A group has been established to save and maintain the former St. Michael’s church in the village of Tresckow as an active chapel.

Tony Harvilla, one of the volunteers, said the group has managed to form a 501c3 nonprofit entity that can accept donations so the group can purchase the church, which will cost $47,000, Harvilla said.

“The Church of St. Michael the Archangel Church of Tresckow, Inc., will be able to accept donations in about two weeks, when we have established bank accounts,” Harvilla said. “We’re going to go door to door and leave door knob cards to solicit funds.”

The future of the church, located at the corner of South Chestnut and Oak streets, is that it will be used for weddings, funerals and other family events, plus hold two masses per year, one on the anniversary of the church, and the birthday of St. Michael, which are both in September.

The church was closed in 2008, when the Diocese of Allentown closed five of six churches in the McAdoo area.

Both churches in Tresckow were closed along with St. Bartholomew’s Church, which remains closed and vacant.

At that time, the diocese subdivided the church property into three separate properties — the former rectory, where the priest lived, which has since been sold; a grotto at the end of the property, and the church building itself.

The 18 volunteers have been divided into five committees — finance; advertising and social media; maintenance; events, and solicitations.

The group, which met Tuesday night, will meet the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 at the Banks Township Municipal Building, 1 E. Maple St., Tresckow.