In the midst of a fight for its church’s survival, parishioners of the former St. Katharine Drexel church in Lansford gathered in front of the scaffolded building Sunday for an anniversary celebration.

Founded 125 years ago as St. Michael The Archangel, the church was closed on July 1 following a decree from Diocese of Allentown Bishop John O. Barres, a target of much criticism during the hour-long ceremony.In April, the Diocese of Allentown announced the consolidation of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Katharine Drexel parishes into St. Joseph Parish, Summit Hill.Our Lady of the Angels Academy in Lansford was also closed.Since then, Sister Kate Kuenstler, a canon lawyer, has been helping St. Katharine Drexel parishioners essentially appeal Barres’ decision to Congregation of the Clergy in Rome.“I can’t guarantee anything,” she told the crowd Sunday. “I’ve lost more cases then I’ve won. But you have a very strong argument that was sent to Rome. You have a great case.”A few years ago, scaffolding went up around St. Katharine’s. In the decree to close the church, it says that the building is in dire need of physical repair, and is a danger to people who are entering it.It’s a justification that Kuenstler called a flat-out lie. “Sure it has structural problems, it’s an old church,” she said. “It’s all reasonably fixable. The scaffolding was used to argue to the Vatican that this church should be torn down. We have engineer reports that say just the opposite. There is no good reason to turn this church into a parking lot.”Sunday’s ceremony was filled with hymns, scripture readings and tidbits about the history of the church, read by Anne Michele Rutch and Dave Krall from the book, “A Century of Faith and Heritage.”For example, Rutch said the church and grounds cost $3,300.“It was a lot for men making 90 cents a day at that time for work in the mines,” she said. “But their intense desire overcame their imposition.”What is happening to many Catholic churches in the Panther Valley area is no different from other areas of the country, Kuenstler said.She directly links the closure of churches to the sexual abuse scandal plaguing dioceses around the country.“This was a business decision,” she said. “Dioceses everywhere are paying victims under the table to keep these cases out civil court.”In yet another criticism of Bishop Barres, Kuenstler said it should have been he and not the pastor tasked with delivering news of the church’s closing to parishioners.“Have the courage to stand on principle and tell them it is your signature that is shutting down their parish,” she said.The appeal is before the Congregation of the Clergy, which in the current climate is a good thing, Kuenstler said.Since Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Beniamino Stella as prefect for the Congregation of the Clergy, it is no longer corrupt she added.“Your case has come at a good time,” she told parishioners.The crowd stopped Kuenstler several times during her speech to give a round of applause.For parishioner Roseanne Orach, there is more than a glimmer of hope.“I still believe we have a great chance to win this,” she said. “Many say it’s not going to do anything, but you don’t know if you don’t try.”The church has faced adversity before.A fire burned the building to the ground in 1907 and everything was lost.“Our forefathers didn’t go backward, they leaned in on God,” said parishioner Stephen Behun. “Our fire struck on April 22, the day the bishop announced St. Katharine Drexel, St. Francis of Assisi and Our Lady of the Angels Academy were closing. Our fire struck, but we have a choice to make. Are we going to lean in?”