Opposition is growing against a plan that would have St. Mary’s Church leave the city of Franklin after more than 150 years in the community.

Church officials earlier this year closed a deal for the church to purchase a 17-acre piece of property for $550,000 at the intersection of Yankee Street and Springs Boulevard in Springboro.

Parish Administrator Deacon Steve Bermick said in February there was no exact time frame on when a new church would be built on the site, but that the reason for the move was because the current church at 115 S. Main St. in Franklin was overcrowded, having grown from 300 to more than 900 families since 2005.

The group opposing the move disagrees with the growth statistics.

“I kept the records for about three years and we never got over 500 (families), so we are questioning where their numbers are coming from,” said Joy Broedling, one of several who oppose the move. “If the parish of St. Mary’s in Franklin moves to Springboro, the current parish is destroyed and the local area will lose the daily Catholic influence.”

Bermick also said the new church’s location is “right in the heart of our fastest growing area.”

The new church is expected to seat approximately 1,200 and cost an estimated $4 million. In addition, a new parish center will be built at the site for an estimated $2 million.

The current church seats 240 people and there are five Masses conducted on weekends.

Broedling said the opposition group is working on a letter writing campaign to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, as well as passing around a petition to send to the Archdiocese.

“We have a lot of people who don’t want to see this parish closed,” said Broedling, who has been a member of the church since 1977. “This is not a good thing. We have a lot of ministries for people that will all be dissolved if the church leaves Franklin.”

Bermick also said the plan is to sell the current church and use the proceeds to help pay for the new church.