A recent story by The Boston Globe on closed Catholic churches that are turned into swanky condos is worth the read. The photo gallery is an especially good use of a couple of minutes of down time.

From the story:

Catholic canon law requires that a church be stripped of religious items, including altars, statues, and crucifixes, before it is sold. Most are passed on to another parish looking for a new Blessed Mother statue or stained-glass windows.

“Our policy is to leave nothing of religious significance behind,” said Kathleen Heck , who oversees the transition of parishes for the archdiocese.

And once all the saints have found new homes, what happens to the building?

“It’s available for secular use,” said Brother James Peterson, head of canonical affairs at the archdiocese.