FRACKVILLE -- The days are numbered for a church in Schuylkill county as crews move in to demolish Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Frackville.
After more than 100 years on Frack Street, the church will soon be torn down. Demolition crews arrived this week and have already started knocking down the church rectory.
The job is just another church demolition for a crew from Kutztown. Workers with Building Recyclers, LLC say they've been busy tearing down one church after another, and this is the fourth one in Pennsylvania they've knocked down since the start of the year.
"I am not sure how many more we have lined up yet, but the way I understand we have pretty much worked this whole summer with them," said employee Richard Homan.
The crew is used to former parishioners passing by as they knock down churches like St. Joseph's. Workers say they try to be sensitive knowing it may be hard for them to see memories fade as a church crumbles.
"Yea we get people who want to keep bricks and stuff for sentimental reasons, because they belong to the church. We try to help them out the best way we can," said Homan.
The crew tells Newswatch 16 some former parishioners have already come by St. Joseph's to get one last glimpse of the church before it's gone. Crews plan to start demolition on it next week.
Jack Shearn is a former parishioner who lives across the street from the church. While it will be different driving home once the church is knocked down, like many Catholics he's accepted that it's just the way things are now.
"It's a different time. It really is. Like I said, it will be sad not to see the buildings there. But again, you know, the Lord is not in a building. He lives in our hearts," said Shearn.
There's no word on what the Diocese of Allentown plans to do with the property, but if the property is sold the body of a former pastor buried on the land will have to be exhumed.
