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The last Mass to be celebrated at the St. Brigid's Church worship site in Watervliet will be at 4 p.m. on June 25.

Three weeks later, the sale of both the church and St. Brigid's older school bulding is expected to close. The buildings are being purchased by Wicked Smart LLC, a sportswear manufacturer based in Menands.

This is the latest sale in the ongoing effort by Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Watervliet, which currently has two worship sites - St. Brigid's and St. Patrick's - to sell buildings left vacant when six Watervliet and Green Island parishes merged to become Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in 2005.

The newer St. Brigid's school building was already sold in March to Achievements, a special education program for children with physical and speech disabilities or impairments. The church hall was purchased in February by the Association of Bosniaks of Albany to be used as a social center.

Immaculate Heart of Mary parish's final home will be the former Immaculate Conception Church in Watervliet, which is currently being renovated. Until that process is completed later this summer, liturgies are being held in nearby St. Patrick's Church.

"Everything is going along as planned," said Rev. L. Edward Deimeke, pastor, adding that the newly-renovated worship site will be dedicated in either late August or early September.

Other Immaculate Heart of Mary properties under contract to be sold are two vacant lots that were owned by St. Brigid's; the closed St. Joseph's Church and rectory in Green Island; and the former Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Watervliet.

The school may be purchased by the same Korean congregation who also purchased the OLMC rectory and hall in February 2010 to use as a worship center.

As for the religious articles left in the various churches, some items from each merged parish will go to Immaculate Heart of Mary when it settles in its new home. The rest will be sold to The Ecclesiologists LLC, a church-goods reclamation company based in New Jersey.

The last property to be for sale will be St. Patrick's Church in Watervliet, said Father Deimeke; however, that process won't begin until the parish moves to the Immaculate Conception worship site.

Father Deimeke noted that, while the consolidation process was challenging, it has been happening in the national Church for years and is, at times, necessary.

A reception in the school will follow the final Mass at St. Brigid's. Memorabilia such as trophies, uniforms and copies of the history of the church will be available for parishioners to view.

See photos of the new worship site at www.rcpw.weebly.com.[[In-content Ad]]

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