Sunday, St. Joseph’s Church in DuBois, held it’s last final weekend mass. The parish is merging with St. Catherine’s and St. Michael’s, both located a few blocks away from St. Joseph’s. However, the Parish will still be open for weddings and funerals. The doors will also be kept open for private prayer everyday. 

The decision for the merger was made official in November of 2016, handed down by the Diocese of Erie. Father Siefer is the pastor at all three of the churches included in this merger. He says the decision is part of a larger picture, with a decline in the catholic church population throughout the entire northeast region of the United States.

As Father Siefer prepared for the final mass on Saturday, he says change is always difficult. However, he wants to remind the congregation that the church is not about the building, but the people inside of it. Father Siefer says the people are what make up the church and he believes moving forward may be difficult for some, but a change that may be easier for the parishes in the future.