One of two Catholic churches will be closed in Elliot Lake in the near future.
Parishioners at Our Lady of Fatima Parish and Paroisse Ste. Marie in Elliot Lake will find out soon which of the two will remain open and which one will close.
The two have been operating in Elliot Lake since the 1950’s, but both congregations have been dwindling in the last couple of decades.
Father Anthony Man-Son-Hing, the priest for both parishes says Our Lady of Fatima has about 240 parishioners for the two weekend masses while Paroisse Ste. Marie has as many as 130 at its Sunday services.
Back in the spring, Marcel Damphousse, the Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, met with members of both congregations and gave the two parishes until the end of October to come up with a consensus on which church should remain open.
Man-Son-Hing says if there is no consensus, the bishop will make the decision, but parishioners can be assured services will continue in both languages no matter which church is closed
