The choir didn’t seem to want to stop singing.

Nor did the crowd of parishioners who packed the tiny sanctuary at St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church on Sunday seem in any hurry to leave.

Instead, they lingered, exchanging hugs and wiping tears from their eyes as they said good-bye to a congregation that will now exist only as a memory.

“No one wants to give this up and say it’s over,” said Ralph Meranto, a member of the parish for 47 years. “It was always something in the future. Well, the future is today.”

The future for St. Charles now is a merger with St. John de LaSalle parish as part of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo’s Journey in Faith and Grace.

The final Mass was a poignant tribute to the 64-year-old congregation that started in 1944 as a Catholic mission and became a full parish in 1970.

The Rev. Stew Lindsay’s voice choked with emotion as he began to celebrate the final Mass.

“As we gather today, we celebrate our 64 years at St. Charles,” Lindsay said. “Although we are sad that St. Charles is closing, we will continue to live God’s word at other parishes in our community.”

Standing near the rear of the church, part of an overflow, standing room only crowd, Elizabeth Rutkowski gently dabbed away the tears at the corners of her eyes with a piece of Kleenex. St. Charles has always been a part of her life and that of her family.

“I was baptized here, this has been really hard,” Rutkowski said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Rutkowski’s grandmother played piano for the church choir, while her sister sang in it. Generations of relatives and siblings have called the parish home.

“It’s a community church, it’s a family church and it’s hard to leave,” Rutkowski said sadly. “Things go on, things change, but I’ll never forget (St. Charles).”

During the service, Lindsay tried mightily to humor the congregation. Standing in front of the altar and speaking in a fatherly tone, he told the parishioners he had heard laments from some that “all the members of (their families had) been buried from St. Charles.”

“So I told them, ‘That’s the good news, we’re not going to bury you now,’ ” Lindsay said as the congregation laughed.

The pastor at St. Charles for the last seven years, Lindsay recalled a ministry that has taken him from Michigan to Ohio and to three other Niagara Falls parishes before arriving at the tiny church in LaSalle. Now, mass ...

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he said, he would be “packing my bags and moving on again.”

“We are still a people committed to follow the will of God and we are called to take care of one another,” he said. “That’s our challenge. Today we celebrate the 64 years of St. Charles and it’s sad, but we know God will get us through.”

Behind Lindsay, as he spoke, two banners were lifted over the altar. They read, “For all that has been, thanks Lord, thanks. For all that will be, yes Lord, yes.”

“We leave,” Lindsay told his flock, “but our faith goes with us.”

For some, where they will go is not completely clear. Though the plan for the parish is a merger with St. John de LaSalle, some like Rutkowski say they will follow Lindsay to his new post at St. Joseph’s parish.

“This was our home, this was our Camelot,” Meranto said. “There are a lot of feelings in this church. We had something here, people loved each other. A lot of us have been here a very long time, but God wants us to go on and do other stuff.”

Lindsay ended the final Mass with a prayer for the future.

“Our father,” he said, “you have sustained us for 64 years with your words and your sacraments. And now we ask you to guide us to our new home.”

For many, that journey won’t be easy.

As one parishioner, he eyes red from tears, said on her way out of the sanctuary, “The best things come in small packages. And that’s what St. Charles was.”

Contact reporter Rick Pfeifferat 282-2311, ext. 2252.