NORTHAMPTON — The bell at St. Mary of the Assumption Church was taken out of the building in pieces on Wednesday, yet another removal of an object from the sacred space that some local residents are still fighting the Catholic Church to save.
“The bell would ring on certain occasions,” said Janice Ruszczyk, a member of a committee that is seeking to preserve St. Mary’s. “Now they’re silencing the church.”
The committee has pushed for the adoption of a renewal plan that it says will be able to keep the church in use and save the parish money.
“It’s fiscally responsible to keep St. Mary’s open,” said Michele Atkinson, another committee member. “(Church officials are) not listening.”
While the Diocese of Springfield commissioned a study that said it would cost $1.3 million to repair the church, the committee has released a competing study saying the actual amount needed would be $229,375.
The committee also says that it would cost $600,000 to make it a fully functioning church again.
The church is in the process of removing sacred objects from St. Mary’s, and the altar and tabernacle have both found new homes.
Asked about the bell Wednesday, diocese spokesman Mark Dupont said the parish is handling the repurposing of the church’s items. He gave no further information on what would become of the bell.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton pastor the Rev. Francis Reilly did not respond to a message left on his cellphone in time for publication.
Ruszczyk said she is not sure what the next step for the commitee will be, but she said that she will be alerting the city’s Historical Commission to be on the lookout for modifications to the church. St. Mary’s is in the Elm Street Historic District.
Ruszczyk also expressed concern that the church’s stained glass windows might be removed.
While she said the group is still trying to preserve the building as a church, she also expressed openness to it being preserved as a historic space for tours or for it to be used for concerts.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.