What a difference the passing of 18 years can make.

It was September 24, 2000, when the Diocese of Allentown used a Community Day event to unveil nearly half a million dollars in capital improvements to facilities on both sides of West Broad Street in Tamaqua.

The blessing and dedication of a $225,000 state-of-the-art St. Jerome Memorial Parish Center and ribbon cutting for a new, three-story $185,000 church elevator tower highlighted a day of celebration. It included a Dedication Day Mass followed by parish dinner in the adjacent school auditorium.

Four hundred packed The Church of St. Jerome to hear words of encouragement and inspiration from then-bishop The Most Reverend Edward Cullen.

"This is the perfect way for you to start you Renewal 2000. Besides being a great advantage for those physically challenged to get into the church, it'll allow for lunches to be delivered to the grade school students," he said.

Those improvements continued a decades-long rally.

In August, 1984, the Diocese purchased the former North Ward School parcel, located directly across the street. That site came in handy for school recess activities.

In August, 1999, the church and school erected an annex next door to the North Ward lot after acquiring the former Tamaqua Salvation Army headquarters, along with a brick gymnasium to the rear.

St. Jerome's purchased both properties for $90,000 on January 23, 1998. Of course, it already owned the rectory building adjacent to the church, meaning St. Jerome's facilities now anchored both western corners of the 200 block of West Broad Street and encompassed several oversized parcels.

It seemed the sky was the limit for successful St. Jerome's Regional School, built 1922. And ditto for the historic 1856 church, for years the second largest Catholic parish in Schuylkill County and one of the oldest churches of the Diocese.

In fact, the church's ambitious fundraising campaign, "Today's Dreams, Tomorrow's Reality," reaped a total of 680 pledges over 2 1/2 years.

Except for the sale of a former convent in April, 2006, the church had a history of acquiring downtown property, resulting in a dominating presence on Tamaqua's main street.  

Equally impressive, its primary buildings were - and still are - considered strong contributing resources to the Tamaqua National Historic District.

But somewhere over the past two decades the commitment began to fade.

For example, exterior maintenance at the church started to slide. Passers-by couldn't help but notice deterioration of the bell tower.

Many said the handwriting was on the wall in 2014 at the announcement of a merger with Tamaqua SS. Peter and Paul, creating a new church known as St. John XXIII Parish.

"That's the end of St. Jerome's," they said. But few probably realized the extent of what would happen.

On Tuesday, the Diocese released a statement indicating intent to relocate St. Jerome's School students to Hometown later this year, where the Diocese intends to purchase the Rush Elementary School complex for $1.2 million.

"We believe this move, if successfully completed, would be a very positive development for the St. Jerome Regional School family," wrote Philip J. Fromuth, Diocesan superintendent of Catholic education.

"The township school is newer and more spacious, and has more classrooms. In addition, there is ample parking and bus access, and there are fields for athletics and other uses."

The church's withdrawal from its Broad Street commitment poses a serious challenge to downtown, but also a unique opportunity, depending on what the Diocese intends to do with the parcels.

For example, the solid brick school building offers development opportunities for adaptive reuse as a community center or residential apartments or perhaps a business incubator.

Ample parking would available on the North Ward lot. And development would place the properties on tax rolls.

Of course, all of the parcels in question are currently owned by either the church or the Diocese, so it might be premature to discuss options.

But it's certainly not too soon for local cultural and economic minds to begin thinking creatively.

By Donald R. Serfass

tneditor@tnonline.com