architecture – United Yam

Parishioners in western New York ask Vatican to let them save 160-year-old church #Catholic “[We] will not receive an extension or any second chances.” That’s the urgent message Catholics in western New York are telling the local faithful in their bid to preserve a Civil War-era parish in the small town of Auburn. The Diocese of Rochester is moving to permanently close and potentially sell Holy Family Church due to structural issues that officials say make it unsafe to use as a parish.

Interior details of Holy Family Catholic Church in Auburn, New York. | Credit: Photo courtesy of H.O.P.E.

The diocese shut down the church in June 2024, but parishioners of the parish in Auburn — located about 40 minutes outside of Syracuse — are petitioning the Vatican to keep the church an active holy site rather than allow it to be sold off to potential developers. On its website, Holy Family Organization to Preserve and Endure says the Vatican has requested that the group “demonstrate funding for the purchase, repair, and maintenance of the church.”The organizers say they are working to raise pledges to support the parish but there is a “narrow time window” and numbers “must be provided to the Vatican by mid-late summer 2026.”“If H.O.P.E. fails to demonstrate sufficient evidence to the Vatican by mid-late summer, then Holy Family Church could be sold to a secular buyer and could be destroyed,” the group said.Parish’s roots stretch back to early 1800sThe Auburn-based Roblee Historic Preservation said in a “statement of significance” report that Auburn was the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Western New York region in the early 1800s. The Roblee report was drafted in order to assist the city’s historic review board in potentially awarding a landmark designation to the parish. The New York Historic Preservation Office had previously said the property was eligible for listing on both the state and national historic registers.

Holy Family Church hosts the wedding of Joseph Paul Staehr Sr. and Jean Marie Hayes Staehr on Nov. 29, 1958. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Richard Staehr

The Church of the Holy Family was initially dedicated in 1830 in a chapel previously used by local Methodists. The current building was built in 1861 by local Dutch-born master builder John Vanderbosch.The report described the parish as the “mother church” of Auburn and “an iconic part of its downtown skyline.” On its website, the Catholic preservation group says it hopes to retain the parish for “Catholic religious activity,” including rosary groups and private prayer groups, “occasional worship,” sacred music concerts, sacred art displays, and architecture tours.Karen Odrzywolski, the president of the parish preservation group, said the church is also meant to preserve the memory and legacy of Bishop Patrick Byrne, an apostolic delegate to Korea who was martyred in 1950 during a four-month-long forced march while in the captivity of communist forces in North Korea. Born in Washington, D.C., Byrne spent his formative years in Auburn, living just a few blocks from the parish. His family attended Mass there and he attended the parochial school; he was confirmed at the parish in 1900.

A record from Holy Family Church shows the Sept. 2, 1900, date of Bishop Patrick Byrne’s confirmation. | Credit: Courtesy of H.O.P.E.

Odrzywolski told EWTN News the preservation group formed in July 2024, a month after the parish was officially shuttered by the diocese. “We initially put together a preservation plan, which we shared with our pastor and with the Diocese of Rochester,” she said. “We’ve also shared it with the Vatican.” “We’ve also worked on educating the community as to the significance of the church,” she said. “We’ve had events in honor of Bishop Byrne and of his family, and on the 75th anniversary of his martyrdom we had a prayer vigil.”In addition to the link with Byrne, Odrzywolski said the parish was also once host to another famous Catholic bishop, now-Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The prelate, at the time the bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, officiated the funeral Mass of Father William Davie at the parish in 1968. The Vatican has requested that the group demonstration its ability to fund the church’s upkeep, she said. “We’re very appreciative of this opportunity. We’re hopeful if we can demonstrate the funding they’ll allow us to proceed with preserving the church.”Thus far, Odrzywolski said, the group isn’t accepting cash donations; instead, it is collecting pledges “so we can demonstrate our ability to fund the maintenance, repair, and preservation of the church.” “We’ve received over 300 pledges,” she continued. “We’re extremely grateful to every single person who has pledged. Many people have pledged as much as they possibly can. Many who pledge in general may be of limited or fixed income.”Odrzywolski said the needed repairs are limited to the exterior facade. The interior, she said, has been well maintained over more than a century and a half. The Vatican, meanwhile, is expecting the group’s proof of viability by August. “We’re trying our best to aim for an Aug. 1 deadline in order to allow enough time to prepare the documents in a timely manner,” she said.“The truth is, we need the entire community to come together,” she said. “The closure of the church impacts the entire community, and we need individuals, families, and businesses to come together.” “It’s about the future of Auburn,” she continued. “but it’s also about honoring Bishop Byrne, and ultimately honoring God.”

unitedyam July 18, 2026July 19, 2026

Holy Family Church in Auburn, New York, is facing a possible sale to developers if local Catholics cannot provide a financial plan to the Holy See.

