Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
On Friday evening, dozens of residents gathered outside Most Holy Redeemer-Church of the Nativity on Third Street for a prayer vigil.
The event, organized by the Facebook group Save Most Holy Redeemer Historical Church, included a call-and-response chant of "Hail Mary/Sancta Maria" by candlelight.
There were no speeches or flyers handed out — just steady prayer filling the block between Avenue A and Avenue B.
The candles lit up the front steps and drew curious passersby on this pleasant summer evening.
Several attendees quietly shared concerns about the church's future. Some spoke of rumors that the Archdiocese might sell or demolish the 19th-century building, like it did with Mary Help of Christians on 12th Street in 2013. That church and school yielded Steiner East Village, the block-long luxury condoplex with an indoor pool.
Others worried that priests had been silenced, or that settlement costs from abuse claims were driving the closure. Many expressed frustration — and devotion.
"I'm not even Catholic, and I come here to pray; it's such a beautiful space," one woman said. A handful of people pointed to the departure of Father Sean last summer as the moment the parish began to decline.
The vigil follows July's announcement that weekly masses at Most Holy Redeemer will end after Aug. 31. Going forward, the church will host only occasional ceremonies such as weddings and funerals.
Parishioners are being directed to St. Brigid's on Avenue B for regular services. Church leaders cited a shortage of priests and the building's deteriorating condition, including falling plaster, as reasons for the shift.
Meanwhile, Village Preservation, the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative, and the East Village Community Coalition are pushing for landmark status for the 1851 church, its rectory, and former school to protect them from redevelopment.
Supporters argue the complex is a vital part of the neighborhood's cultural and architectural heritage.
Find the petition here.
