The church bell doesn’t ring anymore at St. Mary’s in the Highlands Church.
And there is no proper place for the rector of the Episcopal church to drape his vestments and store religious materials.
For 140 years, rain and wind have taken a toll on the church’s 125-foot-high tower.
The granite-block steeple and interior plaster have been extensively damaged. Leaks threaten not only the tower, but also the interior walls of the church and its organ console.
Parishioners responded in June by forming the St. Mary’s Steeple Committee, hoping to raise $450,000 for repairs. So far, $155,000 has been raised through community events, donations and grants. Topping this list is $100,000 from the Episcopal Diocese of New York, $25,000 from the New York Landmark Conservancy and $20,000 from state Sen. Vincent Leibell, R-Patterson from the 2008 state budget.
The Diocese of New York is a shameful entity. The Cathedral of St. John is still in tatters after the fire, the cathedral website is an uninviting farce, and the diocese has to rent out the nave of the cathedral for entertainment to keep the lights on.
The Diocese’s best days are past. It’s leadership is vacuous. St. Mary’s is another indication of a religion that changes no heart.
Do the math: only 10K has been raised beyond the four gifts mentioned. Odd, isn’t it? One would think with things going so well in the Episcopal Church, as our Presiding Bishop asserts, that such an endeavor would be more successful. After all, churches are overflowing, money is flowing in, and the confidence of the average person in the pew in our leadership and future as an institution couldn’t be any higher. Perhaps more needs to be said about inclusion and the MDGs.