MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The St. Boniface church in Manitowoc is in the center of a heated debate.
- After a plan to close the church for good, a court case to decide St. Boniface's future is ongoing in Rome
- Some local supporters are campaigning to keep the church, while others are asking to focus on other buildings
- This is the final appeal to the Italian courts before the future of the building is decided.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The St. Boniface Catholic Church has stood tall in Manitowoc for nearly 140 years, but it has not hosted mass in more than a decade. Now, its future is uncertain.
"It's just such an important part of Manitowoc and it's the mother church of the catholic churches that are in Manitowoc,” said Jo Woodcock, a former St. Boniface churchgoer.
Last year, Bishop David Ricken moved to tear down the church. Woodcock is among those, fighting for its future.
Meanwhile historians say its past stands tall.
"Very strong historical significance to the city,” said Manitowoc County Historical Society Archivist Phil Groll. "It's going to cost money and time for volunteers to actually keep it up. But, to tear something like that down, to me, is a loss to the city."
NBC 26 reached out to the Diocese of Green Bay and Bishop Ricken Friday; we have not heard back.
A 2017 study estimated annual maintenance at the church costs nearly 2 million dollars. That's according to a recent update from the St. Francis of Assisi Parish, which absorbed St. Boniface more than a decade ago.
In that same update, the parish says the decision to tear the church down is now in its final appeal in a Roman court.
As the legal costs mount, Woodcock and other supporters have launched a GoFundMe to pay for an attorney in Italy.
"It's still standing so we still have a fight,” said Woodcock. “We still want someone to recognize that it is really important that we restore this building."
One community member siding with closing St. Boniface said the church is the people, not the building. That person noted three other church buildings already require maintenance.
