The doors of our historic church and crypt remain closed to the faithful, with one recent exception: the Funeral Mass of Sacristan +Robert Keck on January 17. Parishioners embraced the opportunity to honor Mr. Keck for his many years of service to Most Holy Redeemer, and to attend the Mass for him inside the church.
The Committee had not expected this service to be held at Most Holy Redeemer, after receiving a late December letter from Timothy Cardinal Dolan in which His Eminence stated that the church had to be shuttered by the parish administrator due to safety concerns. The Committee’s request for a Mass on the 173rd anniversary of the church’s consecration was also denied for safety reasons.
These decisions were difficult to accept, as services continued to be held last summer for several weeks after a small chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling above the sacristy. Now they are even more so.
As reported by EV Grieve, NYC Department of Buildings issued a violation on January 13th for failure to maintain the premises, citing cosmetic (not structural) issues. Photos and details are included in the article.
Parishioners have repeatedly been told in public meetings that funds from the sale of Nativity Church, whose demolition many of us still mourn, are more than adequate to take care of properly maintaining Most Holy Redeemer.
It can take time to assess conditions and plan repairs, but no work has been observed, no plans or permits have been filed, and parishioners have received no updates on the status of any assessments that may have taken place. The parish council and finance committee have not been called to meet, and the faithful whose parents raised funds for the renovation for the 150th Anniversary of the church in the 1990s have been completely cut out of the decision-making process.
This is an all-too-familiar and very concerning pattern. Since 2000, the number of parishes in the Catholic Archdiocese of New York has decreased from 412 to 287 as a result of parish mergers. Parish mergers have led to the closing of churches, rectories, convents and schools, leading to the sale of parish property to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars — but this path is not inevitable.