Elderly parishioner Lindsay Harley, 91, said he was gutted after an announcement by the church that it was selling the historic  building and surrounding land that also housed a men’s shed.

Sitting inside on a wooden pew, with his hat resting on his chest, Mr Harley is often flooded by deep nostalgia when he steps into the church.

For him, it is like walking into his second home.

Like many devout Christians of his vintage, every Sunday, without fail for the past 50 years, Mr Harley has attended the morning service at the church.

He has also watched two of his children get married inside the church and he has farewelled lifelong friends at services held within the four walls. 

“It will be a sad day for a lot of people when this church closes its doors,” Mr Harley said. 

“There are a lot of memories in there for a lot of people and I feel very sorry that it has come to this.” 

After his wife of more than 60 years died in 2013, Mr Harley said the church community was a pillar of strength to him in his darkest hours.

“Nancy and I were married for 63 years and 61 days,” Mr Harley said. 

“I didn’t know how I would go on without her. The church community are like a family.

“We always look after each other.”

Mr Harley said other elderly parishioners had been left reeling by the decision, many who no longer drove and walked to the church service every Sunday. 

Mr Harley said he did not know what they would do when the church closed at the end of the month. 

“It’s the end of an era,” Mr Harley said. “We know we have to accept the changes but it’s very sad for people.”

Mr Harley said he was also concerned about what would become of the church’s stained glass windows if it was demolished. 

In another blow, the church will shut its doors on May 31, a date which marks the 162nd anniversary of the establishment of the parish.

Parish congregation secretary Beryl Hodges said the decision had been sparked by the dwindling numbers of parishioners in recent years.

Ms Hodges said a decade ago there were at least 30 people at a Sunday service, but this had dropped to just 14.

“Financially we just can’t keep going,” Ms Hodges said. “We are all very saddened by the decision to sell but these are the realities you have to face with an ageing parish.

“We have lost a lot of members over the years.”

Ms Hodges said it was hoped that parishioners would still be able to attend mass at the nearby St Paul’s Anglican Church on Humffray Street or the Uniting Church in Brown Hill.

She also said that the parish was also investigating relocating the onsite Uniting church’s men’s shed. 

The site is set to be auctioned by Ray White on April 11. 

melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au