by Tablet Staff

ROCKAWAY PARK — The Diocese of Brooklyn announced on June 2 that St. Camillus Church will close, with declining attendance and debt cited as the main factors.

“The closing of a parish church is not something the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Queens, ever wants to do,” it said in a statement.

“For more than 115 years, St. Camillus has been a place where generations of families have celebrated significant life milestones, found comfort, and built lasting friendships,” the statement continued. “The Diocese of Brooklyn recognizes how difficult this can be for the parishioners, but factors, including the decline in attendance, have made this difficult decision necessary.”

RELATED: Alumni Say Goodbye as Beloved School Readies to Close Doors

St. Camillus was established in 1908 according to Father James Rodriguez, the current administrator for the church.

In 2008, it merged with St. Virgilius Church in Broad Channel.

St. Camillus averages 175 people at their Sunday Mass and is more than $3 million in debt, “which can only be addressed by selling or leasing the expansive property,” according to the statement.

“A lot of this debt is owed for the upfront costs of the new parish center at St. Virgilius,” the diocese noted.

The announcement also cited the “declining number of new priests and the significant number of priests retiring” as reasons it has become challenging to operate church buildings, which “has necessitated the need to merge, or close, churches that cannot pay their bills.”

According to the diocese, no decision has been made regarding the future of the parish property. They said its primary focus right now is on the “smooth transition of the faithful to nearby churches, including St. Rose of Lima or St. Virgilius.”

“The Church is not defined by a building, but instead by a community of people who seek a relationship with Jesus Christ,” the statement continued. “The diocese stands committed to meeting the spiritual needs of the parishioners of St. Camillus.”