Russian chapel to be demolished in New York

[Michał Kalina]

Moscow, February 20, Interfax - New York City Housing officials issued a decree to demolish a wooden chapel on Brighton Beach, which belongs to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad...

[quietmorning]

Lord have mercy!!

[podkarpatska]

I will refrain from comment unless and until this story is sourced from elsewhere than interfax.

[Michał Kalina]

Wisely ^

[Sakeneko]

I searched Google, and found this, which provides considerably more information than Interfax did:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stjohnkronstadtchapel/

Apparently the issue is that the chapel building is substantially not up to code, to the point that the local authorities have deemed it unsafe and ordered the parish to cease using it.  This was because it was originally constructed, not by professionals, but a group of volunteers who wanted to do the right thing but lacked the knowledge and training.  The parish wants to move, and needs our help and donations to do so.

I will investigate further, but Interfax seems to have jumped to the conclusion that the local government is picking on Orthodox Christians.  That doesn't appear to be the case.  Some prayers and, after verifying the bona fides of this group and where to send the money, a donation would appear to be the best response here.  IMHO, anyway.

[Deacon Lance]

Doesn't look in too bad of shape here:

http://hvpcnny.orthodoxinternet.com/public/sv/gallery.php?ssid=197

Seems like the community does want a 1/2 way house around and found a technicality to get rid of it.

[William]

I hope they're able to build a new Church! It'd be a shame to see an Orthodox community with enough vitality to have daily vespers and liturgy be left without a house of worship.

Lord, have mercy!

[Sakeneko]

I hope they're able to build a new Church! It'd be a shame to see an Orthodox community with enough vitality to have daily vespers and liturgy be left without a house of worship.

Lord, have mercy!

I agree.  I can also believe that a certain degree of NIMBYism is behind some of the neighbors' push to get the unsafe building removed now, in hopes that this church will move away and not open their halfway house for drug and alcohol addicts. :/  That would not be anti-Orthodox-Christianity, however, but the usual reaction in many parts of America against having a halfway house or something viewed as "undesirable" in the neighborhood. <sigh>

It appears to me that the best thing to do is to support the congregation in its fundraising and let it move, since it seems willing to do that.

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