CINCINNATI — St. Francis Seraph, a historic church in Over-the-Rhine, will close this summer, according to the church's weekly bulletin.
The church, known for its basement burial crypts, is the original site of the oldest Catholic church in the Greater Cincinnati area.
The "Pastor's Corner" section of the Jan. 8 bulletin says, "I know we are all struggling with the sad news of our church closing this summer. I can only imagine what various feelings and thoughts are welling up in each of you."
The bulletin does not say why the church is closing.
WCPO's I-Team previously reported on extensive issues surrounding the church, including large crowds gathering outside, violent crime and open-air drug dealing. At their outdoor festival in September, church leaders said they had partnered with the city to address those issues.
Leaders told us they hoped to change the narrative surrounding their historic building and demonstrate their commitment to both community safety and serving those in need.
The Saint Anthony Center, part of St. Francis Seraph Ministries, served as the city's extreme winter weather daytime shelter when temperatures dropped last month. The shelter provided hot meals and on-site services.
"In the coming weeks, we will provide opportunities for meeting, sharing our feels, asking our questions. I am well aware that each parishioner will need to discern what you will want to do come July," the bulletin says. "Of course, I hope many of us will be able to join with our brothers and sisters at St. Clement and begin to form an even larger and vibrant Franciscan home."
In a statement, the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe said friars will be reassigned, and the church will be sold.
The two remaining friars at St. Francis Seraph will be reassigned to St. Clement Catholic Church in St. Bernard, according to the statement. Operations at St. Anthony Center will continue.
"Even as this change moves forward, the friars affirm their longstanding commitment to serving the people of Cincinnati," the statement said.
The last Mass at the church is set for June 28, the statement said.
