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Read much more at the excellent Our Lady of Vilnius Blog

URGENT UPDATE/ACTION ALERT: STILL STANDING

MAY 24, 2008:

Despite relentless efforts by opponents, including attempts at gaining authorization to demolish the historic Church of Our Lady of Vilnius, 570 Broome Street in New York City, this beautiful structure, a testament to the faith and dedication of turn-of-the-century Lithuanian-Americans, is still standing.

And so are we, still standing in witness of and resistance to the unconscionable locking out of the parishioners on February 26th, 2007.

We stand this and every Sunday on the sidewalk across from St. Patrick's Cathedral, 5th Avenue in Manhattan (10:30-11:30 a.m.)

We stand this and every Sunday in front of the Church of Our Lady of Vilnius (12:30-1:30 p.m.)  It's a time of fellowship, community, and sharing of news and information.

Despite the amount of time that has passed since the lockout, there are more reasons than ever to believe that a reversal of the decision to arbitrarily close this church is, indeed, possible.  Please share this information with your friends and relatives.

The church is still standing.  We are still standing.  And we are waiting for you to join us.

Please take a moment to sign our online petition.

WHEN THEY SAY IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY...

MAY 22, 2008:

During the entire sordid drama of the forced closing of an active, self-supporting, diverse parish community, the Archdiocese of New York insisted (when it's spokesMEN deigned to comment at all) that the imperative to desecrate the faith legacy of a dedicated ethnic minority by locking the doors of the Church of Our Lady of Vilnius was strategic and in keeping with an overall vision for the Archdiocese.  Communication, when it happened, was couched in the authoritarian language of hierarchical omniscience.  Any implication that the dirty decisions could be reversed were greeted with derision and condescension.  And, to be honest, even within the Lithuanian-American community there has been much discussion about the wisdom of questioning a Church decision.

But with the news of St. Brigid's church, condemned since 2001, being saved by what can only be called "privatization" (a secret "angel" has come up with a $20 million gift)...  The more cynical among us have the bittersweet satisfaction of having their worst suspicions confirmed.  It seems it really IS about the money after all.

NOVEMBER 22, 2007:

Ambassador Jonas Paslauskas and the Save Our Lady of Vilnius Committee cordially invite you to an evening devoted to “Preserving Our Lady of Vilnius - A Lithuanian Cultural Treasure.”  Join us for the opening of a photo exhibit by Ann Charles and screening of a video produced by Lithuanian filmmaker Mindaugas Blaudziunas.

The event will happen on Thursday, November 29, 2007 from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in New York, 420 Fifth Ave, Third Floor, New York, N.Y.

Donations will be accepted to continue the work of trying to save Our Lady of Vilnius Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan.

If you cannot attend but would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please send your check to:
The Lithuanian American Community Inc.
Save Our Lady of Vilnius Fund
c/o Ramute Zukas
19 Willow Lane
Great Neck NY 11023

We wish you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving.
 

NOVEMBER 15, 2007:

For more information, please email ourladyofvilnius@mail2ny.com

OCTOBER 28, 2007:

Please be sure to join us for the ongoing vigils that take place every Sunday across from St. Patrick's Cathedral, 5th Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in New York City, and in front of the closed Church of Our Lady of Vilnius, 570 Broome Street.  It is clearly the intent of the Archdiocese to outwait the brokenhearted parishioners and supporters of this historic church.  The lesson learned by the Soviet Union, however, was that the Faithful do not give up so easily.

The protest at St. Patrick's coincides with the Cardinal's Mass - we hold flags and placards and sing hymns starting at 10:30 a.m.  We then reconvene at Our Lady of Vilnius Church at 12:30 p.m.

Several members of our community have been in Lithuania, actively pursuing intervention in our cause.  An article in lithuanian is available here.

JULY 27, 2007:

It's Not Over.

There is a DEMOLITION PERMIT on file with the City of New York for 570 Broome Street. That is the address of Our Lady of Vilnius Lithuanian Roman Catholic Church. The church the Archdiocese of New York mercilessly closed on February 26th, 2007. The church the Archdiocese of New York repeatedly promised it had no plans of demolishing. The church we observed asbestos abatement workers stripping on the night of July 26th, 2007 - usually the final act before demolition.

