Faithful parishioners of a long-standing Mount Vernon church gathered Friday to celebrate their final Mass before it is shuttered as part of the New York Archdiocese's mergers.

The Archdiocese says that parishes such as Sacred Heart Church have seen poor finances and low attendance over the years, prompting the merger.

The 140-year-old Sacred Heart will merge with Our Lady of Victory, located about a half-mile away.

Roberta Apuzzo, the church's executive director, says the downstairs soup kitchen has served meals to those who need them most for more than 20 years. She says the church is scrambling to find a new location for the kitchen, and they have about a month to do so.

After the mergers, Sacred Heart will remain open as a public house of worship, but it will no longer celebrate Mass or sacraments.