After months of uncertainty, it is official — the historic Norwalk church at the corner East Avenue and Van Zant Street will remain a house of worship.

Built in 1891, the former home of the East Methodist Episcopal Church, located at 244 East Ave., was purchased by the Mount of Olives Haitian Seventh-day Adventist Church on Wednesday for $1.5 million. The East Methodist Episcopal Church closed its doors and merged with a sister congregation in late June.

The Mount of Olives church is a growing congregation composed mainly of Haitian immigrants who have settled in Norwalk over the past 20 years. With approximately 200 parishioners, the church was formally organized in 2005.

After years of renting space from other churches, Mount of Olives will now have a home of its own.

“After so many years of praying for a permanent home, we are delighted that the Lord has answered our prayers” said Pastor Pierre Vincent of the Mount of Olives Church.

The church is slated for a series of renovations over the next month before its grand opening, scheduled for January.

The property has been a religious staple in Norwalk over the past 125 years. Its new owners belong to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a worldwide Christian denomination with a global membership of nearly 20 million.

*Article published from The Hour Norwalk online news.