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BLESSED: Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, center with crook, stood with clergy following the dedication
mass. Photo by Stefano Giovannini
Brooklyn bishop
reopens historic
Catholic church
COURIER LIFE, M 14 ARCH 29–APRIL 4, 2019 M BR B G
BY MAYA HARRISON
It’s a resurrection!
Hundreds of Brooklynites fi lled
the pews of a nearly 150-year-old historic
Williamsburg Catholic Church
on March 24 to celebrate Brooklyn
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio offi cially
rededicating the house of worship
after a year-long, much-needed renovation,
according to the leader of the
Diocese of Brooklyn.
“This is very exciting because this
is a church that probably should’ve
been closed because it was in such
bad repair. So it’s a great joy to see
a church being put back into service
that can be very functional,” DiMarzio
said of the Annunciation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, located on N.
Fifth Street.
Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, the
pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
located just down the road from the
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, will now serve as the chief faith
leader of both parishes — according
to Bishop DiMarzio, who appointed
the monsignor to his new post.
The highlights of the renovation
include a new marble altar, a reconstructed
ceiling and the return of
a 100-year-old pipe organ that was
originally brought to the Church in
1930.
The mass, which celebrated the
merger of the two houses of worship
— which went into effect nearly six
months ago — consisted of Bishop
DiMarzio sprinkling the congregation
with holy water, a reminder of
the church’s baptism, followed by an
anointing of the new altar.