Editor's note: This is the third of three parts.

The elegant statues, exquisite stained glass, historic pews and beautiful altar all add to the charm of St. Lawrence the Martyr Church in North Catasauqua.

The more important attributes for many parishioners are the memories and people.

"I think it's the people. The people are all great," said parishioner John Lane of North Catasauqua. He and his wife, Connie, have attended the church for decades. Their two sons and daughter grew up in the church.

The Diocese of Allentown announced in June the St. Lawrence parish and another North Catasauqua Catholic church, St. Andrew, will merge next July and become the St. John Fisher Parish. The current St. Andrew building will become the worship location for St. John Fisher.

North Catasauqua resident Louise Oswald has attended St. Lawrence her whole life and was baptized at the church as well. Oswald's mother also attended St. Lawrence along with her extended family, the McNallys.

Her memories of St. Lawrence date back to her childhood.

"I went to grade school here for eight years," Oswald said. "I remember going to Mass everyday. I remember all the Easter pageantry and Masses."

While her memories are good and she will miss sitting in a pew and worshipping at St. Lawrence, she understands the pressures placed on churches today.

"I think, given the resources, we have hard decisions to make," she said. "The church is the people, not the building. It's still sad to leave St. Lawrence."

The decision to create a new parish and move it to the St. Andrew building, according to the diocese, was the result of a survey conducted by Wallace and Watson Associates, Allentown, which determined it was not economically practical to build a new building or to renovate an existing building to maintain both parishes.

Beginning next July, the parishioners of St. Lawrence will have a choice: to worship at St. John Fisher or transfer to another church.

The history of St. Lawrence dates back to the mid-1800s when, in 1856, a half acre of land was sold for $450 to Bishop John Neumann by Paul Faust and his wife Amelia. According to the parish website, the purchase would eventually house the first Catholic church in Catasauqua known as St. Lawrence.

In 1857, the construction of the church was completed in time for Christmas Mass. A letter was later received from Neumann indicating that beginning January 1858, the new church would be designated as the parish church for the new parish of St. Lawrence.

On May 16, 1858, Neumann arrived in Catasauqua to bless and dedicate the new church and parish, and administer the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The remainder of the block on Second Street was later sold to Bishop Wood by the Fausts as a burying ground. At that time, the canonical territory of St. Lawrence included Freemansburg, the city of Bethlehem, Hellertown, the entire area to the Berks County line to the west, the entire area north to Schuylkill and Carbon counties, and to the south county lines of Bucks and Montgomery counties.

The church is named after St. Lawrence the Martyr whose history is associated with the Prefect of Rome, who believed the church had a fortune it was not disclosing. Believing so, the prefect ordered St. Lawrence to deliver the treasure to him. Three days later, St. Lawrence gathered together the poor and sick people supported by the church and presented them to the Prefect as the treasure of the church.

Angered, the Prefect sentenced St. Lawrence to death. As he was dying, he prayed that Rome would be converted to Jesus and the Catholic faith would be spread throughout the world.

Like the sainted martyr, many St. Lawrence parishioners believe in the value of people and their relationships in the church.

Jack and Joanne O'Connell of Whitehall have been parishioners of St. Lawrence since 1981. Previously North Catasauqua residents, their two sons attended St. Lawrence and were baptized and confirmed at the church. The connections and relationships formed with others inside the church is what makes St. Lawrence unique, Jack said.

"We have some roots here," he said. "We've had some fantastic priests we've remained friends with. A lot of our personal, close friends come from this parish."

The manner in which members of the parish pull together to support one another is a characteristic that has left an indelible imprint on parishioner Regina DeLong of North Catasauqua, who has attended St. Lawrence for 55 years.

"When my son was sick, the whole group rallied around him and prayed for him," she said. "When one of the parishioners is in trouble, the whole group helps out."

Peg McCarty also recalls memories of the church which go back to her childhood.

"Besides attending the church, I also graduated from St. Lawrence School," she said. "I can remember the many hours that my parents worked at our carnivals in support of the school."

While the merger is a sad reality for many, the parish must come together as one and move forward, McCarty noted.

"As good Christian people, parishioners from both parishes must put our differences aside to grow and become one St. John Fisher Parish," she said.

Still, many parishioners are not happy with the final decision of the diocese.

"I've been going here for 43 years," Lane said. "It's a shame they're doing this to the parish that's been open for this long."

Despite the feeling of loss, Oswald, the Lanes and the O'Connells said they intend to become members of St. John Fisher. A year from now, they will become part of a new parish family.