It was a sad day for Maybrook this past Sunday as the Church of the Assumption held its final mass. The room was full of tears, tissues and heartbreak.

For a lot of 2022, many locals feared the closing of the 1913-built church after hearing about its possibility. There was originally an effort to close the church in 2020, but community efforts created a petition to keep the church alive. However with declining attendance and priest shortages, the possibility became real.

The past few months have especially been hard on the church. This past November, the church found out that the Village of Maybrook Department of Public Works would no longer provide snow plowing services for the parking lot because of the eventual transition to the Holy Name of Mary Church in Montgomery.

The Church of the Assumption was founded in 1907, on a mission church of St. Mary’s in Washingtonville. The Assumption Parish in Maybrook was merged with the Holy Name of Mary Parish in Montgomery in 2015, and has long been a beloved place for residents.

The attendance for the final mass was large, with only a few seats left as the mass began.

Former Mayor and retired Village Justice William Schimpf compared it to losing a family member. “You can’t replace a faith community,” said Schimpf, a longtime church-goer.

The church closure has been described as a tragedy to many, especially Schimpf, who has been in Maybrook for 48 years. “There’s no empathy for us, it’s business as usual,” said Schimpf. Over the years he has seen many establishments in Maybrook go. “We lost our school, we lost our industry, and now we’ve lost our church.”

Reverend Matthew Reiman, the pastor of the combined Holy Name of Mary-Assumption Parish acknowledged it was a hard day for everyone. “There are tears and sadness today as we celebrate the final mass,” said Reiman to the crowd.

Reiman also stated that they’d be convening at the Holy Name of Mary Church in Montgomery next Sunday, January 16. Schimpf stated he wouldn’t be going.

“I don’t know where we are going to go. We don’t have a million churches to go to like a city,” said a teary eyed Schimpf.

Bishop Gerardo J. Colacicco was also in attendance, and shared empathy with the crowd.

“I know today is filled with sadness,” said Colacicco.

The mass was around an hour, with mentions of the closure numerous times. Afterwards, people gathered to converse and take photos, some even sharing hugs. As of now, the building will remain intact.

“The church has served so many people,” said Schimpf. “The community is devastated by this.”