Photo from August by Stacie Joy
The New York Times recently reported on efforts to reopen Most Holy Redeemer, the historic Catholic church on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, which has been closed to regular services since August 2025.
The article revisits the frustrations of longtime parishioners, who have continued to gather outside the locked church to pray, and the broader campaign to preserve the 175-year-old building, as we've reported extensively over the past 14 months.
Of particular interest is a statement from Joseph Zwilling, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New York, who told the Times that repairs to the church's ceiling began last month.
Zwilling said the Mass schedule will be determined after the work is completed.
In January, the Department of Buildings issued a "failure to maintain" violation after an inspector observed detached ceiling plaster inside the sanctuary, as we first reported.
How often services resume will depend on several factors, including "the needs of the people, the availability of Mass elsewhere and the ability to provide priests to celebrate the Mass."
He also disputed claims that the archdiocese had violated canon law by suspending services without formally closing the church, saying its status has not changed and that the closure was solely for safety reasons.
Zwilling further stated that the closure was unrelated to the archdiocese's potential $800 million settlement with victims of clergy and lay sexual abuse.
Meanwhile, parishioners and preservation advocates continue pressing for the church's reopening and landmark designation.
Despite the reported start of repairs, no date has been announced for the resumption of regular Mass.
Most Holy Redeemer has reopened only once since regular services ended — for a special Mass in January.
Previously on EV Grieve:
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