CLEVELAND -- Parishioners at St. Lawrence Church in Cleveland refused to give up on their Roman Catholic parish, despite falling attendance and no priest. Five years later, 75 of the more than 100 regular attendees continue to volunteer to keep the church alive.
The volunteers, who do everything from taking out the trash to managing the church's financial affairs, recently celebrated St. Lawrence's 100th anniversary, according to The Associated Press.
"I remember thinking that we have enough faith to do this," member Lois Sever said. "Besides, my mother said, ‘You're going to have to keep it open. I want to die in that parish.'"
The most difficult task was finding a replacement for the church's retiring priest. The Diocese of Cleveland, which has closed 17 of the city's churches since 1970, wouldn't assign a new pastor. The Rev. Dominic Mondzelewski, a Benedictine monk, volunteers as parish administrator.
