An historic building in Tomahawk is facing closure due to a lack of parishioners and financial support.
The Tomahawk Catholic Church is in dire need of a new furnace, but due to a lack of funds, it doesn’t look like it will be replaced.
Originally built in 1928, the small church has been a part of the lives of many people in the community over the years. Ellery Styner and his wife Marie have spent much of their time over the past several years maintaining the regular upkeep of the building.
Styner says his wife attended the church her whole life, and once they got married he also began to attend when he could. He says earlier there used to be well-to-do families who travelled from Seba Beach or other areas to attend Easter or Christmas services.
“They were fairly generous as far as putting money on the plate,” says Styner.
However, as the families have grown and moved away, there are fewer people who come to the services.
He says now there are only a handful of volunteers to help look after the church. The number of parishioners attending the services has also dwindled over the years, says Styner. Those volunteers who are around are not getting any younger, either.
In an effort to try to come up with a solution to the problem, Styner has talked to Father Felix Devasia, who is also the priest for the St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Drayton Valley. Unfortunately, the Catholic Organizations run their churches similar to businesses, in that they expect each church to thrive based on the donations of the parishioners.
If there is not enough income to support the church, or if the costs of keeping the church are too high, there is a likelihood that the church will be shut down.
Styner says they’ve had plumbers and electricians come out and give them quotes on the furnace and wiring, but the costs of repair or replacement aren’t in the budget. There is a chance they can speak to the Archdiocese about getting a loan, but Styner isn’t certain how that will turn out.
If they do get the loan, Styner is worried about how it will get paid back. “Who’s going to be on the line for it?” he says.
“It comes down to cost. There aren’t enough people sitting in there to [pay it back],” he says.
As it sits, there is no heat in the church. He says it’s too dangerous to put a wood heater in the building, too. So for right now, unless they can come up with the necessary funds to do the repairs, the church will remain closed.