There is a DEMOLITION PERMIT on file with the City of New York for 570 Broome Street. The permit number is DP 305-10. The record may be viewed here: http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ActionsByLocationServlet?requestid=3&allbin=1009731

As we have for the better part of six months, we will gather once again this Sunday as a community to demonstrate our solidarity and express our outrage during Cardinal Egan's Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, 5th Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets. We will gather at 10:30 a.m. as a reminder that the sacrifice of our forefathers, who built this beautiful church in 1905, will not be forgotten. We will gather to show that a community cannot be dissolved through the unilateral actions of any entity, be it the Soviet Union or the Archdiocese of New York. We will gather to profess that the Lithuanian Community of New York, and the faithful of Soho who have called Our Lady of Vilnius Church their spiritual home for over a century, will not remain silent.

Won't you please join us? Bring flags, religious icons, wear traditional Lithuanian clothing, bring friends, family, neighbors, children.

An appeals process is underway. But without public attention, it may be rendered irrelevant by a midnight demolition. Don't let this happen! Write to the papers. Write to your elected representatives. And JOIN US ON SUNDAY, JULY 29TH, 2007 AT ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL. Following this vigil, we will regroup on Broome Street, at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. We will pray the Litany of Our Lady. And we will again remind each other that WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED.

"Scoopy's Notebook" in The Villager offers the same information as our personal contact with the workers onsite: read it here.

The photograph of the church on the first page of this site was taken late on Thursday, July 26th. As you can see, the lights are on inside. Perhaps for the last time.

As a reminder of Why We Fight, please take a minute to view this video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-43oihqCb10

 

JULY 11, 2007:

"It's breaking my heart that it's sitting in there, dusty and unused."

Gerbiamieji,

Jau daugiau negu tris menesius renkames kas sekmadieni pareiksti
pasipriesinima ir demonstruoti solidaruma New Yorko Ausros Vartu Lietuviu
baznycios uzdarymo klausimu. Kardinolo ziauraus pasielgimo reikalas toliau
keliamas ir Vatikane, ir JAV teismuose. Daug remeju jau dosniai prisidëjo
aukomis. Bet mes tikime, kad pastovus, viesas matomumas - tai esmine dalis
musu kovos.

Tad nuosirdziai kvieciame si sekmadieni prisideti ir paremti musu judejima
isaikyti Ausros Vartu baznycia.

Kardinolo E. Egan misiu metu renkames 10:30 val. prie Sv. Patriko katedros,
5th Avenue tarp 50 ir 51 gatviu, Manhattane. 12:30 akcija tesiasi prie
Ausros Vartu baznycios, Broome Street. Kiekvienas turi savo asmeniskas
priezastis, kodel vasaros karstyje dalyvauja su mumis.

Cia prisegta tik vieno asmens kovos neapleidimo priezastis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OC7ucphbg0

Apie ivykl, prasau, praneskite draugams ir pazistamiems. Taip pat siulome
priminti si reikala ziniasklaidai, ir parasyti lasðka Sen. Hillary Clinton:

http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/


Su pagarba,

Ramute Zukaite
JAV LBNY Apygardos Pirmininke
 

JUNE 28, 2007: FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT RIGHT.  THE NEW YORK OBSERVER PUBLISHED A STORY ENTITLED Cardinal Egan Paints Himself an Unhappy Ending, WHICH DOES AS GOOD A JOB AS ANY STORY WE'VE SEEN IN PROVIDING A GOOD OVERVIEW OF THE TRAGEDY OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS.   READ IT ONLINE HERE.  AND JOIN US FOR OUR ONGOING VIGIL ACROSS FROM ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL, 5TH AVENUE BETWEEN 51ST AND 52ND STREETS, SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 10:30.  WE ALSO CONTINUE TO GATHER AND REBUILD OUR HILL OF CROSSES AT OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH, 529 BROOME STREET, SUNDAYS at 12:30 PM.

MAY 13, 2007: DURING OUR VIGILS AT THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. PATRICK AND IN FRONT OF THE LOCKED OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH, MANY PASSERS-BY AND SUPPORTERS HAVE OFFERED TO MAKE MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUPPORT OUR STRUGGLE TO REOPEN THE CHURCH - A STRUGGLE THAT HAS EVEN REACHED POPE BENEDICT XVI HIMSELF VIA VALDAS ADAMKUS, PRESIDENT OF LITHUANIA.  WE HAVE GRATEFULLY DECLINED SUCH OFFERS UNTIL NOW.  BUT WITH LEGAL ACTION UNDERWAY, AN EMERGENCY LEGAL DEFENSE FUND HAS NOW BEEN CREATED TO HELP COVER THE COSTS OF OUR BATTLE.  EFFORTS ALREADY UNDERWAY ARE EXPECTED TO COST AT LEAST $20,000.  PLEASE READ THE LETTER OF APPEAL IN ENGLISH HERE, OR IN LITHUANIAN HERE, AND CONSIDER MAKING A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION.  THANK YOU!

