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ONONDAGA COUNTY, N.Y. -- The doors of St. Mary's Church in Jamesville will be opened for a special Mass this week. The mass is to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption.

In the Catholic faith, it's the day Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven.

This is the first time since 2007 that a service has been held in the building. It was then that the Syracuse Diocese decided to merge St. Mary's parish with Holy Cross parish in DeWitt.

Parishioners did fight to keep the church open, but the Vatican upheld the decision to merge the church. Although there's no longer a parish there, last year, the Vatican ruled the building must remain a sacred place.

"Bishop Cunningham issued a statement in January of this year, indicating that occasionally services can be held in the church building itself: masses, a wedding, a funeral, etcetera. So, this is the first mass since that directive that's being celebrated at St. Mary's," said Danielle Cummings, Syracuse Diocese Communications Director.

The Feast of the Assumption will be celebrated at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday. That's the only special Mass scheduled at the church in the immediate future.