POTTSVILLE, Pa. — The Mary Queen of Peace Parish building is part of Pottsville's history. It's also a part of Robert Antonini's personal history.
"I attended not only Mary Queen of Peace Church, baptized here, got married here, the whole ballgame, but when the school was in existence, I also attended the school," Antonini said.
Mary Queen of Peace Parish was dissolved in 2008, and the building became the responsibility of nearby St. Patrick Parish. Early this month, the Diocese of Allentown announced it was closing the 1928 parish building and putting it up for sale.
For Antonini, the move came as a surprise.
"I would say (I was)shocked if anything," he said. "I really didn't expect it at that point in time."
For more than a decade, the parish building has been used just a few times per year -- for an annual mass and the funerals of former parishioners.
Antonini thinks it should be used for much more.
"I have always appealed to use it more often," he said.
Now, he's fighting for the building to remain a church.
Antonini and other former parishioners filed an appeal to the diocese on Friday, with the help of an attorney, hoping to stop the sale.
A representative told Newswatch 16 the diocese received the appeal and will review it.
The diocese said the building was closed because the maintenance costs were creating a financial burden on St. Patrick Parish.
Still, Antonini is confident it can be funded even without regular masses.
"I said about having it open maybe on a weekday to do some prayers, do some rosaries, that kind of thing," Antonini said. "All of that would add support to it, which eventually I would think would add some kind of financial assistance."
Antonini said he's receiving support from a Facebook group. He said it's full of people who want to see the building used for its original purpose.
"As beautiful as the church is, you really don't want to see a building like this go to waste," he said. "It's not only the beauty of it, but you've got to remember what's inside of it. This is a place of worship."
Even if the diocese rejects the appeal, Antonini said he won't quit. He's prepared to take the issue up with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy in an effort to save his former church.