MAY 12, 2007: "AMERIKOS LIETUVIS" PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ABOUT OUR LADY OF VILNIUS.   READ IT IN LITHUANIAN HERE.

MAY 5, 2007: THE COURT HAS ISSUED A STAY ON ANY FURTHER DESTRUCTION OF THE CONTENTS OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH.  READ THE PRESS RELEASE HERE.  ALSO "AMERIKOS LIETUVIS" HAS AN ARTICLE ON THE SACRILEGE PERPETRATED ON OUR CHURCH; READ IT IN LITHUANIAN HERE.

MAY 4, 2007:  A MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT JUDGE IS SET TO HEAR ARGUMENTS TODAY IN THE CASE INVOLVING THE CLOSING OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH.  THE HEARING IS SET FOR 2PM AT THE CIVIL COURT BUILDING, 111 CENTRE STREET.  IF YOU CAN, JOIN US STARTING AT 1 AT THE COURTHOUSE FOR A PRAYERFUL VIGIL IN SUPPORT OF CURRENT PARISHIONERS, AND OF ALL THOSE WHO WILL FIND IN THIS PARISH THEIR SPIRITUAL HOME IN FUTURE DECADES.  READ THE NEW YORK POST STORY HERE.

MAY 3, 2007: IN A POST AT COMMONWEAL, DETAILS OF A LAST-DITCH ATTEMPT IN FEBRUARY TO PREVENT THE CLOSING OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS AS A CULTURAL HERITAGE SITE.  READ IT HERE.  ALSO A STORY ON THE LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT'S MEETING WITH POPE BENEDICT XVI FROM THE CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE IS HERE.

APRIL 30, 2007 (ADDITIONAL LINKS MAY 2): THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF IRONY.  IN HIS MEETING WITH POPE BENEDICT XVI IN ROME SATURDAY, VALDAS ADAMKUS, PRESIDENT OF LITHUANIA, RECEIVED THE PONTIFF'S PERSONAL ASSURANCE THAT THE HOLY FATHER WILL HELP TO SAVE OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH IN MANHATTAN.  (WATCH A CLIP FROM LITHUANIAN TV, WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES, BY CLICKING THE IMAGE BELOW; THE PRESS RELEASE IN ENGLISH ON THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE IS HERE; LITHUANIAN NEWS STORY IS HERE; A BRIEF ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS HERE. THE NEW YORK POST PUBLISHED AN EXCLUSIVE STORY ON APRIL 30TH, READ IT HERE; "COMMONWEAL" HAS AN ARTICLE IN ENGLISH HERE; "LITHUANIAN NEWS" ARTICLE IN LITHUANIAN IS HERE; LITHUANIAN RADIO AND TV UPDATE IN LITHUANIAN IS HERE.) 

THIS NEWS REACHED THE COMMITTEE TO SAVE OUR LADY OF VILNIUS SUNDAY MORNING...  AND IT WAS ALSO SUNDAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO OUR BELOVED CHURCH FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE CARDINAL EGAN CHANGED THE LOCKS AND POSTED HIS GUARDS ON FEBRUARY 26TH.  MINDAUGAS WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE CHILLING IMAGES.  COMPARE THE "AFTER" PICTURES BELOW TO THE "BEFORE" PICTURES TAKEN IN LATE 2006. 

AS YOU LOOK AT THESE PICTURES, KEEP TWO THINGS IN MIND:

(1) TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO ACTUAL RENOVATION WORK WAS DONE IN THE CAUSE OF THIS DESTRUCTION.  FOR YEARS, THE ARCHDIOCESE HAS REFUSED TO RELEASE THE PROCEEDS OF A VALID INSURANCE CLAIM TO REPAIR MINOR ROOF DAMAGE.  FOR YEARS, THE ARCHDIOCESE PAID FOR SCAFFOLDING TO BE PLACED IN OUR CHURCH, FORCING SERVICES TO BE HELD IN THE SMALL BASEMENT HALL AND THUS FORCING AN ARTIFICIALLY LOW ATTENDANCE. 

