Francis of Assisi Catholic Church closed in after years of community and worship service. It has since been subject to theft, vandalism, and fire. Photo: Michael Bixler. After four years of vacancy, vandalism, and maintenance neglect, the St. The century-old Germantown landmark designed by ecclesiastic architect Francis F. Durang will be reused as an extension of the DePaul Catholic School, located across the street from St.
Deacon Thomas Croke, director of property services for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, confirmed that the property is being sold to Independent Mission Schools, the nonprofit organization that manages DePaul.
According to Croke, DePaul will likely use the spacious facilities at St. Francis as an auditorium, a gymnasium, or a multi-purpose recreation center. This is good news, not only for the DePaul School, but for the historic church building that closed its doors in June after holding a final mass to celebrate over a century of Catholic service. Founded in , the South Germantown church was used by parishioners for years. A declining population of Catholics in the neighborhood forced St.
Francis to merge its congregation with St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Northwest Germantown. Lack of maintenance on the grounds of St. Francis has left the church vulnerable to crime and has become a blight on the neighborhood. In the years following its closure, St. Francis has fallen victim to crime, litter, and disrepair. Weeds and tall grass thrive on the unmaintained property. The sidewalk along the grounds has become a dumping ground for those looking to unload an old couch or two.
But most troubling to neighbors is the illegal activity that the empty building attracts. Abandoned buildings, particularly one this large and unsupervised are a crime magnet and a shield from the police.
