This letter was published in Transfiguration Church’s bulletin on Valentine’s Day weekend.

Dear Parishioners,

In September 2019, our parish was officially merged as one parish with two worship sites. One of the biggest challenges has been the administration of seven aging buildings. That is why I am writing to you today.

In August, the Diocesan Office of Buildings and Grounds did an evaluation of the properties at Transfiguration. We have been having problems with the roof for a long time. Over the years, many patchwork jobs were done but their effectiveness has worn out. Other maintenance issues were discovered. The bottom line is that the cost to make Transfiguration Church safe and stable is estimated at $800,000. This would not include new heating and air conditioning systems. In addition, the rectory would need an estimated $500,000 in repairs to be eligible for renting.

There are currently three churches in a very short walking distance (Transfiguration, St. Stanislaus, and Holy Cross). The Catholic population no longer fills them as it once did. So, we have a problem. The lack of need for three worship sites makes it difficult to justify the cost of the repairs to Transfiguration; a cost we could not cover as a parish but would have to incur as another diocesan debt.

I presented this situation to the Parish Financial Advisory Board (Kevin Cavanagh, Dennis Gander, Mike LoCascio, and Bill Vallely). Although no one was in favor of the closing of Transfiguration, no one had any alternatives to recommend. The same information was presented at a joint meeting of the Financial Board and the Parish Council (in attendance were the members of the Finance Board and Maria Flaim, Sandra Martinez, Marge Migliaccio, and Nick Sacco. Karin Gully attended as secretary) and the same conclusion was reached. Although it saddened everyone, I was advised to inform the Vicar General of the Diocese, Msgr. Joseph Grimaldi, that we see no option to the closing of Transfiguration Church and the sale of the property.

He will present those findings to Bishop Brennan for a decision. Nothing is definite yet, but it is very probable that the bishop will agree that there are no prudent options. As decisions are made, I will keep everyone informed. Please, keep us all in your prayers.

Sincerely,
Msgr. Joseph Calise
Pastor, Transfiguration/St. Stan’s

While we continue to hope for a miracle, the reality is that it most likely will be demolished and replaced with housing. So how much housing are we looking at?

The property is zoned R4-1, which allows for two-family houses. However, because of City of Yes, each of the potential 22 or so 2-family houses would be allowed to build an accessory dwelling unit, which would mean up to 66 units of housing, overwhelming what is now a low density block.

If the church decided to partner with a developer rather than sell the property, then the “faith-based housing” provision would kick in, and that would mean an apartment building with more than 80 units could be built there with 20% (about 16 units) required to be “affordable,” and structures could reach 35 feet tall. This is an overdevelopment nightmare in a community lacking in police, fire, EMS and sanitation coverage, and that frequently floods and loses power.