Structural problems force demolition of church building in Shenandoah

SHENANDOAH Demolition of a century-old church building that housed a convent and an archival center for a possible future saint began last week.

Workers began taking down the three-story building that was constructed as a convent and rectory during the leadership of the Rev. John Dobrowski, who became pastor of St. Casimir Church on Nov. 29, 1912.

From the time of its construction, the convent was the Shenandoah home of the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and was being used as such until last year when structural problems caused the sisters to leave.

The half of the building closest to the church that had served as the parish rectory was the Ciszek Center, the headquarters of the Father Walter Ciszek Prayer League, which was formed in 1985 to promote the cause for canonization of Ciszek, a Shenandoah native who was a prisoner in the Soviet Union for 23 years. The cause officially began in 1989 five years after Ciszeks death in the Ruthenian Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic. After the retirement of the Most Rev. Michael J. Dudick as bishop, the cause moved to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown in 1998 through the support of the Most Rev. Thoma J. Welsh, bishop. It was after the diocesan change that the headquarters was moved from Sugarloaf to Shenandoah.

The cause for canonization is currently being reviewed in the Vatican.

In addition to memorabilia of the life of Ciszek, the building also held a Perpetual Adoration chapel. The prayer leagues board president is Monsignor Ronald C. Bocian, pastor of Divine Mercy Church in Shenandoah, with St. Casimir Church as a worship center. Attempts to contact Bocian for information on the demolition were not successful.

Prayer league board member Elaine Cusat said the league is in transition with its location due to the need to move.

Were projecting well be getting ready with a new center in the spring, Cusat said.

The new center will be located in the former Annunciation BVM Church rectory on the 200 block of West Cherry Street near Divine Mercy Church and Trinity Academy.

The Bernardine sisters have moved into the former St. Stephen Church rectory, which is now called the Father Ciszek Convent, 18 E. Oak St., Shenandoah. The convent is also the temporary mailing address for the prayer league.

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Structural problems force demolition of church building in Shenandoah