(2) MINDAUGAS REPORTS THAT AS BEST HE COULD SEE, ALL ARTIFACTS, INCLUDING FABRIC PAINTINGS WHICH WERE ONCE LOVINGLY APPLIED TO THE WALLS AND CEILING, ARE ROLLED UP AND STILL IN THE BUILDING, ALTHOUGH RIPPED FROM THE SURFACES.  THE PRICELESS STAINED GLASS WINDOWS BY WORLD-RENOWNED LITHUANIAN ARTIST K. JONYNAS APPEAR TO BE CRATED, BUT STILL IN THE CHURCH AS WELL.  THE ONLY SIGN OF TRUE WANTON DESTRUCTION IS THE ARBITRARY PAINTING OF THE TOP OF THE SANCTUARY BACK WALL IN SOLID BLUE, THROUGH WHICH THE OUTLINE OF THE ANGELS PAINTED THERE IS STILL VAGUELY VISIBLE. 

PLEASE LOOK CLOSELY AT THESE HEARTBREAKING PHOTOGRAPHS.  KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL "BEFORE" PICTURES ARE FROM LATE 2006 AND ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE CONDITION OF THE CHURCH AT THE TIME THE LOCKS WERE CHANGED.  THEN DECIDE ANEW WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU PERSONALLY, SHARE THIS WITH THOSE CLOSE TO YOU, ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR ONLINE PETITION HERE , AND CHECK BACK FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS.

(Click on pictures below for larger images.  "After" photos by Mindaugas.  "Before" photos by Raimundas Jonas.)

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APRIL 27, 2007: JOIN US IN OUR PRAYERFUL VIGIL TO SAVE OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH.  WE ARE GATHERING SUNDAY, APRIL 29TH, 10:30 AM ACROSS FROM ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL, 5TH AVENUE BETWEEN 50TH AND 51ST STREETS.  WE ARE GATHERING AT NOON IN FRONT OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH, BROOME STREET NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOLLAND TUNNEL.  COME AND BRING FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND SUPPORTERS.

APRIL 24, 2007: AFTER A DEAFENING SILENCE, THE NEW YORK TIMES HAS FINALLY REFERENCED THE CLOSING OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS,  AS PART OF A LENGTHY PROFILE OF THE ARCHBISHOP.  THE STORY HAS DEVOLVED INTO TWO OPPOSING STORYLINES, HOWEVER, AND THE TIMES REFRAINED FROM INCLUDING ANY BALANCE IN ITS REPORTING.  IT IS THEREFORE VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS MANY SUPPORTERS OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH AS POSSIBLE WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT.  THE KEY POINTS OMITTED, GIVING AN ENTIRELY INCORRECT IMPRESSION, ARE:

-The Cardinal's remarks about attendance neglect to mention the withholding of insurance money, installing scaffolding, and thus forcing mass to be held in the church basement for 3 years!  The Cardinal himself created a situation, and then 'forced' his own hand.
-These actions also prohibited other sacraments to be performed in the Parish.
-Despite the difficulties, there were two masses held per day. The Lithuanian/English mass on Sundays, drew in about 50 parishioners. Daily lunchtime masses drew in about 30 locals per day.
- The Lithuanian/English mass on Sundys had the readings and some prayers in both languages, and the choir sang in Lithuanian.
-As mentioned by the professor at the end of the article, the Cardinal doesn't understand what a parish is, and what it means to close one, especially a Lithuanian parish.
- Our Lady of Vilnius was more than just a church. It was an active thriving living parish for both the Lithuanian Community and newly arrived Lithuanian immigrants, as well as for the local neighborhood.

PLEASE READ THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE HERE (.pdf file)  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MAY BE ADDRESSED HERE.

URGENT UPDATE!

APRIL 26, 2007: LITHUANIAN NATIONAL RADIO AIRED A PANEL DISCUSSION ON LITHUANIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN AMERICA, AND SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED THE MATTER OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH.  TO HEAR IT (IN LITHUANIAN) CLICK HERE.

