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Oh, holy site! Brooklyn bishop hosts ceremony to reopen Williamsburg church

Oh, holy site! Brooklyn bishop hosts ceremony to reopen Williamsburg church
Photo by Stefano Giovannini

It’s a resurrection!

Hundreds of Brooklynites filled the pews of a nearly 150-year-old historic Williamsburg Catholic Church on Sunday to celebrate Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio officially 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,” said The Most Reverend Bishop DiMarzio of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located on N. 5th 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.

Great fanfare: The dedication included a procession.
Photo by Stefano Giovannini