The St. Vincent de Paul Church in the Chelsea section of Manhattan officially closed Sunday after holding services for more than 140 years.
Parishioners attended the last service Sunday morning in the historic building, which was built in 1869 and got a limestone facade in 1939.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York proposed closing St. Vincent de Paul in 2007 as part of a realignment that folded some parishes and merged others.St. Vincent de Paul has structural problems and is in need of repair.
"When I heard the church building was closing, I was like, it struck me. It struck me hard," said a parishioner.
"I've been coming to this church for the past 27 years, and it's a shame that the church is going to close," said another.
It was one of about 20 churches marked for closure for a variety of reasons, including damage and a lack of clergy.
The parish, which originally served the city's French-speaking population, was founded in 1841.