Update on St. Vincent de Paul, New York

Visitors to this blog may recall our coverage of a recent evening of recollection  at St. Vincent de Paul Church, on West 23rd Street. We have also written about this churches legacy of history and art.  Now the New York Times has published an important article on this church and the plans of the Archdiocese for its demise:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/a-french-church-nears-its-end-but-not-without-a-contretemps/

In it we learn many valuable things.  Such as that the fate of a structure from the 1857 is not a concern of the New York Landmarks Preseervation Commission – at least if it is a Catholic church. That major repairs to this church have deliberately not been made by the Archdiocese – regardless of the availability of funds –  all supporting the argument that St. Vincent de Paul would be too costly to keep open ( those following these developments may recall similar tactics in the closure of Our Lady of Vilna, among others)   That, where money is involved,  Archdiocesan bureaucrats drop the folksy and caring demeanor of their boss – the language of Mr Zwilling is legalistic,  arrogant  and uncompromising.  Above all, that  a small number of dedicated parishioners by forming key alliances with media and influential parties ( in this case, the French government!) can keep the closing of their parish before the public eye. Can it be reversed? That has happened in the past – our prayers are with the parishioners of this church.  Undoubtedly their efforts will be aided by clerical faux pas such as engaging in a “tense encounter” with a parishioner while she was giving the New York Times reporter a tour of the church….