Friday, April 13, 2007

Why Our Lady of Vilnius Matters to Victoria Bugbee


"In the 1980's, this was where many innovative theater projects happened. One of the vibrant new plays that was staged was my play "Life and Death With Business In Between." It was a great place to do theater and Linda Pakri and her husband had set it up as an intimate cabaret. The energy in the room was contagious.

It is also a church that has served many different nationalities for over 100 years. Today, Lithuanians call it their church but it really is a neighborhood church.

The yellow brick, red doored building is always so welcoming in the light. It is a friendly building and would be sorely missed if it is torn down. The sanctuary has been closed due to major roof repairs, and the Archdioese is thinking of closing the church.

The congregation is trying to save the church and needs help in preserving it so a major building does not take up valuable airspace as well as taking a spiritual and cultural landmark from the city." (December 2006)

This is excerpted from Ms. Bugbee's nomination of Our Lady of Vilnius to the Census of Places That Matter. Place Matters is a collaborative effort of City Lore and The Municipal Art Society formed out of shared concerns about the places of value disappearing around them in New York City. Their goal is to foster conservation of New York City's historically and culturally significant places. The "Census of Places that Matter" was conceived as a means of learning how and why "place" is meaningful to people.

A place can receive any number of nominations. Visit the site and add yours!

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