APRIL 22, 2007: VALDAS ADAMKUS, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, WILL BE MEETING WITH THE HOLY FATHER IN ROME AT THE END OF THE MONTH.  IT IS OUR PRAYERFUL HOPE THAT HE WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH AT THIS TIME.  CLICK HERE TO READ THE PRESS RELEASE.  RAMUTE ZUKAS, PRESIDENT OF THE LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY INC. NEW YORK CHAPTER HAS WRITTEN PRESIDENT ADAMKUS A LETTER IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS MEETING.  READ IT HERE (.pdf file)

APRIL 20, 2007: AN ITEM IN THE VILLAGER NEWSPAPER CAUGHT OUR EYE, AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY:

The Villager
Scoopy’s notebook
Volume 76, Number 47 | April 18 - 24, 2007

'Church pickings: We happened to chat with a private appraiser waiting to go into Our Lady of Vilnius Church on Broome St. on Monday who told us that he was going to do a “quick walk-through” of the shuttered church with someone from the archdiocese. As for what the archdiocese will do with the church’s contents, as well as the church itself, he had no idea.'

APRIL 12, 2007: RAMUTE ZUKAS, PRESIDENT OF THE LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY INC. NEW YORK CHAPTER, WAS INTERVIEWED BY AMERIKOS LIETUVIS.  READ THE INTERVIEW IN LITHUANIAN HERE.

APRIL 5, 2007: WE'VE POSTED THE VIDEO CLIP OF THE PALM SUNDAY VIGIL AT THE CATHEDRAL AND OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH.  CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH IT.

APRIL 8, 2007: READ THE EASTER GREETING AND CALL TO CONTINUED ACTION FROM RAMUTE ZUKAS, PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK CHAPTER OF THE LITHUANIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY INC. HERE (IN LITHUANIAN).

APRIL 3, 2007: CATCHING UP ON PRESS REPORTS - THE ALWAYS-THOROUGH DAN MANGAN CONTINUES TO COVER THE STORY IN THE NEW YORK POST - READ THE LATEST HERE.  ALSO, AFTER PARTICIPATING IN OUR VIGIL IN MARCH, TADDES KORRIS OF EDMONTON WROTE A STORY WHICH APPEARED IN CANADA'S "WESTERN CATHOLIC REPORTER;" READ IT HERE.  TV-7 IN NEW YORK EXPANDED THEIR EARLIER STORY FOR THE LATE NEWS (CLICK BELOW FOR THE CLIP.)

APRIL 2, 2007: PLEASE JOIN US IN WISHING EDWARD CARDINAL EGAN, ARCHBISHOP OF NEW YORK, A MOST HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY!  WE PRAYERFULLY IMPLORE THE HOLY FATHER TO ACCEPT THE ARCHBISHOP'S OFFER TO RETIRE.

APRIL 1, 2007: PARISHIONERS AND FRIENDS OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS GATHERED ONCE MORE IN FRONT OF ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL, EXPRESSING THEIR SORROW AT THE FIRST PALM SUNDAY IN 102 YEARS THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CELEBRATE IN THEIR OWN CHURCH.

HOLY WEEK FOR MEMBERS OF THIS HISTORIC FAITH COMMUNITY WILL ALSO NOT INCLUDE SERVICES AT THEIR BELOVED CHURCH, LEAVING A SILENT VOID FOR WORKERS AROUND THE FAST-GROWING SECTION OF SOHO NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOLLAND TUNNEL WHO FOR A CENTURY WERE ACCUSTOMED TO ACCESSING THE SACRAMENTS DURING LUNCH BREAKS OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE WORKDAY.

PRESS COVERAGE OF THIS ONGOING DISASTER INCLUDED STORIES ON TV-7 (CLICK HERE TO WATCH) AND NEW YORK 1 NEWS, WHICH RAN A STORY EVERY 30 MINUTES BOTH SUNDAY AND IN THE MORNING ON MONDAY (CLICK BELOW FOR THE CLIP.)

AFTER THE VIGIL AT THE CATHEDRAL, A PRAYER SERVICE WAS HELD AT THE LOCKED CHURCH, AS WE HAVE DONE EVERY SUNDAY SINCE THE STEALTHY LOCKING OF OUR CHURCH ON FEBRUARY 26TH.  (EVOKING THE POWERFUL SILENT PROTEST OF THE "HILL OF CROSSES" AGAINST SOVIET BANS ON THE CHURCH IN OCCUPIED LITHUANIA, A SIMILAR DISPLAY HAS SPRUNG UP IN FRONT OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH.  AT LEAST ONCE MYSTERIOUS FORCES REMOVED THE CROSSES, BUT THE DISPLAY CONTINUES TO REAPPEAR.)

