BY THE VILLAGE SUN | Heaven only knows what’s going on with St. Veronica’s Church in Greenwich Village, but a group of persistent former congregants are praying — and fighting — for its salvation.
Although the New York Archdiocese and the local pastor are reportedly doing their best not to promote it, an anniversary Mass honoring St. Veronica Church’s dedication date will be held Fri., June 7, at 11 a.m.
Activists hoping to save the disused church said the powers that be planned only to notify the community about the Mass at the last minute, “hoping for a very low turnout, thereby justifying their hope to reverse again the Vatican ruling to reopen the church and sell off the property.”
The Save Saint Veronica’s Committee says June 7 will be “a rare chance” to visit the interior of St Veronica’s, at 149 Christopher St., between Greenwich and Washington Streets.
The committee also insists that the second of two “required Masses” be held on July 12, plus that the church be opened on a regular basis for silent prayer. However, the archdiocese, as well as Father Jesus Ledezma, who is based at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard Church, on W. 14th Street, and has local oversight over St. Veronica’s, have not responded, according to the committee.
“In the past, they have scheduled the two annual minimum required Masses secretly and on other occasions have replied last minute with scheduled times hoping for low/no turnout!” committee member Vincent Orgo said.
Despite the archdiocese’s effort to close the church in 2017, the Vatican in 2020 reversed the decision and ordered the house of worship “re-sanctified.”
In 2022, in yet another sign that the archdiocese remains determined to close the Village church, the St. Veronica’s AIDS memorial was moved to St. Xavier Church, at 46 W. 16th St.
It is amazing how the Church is wondering why mass attendance and donations are down. It is because the Church is being run like a corporation and not to service its people.
Churches must be saved. No greed.
The church wants to sell this property. They would make a nice amount off it. I believe they just sold the property of another closed church on Avenue D between East 12th and East 13th Sts., St. Emeric, to developers — affordable housing is supposed to be part of that deal.