Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Branch, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, sits atop a hill at the end of a dirt road overlooking the rural community.
Last month, local parishioners assembled a vehicular barricade, blocking a potential buyer from viewing the church.
The property is one of many churches being sold by the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp of St John’s to settle claims of abuse at the Mount Cashel Orphanage between the 1940s and 1960s.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled the archdiocese was vicariously liable to settle these claims in July 2020.
Tammy Roche, who grew up in Branch and now resides in St John’s, “fully supports” the efforts of parishioners to dissuade the potential sale of the church.
“I think they did the right thing,” said Roche.