MARCH 11TH, 2007: PARISHIONERS AND FRIENDS GATHERED AT ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL ON 5TH AVENUE IN MANHATTAN TO PROTEST THE CLOSING OF OUR CHURCH.  THE RALLY BEGAN AT 9:30AM.  PICTURES BELOW; VIDEO COMING SOON.

(Click on pictures below for larger images.  Photos courtesy of Vita_J.)

(Below are still images from viedo shot on the scene.  Click on pictures below for larger images.  Photos courtesy of Vita_J.)

THERE WAS ALSO A DEMONSTRATION AT OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH AT NOON.  PHOTOS AND VIDEO COMING SOON.

ACTION ALERT: WRITE.  CALL.  PRAY.  CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY BOARD AND LEGISLATORS WHO REPRESENT THE PART OF MANHATTAN THAT HAS BEEN HOME TO OUR LADY OF VILNIUS LITHUANIAN R.C. CHURCH FOR OVER 100 YEARS IS AVAILABLE HERE.

PRAY THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.  ENGLISH VERSION AVAILABLE HERE.  LITHUANIAN VERSION AVAILABLE HERE.

MARCH 7TH, 2007: LITHUANIAN COMMUNITIES AROUND THE UNITED STATES ARE JOINING IN PRAYER AND ACTIVISM WITH THE DISPLACED PARISHIONERS OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS IN NEW YORK CITY.

A RALLY WAS HELD LAST WEEKEND IN LOS ANGELES.  FOR A GALLERY OF IMAGES FROM THAT EVENT, CLICK HERE.  FOR AN ARTICLE IN LITHUANIAN ABOUT THE EVENT, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

ALSO, THE CHICAGO LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY IS ORGANIZING A PRAYER VIGIL SATURDAY AT 3 PM.  FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE CLICK HERE.

"DEAR CARDINAL EGAN: PLEASE DON'T MAKE OUR LADY CRY AGAIN..." THE LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY OF DETROIT SENT A LETTER OF PROTEST TO THE ARCHDIOCESE.  SEE THE .PDF FILE HERE.  ALSO, A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED IN SUPPORT OF EFFORTS TO SAVE OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH IN MANHATTAN. SEE THE .PDF FILE HERE.

THE LITHUANIAN PARISH OF ST. GEORGE IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK FORWARDED HELPFUL CONTACT INFORMATION FOR FIGURES IN THE CATHOLIC HIERARCHY.  FIND THAT INFORMATION HERE.

MARCH 4TH, 2007: THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO RESPOND TO THE UNCONSCIONABLE ACTIONS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE, GATHERING IN FRONT OF THE LOCKED CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS FOR PRAYER AND HYMNS AT THE TIME OF THE BILINGUAL SUNDAY MASS  THAT BROUGHT SO MANY OF THEM TOGETHER.

(Click on pictures below for high-resolution images.  Photos courtesy of Thomas Cannella.)

(Click on pictures below for larger images.  Photos courtesy of Vita_J.)

OUT OF RESPECT FOR HIS CARDINAL, PARISH ADMINISTRATOR FATHER EUGENE SAWICKI HAS BEEN MOSTLY SILENT, BUT THE NEW YORK POST PUBLISHED A HEART-RENDING PROFILE OF THIS DEDICATED CLERGYMAN IN ITS MARCH 4TH EDITION.  READ IT ONLINE HERE.

WITH THE ABRUPT LOCKING OF THE PARISH BUILDING, MANY SCHEDULED EVENTS IN ADDITION TO DAILY MASS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE ON MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS IN LITHUANIA, SCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 3RD, WAS RELOCATED TO MIDTOWN. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

READ THE FEBRUARY 27, 2007 STATEMENT BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK REGARDING THE CLOSING OF OUR LADY OF VILNIUS CHURCH HERE. Please carefully note the utter absence of any consultation with or opportunity to appeal by parishioners, contributors, neighbors, supporters, donors and friends. Also please note the diocesan stonewalling in all press coverage over the past 48 hours, identical to the deafening silence which met all efforts on the part of the parishioners, Lithuanian Community and parish trustees to address the matter with the Archdiocese NOT since the January announcement but, in fact, for the YEARS since the roof of the church was damaged and the insurance claim paid to the Archdiocese but NEVER TRANSFERRED to the parish, which paid the insurance premiums.

A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL WAS HELD IN FRONT OF THE LOCKED CHURCH ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 26, 2007.

