Part of the Rome community for more than 150 years, St. Mary's Church faces demolition

Rome’s skyline changed forever when the tornado hit and took the steeples off St. Mary’s Church — and now it’s confirmed that St. Mary’s is coming down.

Owned by Kabari Wellness Institute since 2022, St. Mary’s Church grew out of Rome’s German-speaking population to have a catholic house of worship in the community.

It’s first cornerstone was laid on May 18, 1871, according to the Rome Catholic Parish of the Diocese of Syracuse .

Since the tornado ripped off its steeple and threw it through its roof, the city of Rome has worked hand-in-hand with the owners to find a solution.

And unfortunately, the building could fall over at any moment.

“It’s extremely unsafe, and if it were to come down, it’s right next to the road, and there are residences behind it,” Rome Mayor Jeffrey Lanigan said. “We’ve discussed with [Kabiri Wellness] what they’re going to do with the church, and the cost to repair would be astronomical.”

Lanigan said while he wasn’t a contractor or insurance adjustor, he knew the steeple crashed through the church’s trusses.

“It’s not just wood, nails, and shingles,” the mayor said. “We’re talking about about structural work that needs to be done. With the trusses ripped out, the walls either lean in or bow out. There’s nothing structurally holding them.”

“[In my opinion,] just the structural side of things would be in the millions.”

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Legislation was just passed by the Rome Common Council to put out a bid for demolition on the property.

The loss of such historic churches has been devastating to the community.

“St. Mary’s has been part of Rome’s skyline since the late 1800s,” Lanigan said. “It’s sad to come over the arterial now and not see the steeple… It is devastating and it’s unfortunate it has to come down, but right now, St. Mary’s is an unsafe structure, and we need to move forward.”

The Observer-Dispatch reached out to the Kabari Wellness Institute, but received no response.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Part of the Rome community for more than 150 years, St. Mary's Church faces demolition