A 120-year-long chapter in NSW's spiritual history may be coming to an end.
The Redemptorist Monastery in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield is likely to close as its membership becomes older and fewer.
Its rector, Father Bill Goldman, said that if the priests left the monastery some would stay in Newcastle and continue their work.
But he is unsure where they will go or what will become of the building.
The Redemptorists are a Catholic male missionary order that focuses mainly on evangelisation through parish missions, retreats and adult faith development, as well as running the monastery's church.
In better days the monastery had 23 priests and five brothers. That was in 1960-61.
That number has now declined to nine, and there are no brothers.
Father Goldman said the other difficulty they faced was that they were now aged in their 70s and 80s.
"We're trying to keep something going where we can no longer do it," he said.
The decision to consider closing the monastery was made by the Provincial Chapter of the Redemptorist Congregation - the overarching body of the Redemptorist membership in Australia - at its triennial meeting held last year.
"They're momentous choices and difficult choices but we have to face the reality of our numbers in the monastery," Father Goldman said.
They are also fewer in number nationwide.
"We have to restructure, and Mayfield is one we have to possibly let go," Father Goldman said.
Three other Australian monasteries have closed in the past 30 years - at Townsville, Ballarat and Brisbane.
Father Goldman said the order would have to start negotiations "and see where that leads us".
"These are momentous choices for us Redemptorists, and this process will take considerable time and negotiations," he said.
The Catholic community would be kept informed of the plans, but in the meantime the monastery would continue to minister to the people of the diocese, he said.