CBS2 TV IN NEW YORK CITY COVERED THE CLOSING EXTENSIVELY.  WATCH THE STORY THAT AIRED MONDAY AFTERNOON HERE.

NEW YORK 1 NEWS ALSO COVERED THE CLOSING:  WATCH THE STORY HERE.

THE NEW YORK POST FRONT-PAGES THE STORY ON ITS FEBRUARY 27TH 2007 EDITION.  READ THE ONLINE EDITION HERE.  THE POST FOLLOWED UP ON THE 28TH REGARDING DELIVERY OF OUR PETITION TO THE ARCHDIOCESE HERE.  THEY HAD ALSO DONE AN EARLIER STORY, AVAILABLE HERE.

DOWNTOWN EXPRESS COVERED THE FEBRUARY 26TH CANDLELIGHT VIGIL HERE.

THE NEW YORK SUN PUBLISHED A STORY MARCH 1ST REGARDING GROUPS WAITING IN LINE TO RENT CLOSED PARISH FACILITIES WITHIN THE ARCHDIOCESE.  READ THAT STORY HERE.

AT 9AM ON FEBRUARY 26, 2007, FATHER SAWICKI WAS SUMMONED TO A MEETING WITH CARDINAL EGAN. DURING HIS ABSENCE, DIOCESAN THUGS REPORTEDLY CHANGED THE LOCKS ON THE PARISH BUILDING, AND SECURITY GUARDS HAVE BEEN POSTED BY THE DIOCESE.

THE IMPLICATIONS ARE GRAVE. CONSIDER THAT THE HEAD OF STATE OF A SOVEREIGN NATION, PRESIDENT OF LITHUANIA VALDAS ADAMKUS, PERSONALLY APPEALED TO THE CARDINAL.

PARISH MEMBERS ARE IN TOUCH WITH THE PRESS AT THIS MOMENT; WE URGE YOU TO CONTACT FRIENDS AND OTHERS WHO COULD RAISE THE PROFILE OF THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, CALLS TO NEWSROOMS URGING THOROUGH COVERAGE OF THIS ABOMINATION AND ANY OTHER GESTURES OF SUPPORT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED DURING THE COMING HOURS.

On January 10th, 2007, the Archdiocese of New York sent a letter to Father Sawicki announcing the decision to close Our Lady of Vilnius parish.  Efforts are being made to appeal this decision; we will keep you as updated as possible without compromising some of the discussions taking place.   Read the Diocese press release on the parish closing here.  Read the press release response of the Lithuanian Community Inc. New York Chapter here.

The President of Lithuania has now written Archbishop Egan regarding the closing of Our Lady of Vilnius parish.  Read the press release regarding this letter here.  Read the original letter in Lithuanian here.

Lithuanian National Radio covered the story on January 25th, 2007.  The extensive piece included an interview with New York Lithuanian Community Inc.  New York Chapter President Ramute Zukas.  Listen to the interview here.  There was also a news story that ran numerous times.  Listen to the news story here.

The Culture Minister of Lithuania has written Archbishop Egan regarding the closing of Our Lady of Vilnius parish.  A press release is available here.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

We continue to gather as concerned parishioners, neighbors, community members and supporters at Our Lady of Vilnius Hall on Sundays after the 11:15 a.m. Mass.  In addition to the meeting's leaders, we welcome ideas from other attendees representing the Structual Engineering, Legal, Real Estate and Media issues involved in saving our church.  As we receive authorization from parish representatives, we'll add more material here online regarding the history of the church closure threat and the work that is proceeding to avert this.

ACTION!

PETITION ONLINE

Please add your name to our online petition, and forward the link to your friends and family: Petitiononline.com/OLV2006

News coverage of the Archdiocese of New York closing a number of parishes as part of a long-term realignment plan has been extensive.  Lost in almost every story has been the case of Our Lady of Vilnius, not a part of the plan but slated for closing nontheless.  Please take a moment to write to news outlets in your area, asking them to cover this story while there is still time. 

Click on this link to read a letter from some of the committee leaders.

Below is contact information for some public figures who may be willing to involve themselves if they hear from enough concerned constituents.  If you reach out, a copy of your letter and any response would be appreciated.  Please bring in person, or send by mail to:

Our Lady of Vilnius Lithuanian R. C. Church
32 Dominick Street
New York, NY 10013
Telephone (212) 255-2648
Fax (212) 924-6210
Email OurLadyOfVilnius@mail2ny.com

Senator Charles Schumer