WESTERN PA. Diocese to explore fate of Croatian church

The historic building was closed Tuesday.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has formed a committee to study whether a church building, which once housed the nation's oldest Croatian Catholic parish, can be saved.
The committee will explore keeping the St. Nicholas building property "possibly as a national center, perhaps even as a St. Nicholas Shrine for the Croatian community," said the Rev. Ronald Lengwin, a diocesan spokesman.
For now, the diocese has advanced $50,000 to maintain the building while the committee studies various options. Lengwin will head the committee, which also includes Dr. Marion M. Vujevich, Honorary Croatian Consul in Pittsburgh; a representative from the Croatian Fraternal Union of America; and the Rev. Gabriel Badurina, the congregation's pastor, among others.
Background
St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church building along Route 28 on the city's North Side was closed by the diocese Tuesday. It was built in 1901 by part of a congregation that formed in 1894. The rest of that congregation opted to build a church in neighboring Millvale that remains open. The congregations were merged in a diocesan consolidation 10 years ago.
The St. Nicholas building has severe maintenance problems, including a leaky boiler that emits dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. The repairs could cost as much as $1 million, church officials said.
"Whatever the committee proposes to do with the building, a way has to be found very soon if possible to secure the financial resources necessary to maintain the former church building and lift that responsibility from the parish which clearly cannot afford the building," Lengwin said.
The church's congregation, historians and various support groups, including the Preserve Croatian Heritage Foundation, have fought to keep the building open.