Notre-Dame Cathedral enters final stage of restoration following 2019 fire #Catholic A symbol of Christian heritage and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, attracts millions of tourists and pilgrims from around the world each year.The devastating fire that significantly damaged the iconic cathedral on April 15, 2019, led to an unprecedented wave of international solidarity to ensure its restoration.Although the cathedral reopened for worship in December 2024, restoration work is not yet complete. French authorities recently unveiled a final phase of work to be carried out from 2027 to 2033, which will require a new fundraising campaign aiming to raise 130 million euros ($148.5 million). A view of the interior of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Martín Muñoz Ledo The planned investment amounts to 150 million euros ($171.3 million). Of that sum, nearly 20 million euros ($22.8 million) has already been secured, while the remainder is to come from donations from individuals, companies, and partner organizations, following the funding model used to rebuild the monument after the fire.“Our goal is to fully complete the cathedral’s restoration,” stated Philippe Jost, president of Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris (Rebuilding Notre Dame in Paris), in an interview with the French Catholic newspaper La Croix.The program consists of around a dozen projects aimed both at repairing damage done by the fire and at restoring elements of cultural heritage that were already in a fragile state of preservation prior to 2019.The western rose window: The central focusThe planned works feature the complete restoration of the great western rose window, one of the most iconic examples of European Gothic architecture. This historic 13th-century stained-glass window has not undergone a complete restoration since the work directed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century.The plans also include the restoration of the north transept façades, various medieval sculptures, and other architectural elements showing signs of wear. Project leaders believe these works will be crucial for ensuring the cathedralʼs long-term preservation.A functioning cathedral, yet still under constructionThe reopening of Notre Dame in late 2024 allowed the resumption of the cathedralʼs ordinary liturgical life. Since then, thousands of the faithful and tourists have once again passed through its doors each day.However, the fire also made evident conservation issues that had accumulated over decades in a building with more than eight centuries of history. Consequently, the new phase of work aims not only to repair fire damage but also to address broader structural and heritage-related needs.The reopening ceremony, held in December 2024, was considered one of the most significant cultural and religious events in Europe in recent years.Furthermore, those responsible for the restoration hope to rekindle the spirit of solidarity that emerged following the 2019 tragedy. At that time, financial pledges totaling nearly 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) were secured, funds that made the reconstruction possible and left resources for future conservation work.Debate persists over new stained-glass windowsThe unveiling of this final phase does not put an end to one of the most notable controversies surrounding Notre Dame: the proposal, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, to replace six 19th-century stained-glass windows created by Viollet-le-Duc with contemporary works by French artist Claire Tabouret.The project remains subject to a court ruling following challenges filed by various heritage preservation associations. Their representatives argue that the historic stained-glass windows sustained minimal damage during the fire and consider their replacement unjustified.The issue has divided restoration experts, public officials, and figures from the world of culture. While some advocate for the complete preservation of the cathedralʼs historic legacy, others view the proposal as an opportunity to incorporate a new artistic expression into one of Franceʼs most recognizable monuments.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Picture of the day Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”. #ImageOfTheDay

Picture of the day

Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”.

Picture of the day St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church (1766) was relocated from the village of Glotovo, Vladimir Oblast to the Museum of Wooden Architecture at the Kremlin in Suzdal, Russia. Today is Saint Nicholas Day in much of Eastern and Western Christianity. #ImageOfTheDay

Picture of the day

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church (1766) was relocated from the village of Glotovo, Vladimir Oblast to the Museum of Wooden Architecture at the Kremlin in Suzdal, Russia. Today is Saint Nicholas Day in much of Eastern and Western Christianity.

Picture of the day Fortified city of Carcassonne during the blue hour, France. Founded during the Gallo-Roman period, the citadel derives its reputation from its 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long double surrounding walls interspersed by 52 towers. The medieval citadel, situated on a hill on the right bank of the river Aude, was restored at the end of the 19th century by the theorist and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. In 1997, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites because of its exceptional testimony to the architecture and planning of a medieval fortress town. #ImageOfTheDay

Picture of the day

Fortified city of Carcassonne during the blue hour, France. Founded during the Gallo-Roman period, the citadel derives its reputation from its 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long double surrounding walls interspersed by 52 towers. The medieval citadel, situated on a hill on the right bank of the river Aude, was restored at the end of the 19th century by the theorist and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. In 1997, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites because of its exceptional testimony to the architecture and planning of a medieval fortress town.