For Immediate Release
Ramute Zukas, President
Lithuanian American Community NY District
New York, January 19 — The
Lithuanian American Community, New York District strongly condemns the
announced decision of the Archdiocese of New York to close Our Lady of Vilnius
Roman Catholic Church. The announcement
was not contained in diocesan press releases regarding a formal Parish
Realignment Plan, but has been leaked in news reports.
“For many months, the parish
community has attempted in vain to confirm rumors regarding the closing of this
historic, diverse and vibrant parish,” Ramute Zukas, President of the
Lithuanian American Community, New York District, said. “Our parish administrator, Father Eugene
Savicki, trustees and other parishioners have been stonewalled by the
archdiocese at every turn as they have sought any authoritative information
regarding this secretive process. We
are committed to challenging this shadowy decision, out of respect for both the
current members of this faith community and the generations that built this
beautiful church and sustained it over the course of the past 102 years.”
Public outcry in response to the
rumors has been expressed in thousands of signatures on an online petition (www.petitiononline.com/
OLV2006) and in letters and calls to the Archdiocese, which have not met with
any definitive statements re-garding reasons, timeline or any other specifics.
Our Lady of Vilnius Roman
Catholic Parish was founded in 1905 to serve the spiritual needs of immigrant
Lithuanian Catholics. Located on Broome
Street at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, it is the only Lithuanian parish
in Manhattan.
The church is a vibrant parish
serving not only Lithuanians but a colorful and diverse group of parishioners
from the lower downtown area. For over two years Mass has been held in the
parish hall while awaiting insurance payments to repair minor damage to the
church roof. Such claims by individual parishes
must be paid through the Archdiocese.