Oldest church in Yonkers: Parishioners push for landmarking of St. Mary's Church
Board members will discuss a resubmitted application to landmark the parish on Wednesday.
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A landmarking application for a beloved parish in Yonkers is up for discussion this week.
An agenda shows members of Yonkers' Landmarks Preservation Board are expected to discuss a resubmitted application to landmark St. Mary's Church on South Broadway at their meeting this Wednesday.
Longtime parishioner Julius Rodriguez says he plans to attend the meeting.
He tells News 12 that he believes the church deserves the status.
"It's the oldest church in Yonkers. It was the mother church for many of other people," Rodriguez says. "Even before they had the chance to build their own church, they came here and they did their prayers."
City officials say a legal stipulation currently only landmarks the outside of the church. However, Rodriguez says the reapplication could help preserve the inside of it.
Rodriguez says he believes the move could make it harder for the archdiocese to close the church.
"They can always build something [inside] here and the facade, outside, keep as is... But definitely harder if the whole church is landmarked," Rodriguez says.
Last year, an appeal to the Vatican helped St. Mary's stay independent amid concerns it could close due to costly repairs.
Still-- some community members say the church's future feels uncertain to them.
"This church [has] got to stay here. It's been [here] years," says a resident named Luis.
An archdiocese spokesperson says he is unaware of the effort to re-landmark the inside of St. Mary's and says services will continue to be held there.
If the church ever were to shut down in the future, parishioners say it would devastate them.
"It would absolutely hurt my feelings...There are hundreds of people who have history in this church," Rodriguez says.
