KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — After an outpouring of prayers, protests, and petitions, the Sisters of St. Joseph motherhouse is now demolished.
A group who started savenazareth.com pushed to raise funds to save the historic structure at the old Nazareth College Campus in Kalamazoo, but sisters explained that they could no longer afford the upkeep and in the end the building was torn down on Sunday.
The Sisters of St. Joseph, which own the property, announced in 2015 that they planned on at least partially demolishing several buildings on the 394,000 square foot site.
Portions of the bell tower cupola atop the motherhouse were removed on December 19th after Doug Melching, the owner of the company tasked for demolition work, wanted to preserve some of the former catholic college’s history. The dome remains in front of the rubble, but it’s not clear where it will go next.
Some religious items, including the “Holy Stairs,” were given to the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.
The motherhouse and four other buildings have been slated for demolition since April.
The catholic college was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1914 at the site of their Kalamazoo-area convent. It shut down in 1992 due to a lack of enrollment and funding.
Since its closure several buildings on campus have been demolished including the former library and dormitories. Others have been repurposed by groups like Borgess Health Center for its Borgess Health and Fitness center.
A group of opponents and former alumni launched the “Save Nazareth” campaign, which included protests and lawn signs throughout the city of Kalamazoo. A petition was also launched with over 3,000 signatures, but demolition was the final decision.
