Not all closed churches are doomed. An east side congregation purchased a shuttered Catholic church on Bailey near Walden Avenue today. New Life Harvest Church of God in Christ bought the Holy Name Roman Catholic Church complex at 1947-65 Bailey Avenue for a miniscule $130,000.
Holy Name (my childhood church) was closed as part of the controversial “Journey in Faith and Grace,” a strategic planning and spiritual revitalization initiative launched in June 2005 to respond to shrinking population, changing demographics, declining attendance, and fewer diocesan priests. As a result of the Journey in Faith and Grace, the diocesan parish restructuring and revitalization process, 77 of the dioceses 275 weekend worship sites in the eight counties of New York are or no longer will be used.
Many of the closed churches have been or are expected to be sold to other religious groups. Former churches locally have been converted to community centers, apartments, condominiums, offices, arts/performance space, and manuscript museums. An effort is underway to preserve St. Ann and St. Francis Xavier churches as religious artifact museums.
New Life Harvest Church of God in Christ is currently located on Rickert Street in the Fillmore/Northland Avenue neighborhood.