WATCH: Church demolished after welcoming Nebraska parishioners since 1889

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A church that stood in a southeast Nebraska community since 1889 has been demolished.

The Catholic Diocese of Lincoln shared video of crews tearing down St. Leo Catholic Church in Palmyra on Tuesday.

Officials said Masses have been held in the parish hall for the last 10 months, due to the building‘s age and condition.

The Rev. Sean Kilcawley said grief washed over him as he watched the building come down.

“It’s proper to grieve a loss as we experience it,” he said in a video on Facebook. “And at the same time, we’re really making space for the future. And that is the role of grief. Grief is there to make space for new relationships.”

Longtime parishioner Ken Malone, whose family members have been part of the church from the beginning, spoke as well.

“The midnight Masses, serving on the altar, singing in the choir loft up above, and it was the family. The Church is always family. It was the family and community that was inside those walls.”