Holy Trinity Church: Worthy of Becoming a Landmark?

Christine Pitawanich / NCC News

6/9/2010

Syracuse, NY – They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for many Northside residents, the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church sitting on 503 Park Street is the definition of beauty. But since its closure in February, a handful of parishioners have been fighting to make the more than 100 year old church, a protected site in Syracuse.

The Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board met on Monday to hear arguments for, and against, preserving the church. However, there will be no decision on the issue until a later date. Board members said they wanted to see the church’s beauty for themselves before making the final call.

Parishioners Band Together

In attendance were several people in support of making the Holy Trinity Church a protected site.

“What are we leaving behind, another boarded up building?” asked Anna Giannantonio, a devoted Holy Trinity parishioner. “We need that on the Northside and it needs to be preserved for our future,” she continued.

More Than Just a Building

And for some people living on the Northside, preserving the church would communicate an important message.

“I believe designating Holy Trinity Church as a historic landmark will send a message to the people of the Northside of Syracuse that this area, our entire area, is worth preserving for future generations,” said Katherine Scott, a Syracuse Resident who has attended Holy Trinity for the last 55 years.

Holy Opposition

But not everyone is in favor of making the church a protected site. Father John Warner of the Roman Catholic Church attended the board meeting and voiced his opposition.

“For too many years we have been in diminishment mode, cutting back on ministry, staff and maintenance, simply to keep parishes open,” explained Father Warner. “We cannot pretend that there are not serious problems. The finances and the staffing are not there to support a historic landmark,” he concluded.

The People’s Church

Though the Diocese has said it doesn’t have enough money to maintain Holy Trinity Church as a landmark, some parishioner’s say it’s not up to the Diocese.

“The parishioners, the people, we are supposed to be the ones who take care of our church,” said parishioner Sylvia Flores. “It is a home, it is my mother, and my refuge,” she continued.

If the proposal passes at the next Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board meeting, the next step will be getting passed through the Common Council.