basilica so it couldn’t be torn down, the Rev. Daniel Greenleaf, pastor, said.

Instead, the Roman Catholic Diocese and the Prince of Peace Parish thought it would be best to do something positive with it.

Catholic Charities will direct ministry to those in need. It will move some of its administrative offices from Portland and some of its service programs to the building. It will free up space in Portland to serve more needs in the area.

The priory was once the living quarters for Dominican Fathers of Lille, France, and housed 26 men, but that number dwindled in the late-1980s.

The church was built for the large French-Canadian population in Lewiston.

Greenleaf said the priory had become cold storage space used by the churches and they have been cleaning it out the past few years.

The lease money will be used to pay the mortgage for the renovation, he said. Improvements will include adding bathrooms, an elevator and painting.

It is a “win-win-win” situation for the parish, Catholic Charities Maine, and the community, said Steve Letourneau, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Maine. It is a social service arm of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, he said.

This is an opportunity to serve more people in need, he added.

The charity offers a program called SEARCH, which stands for Seek Elderly Alone, Renew Courage & Hope. Catholic Charities finds people to provide volunteer support to seniors and older people who may be isolated or lonely. Hundreds of volunteers provide services to older people.

The mission statement for Catholic Charities Maine is “inspired by scripture and the Church’s social teaching, Catholic Charities empowers and strengthens individuals and families of all faiths by providing innovative community-based social services throughout Maine,” according to its website.

“We will do a deep dive into Lewiston to find out what is it that Lewiston needs,” Letourneau said, and to find out how to really address the poverty in the area.

The organization uses space that the Catholic entities no longer use and brings it back to life to service the area where they are located and beyond.

Among the programs it offers is St. Francis Recovery Center in Auburn for men who are recovering from substance use disorders. The organization opened a women’s shelter in October in downtown Portland to help women in recovery and who are chronically homeless.

“They kind of need a step up,” he said. They are getting the help they need and it is having positive results, he said.

Many of the staff at the Auburn center are former clients who are now helping others, Letourneau said.

It also offers an education program for visually impaired and blind children, among other services.

The organization works to make a difference in people’s lives in Maine, Letourneau said.

“We really want to lift people up,” he said. “Most people just need a helping hand.”

Greenleaf expressed gratitude to area businesses helping with the renovations, including Hebert Construction of Lewiston and Platz Associates of Auburn.