Most Holy Redeemer Church in the Crosshairs?

(Above) Solemn vespers at Most Holy Redeemer church in 2013, with Bishop Athanasius Schneider.

Stacie Joy of East Village Grieve reports that regular masses are being terminated at Most Holy Redeemer Church starting in September. 1)

Most Holy Redeemer-Church of the Nativity will no longer hold a regular mass schedule starting in September, according to parish and Archdiocese officials. 

At a meeting held Monday night at St. Brigid’s on Avenue B, Monsignor Kevin J. Nelan of Immaculate Conception on 14th Street and Eileen Mulcahy, the vice chancellor for parish planning of the Archdiocese of New York, addressed continued speculation that Most Holy Redeemer would close outright. They emphasized that while the church isn’t officially closing, its operations will undergo significant changes. 

Regular weekly masses will end, and in their place, the church will offer only occasional services, such as weddings, funerals, or what was described as “once in a blue moon masses” for long-time parishioners.2)

Masses are being shifted to St. Brigid’s. Readers may recall that that church was restored only after the Archdiocese had fought tooth and nail to shut it down. St. Brigid’s now features horrendous art in the apse.

Most Holy Redeemer, in contrast, is one of the most historic and beautiful churches in the city. 3) It has a magnificent shrine of Our Lady of Perptual Help and a once famous collection of relics. It also contains, downstairs in an elaborate crypt, so many tombs of the Redemptorists (what’s going to happen to them?). We at the Society of St Hugh of Cluny have had a long association with this parish, sponsoring all kinds of events there over the years. (A search of this blog will lead the reader to photographs of many masses and events.) There always seemed to be activity going on in this church. Even after the Redemptorists suddenly up and left, this grand church seemed to be enjoying a renaissance that attracted favorable media attention. But it was not to last. Last year the young pastor was transferred out and Most Holy Redeemer placed in the hands of a priest managing a number of other churches in the area. 4) It looks like the Archdiocese is following the usual playbook: priests are unavailable, the building allegedly has structural problems, the faithful can best be congregated in one church. The parish even has had to vacate its offices from the rectory (which actually is still in the hands of the Redemptorists).

(Above) Vespers with Bishop Schneider in 2013: (Below) Most Holy Redeemer in 2019.

The loss of Most Holy Redeemer would be a tragic blow to the Catholics of the Archdiocese. The Village Preservation Society is circulating the following urgent petition to landmark this church (incredibly, that appears never to have been done):

Save historic Most Holy Redeemer Church in the East Village

1. “Most Holy Redeemer to halt Regular Masses this fall amid Uncertainty about its Future.” (July 16, 2025)
2. Joy, Ibid.
3. Our description is here: “The Churches of New York IX: Vierzehnheiligen on the East River” (3/ 27/2011)
4. The Society of St Hugh of Cluny, “Bohemians, the Traditional Mass and Most Holy Redeemer Church” (8/29/2024)