No Answers About Future of Church, Convent

While a Cutchogue parish has stood empty since December, there are no immediate answers about what will happen to the church -- and to the convent nearby.

Questions have been swirling amongst community members about the future of the Sacred Heart Church and the Sacred Heart Convent -- and many have suggested other uses for the structures, should the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre decide to sell the properties.

Although the convent originally was home to many nuns in the area, only one nun currently lives on the premises.

However, the Diocese remains mum on the future of the Sacred Heart Church, rectory, and convent.

On Tuesday, Sean Dolan, Director of Communications at Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, said that he had "no information" regarding Sacred Heart. He declined to elaborate further.

The Sacred Heart Church, rectory and carriage house, one of seven properties listed as 'endangered' by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, was built in the late 1870s.

Despite a sit-in by some parishoners to keep church services going at the Roman Catholic worship house, was ultimately considered too much of a danger to keep open.

“The interior walls are detaching from the studs,” Deacon Jeff Sykes told Patch shortly after the parish held its final mass. “This is due to years of water damage leaking into the church — the foundation bricks are collapsing and the cross beams are rotted. We cannot guarantee the safety of the church.”

Repairs have been estimated to be as much as $2 million – though some churchgoers, hoping to keep it open, have doubted those numbers. 

But despite worries from some church members that the Roman Catholic Diocese has plans to tear down the structure — a true landmark of downtown Cutchogue — Sykes said that is not the case.

“The Diocese is reactive, not proactive,” Sykes said. “The decision to close had to be made by us, the parish, not them. The plan was to close the doors, and we are not sure of future plans, but to say that we plan to tear it down is totally inaccurate.”

Sykes said the decision to close was made after church officials consulted with three different architects who estimated the extent and expense of repairs.

“The interior walls are detaching from the studs,” he said. “This is due to years of water damage leaking into the church — the foundation bricks are collapsing and the cross beams are rotted. We cannot guarantee the safety of the church.”

Lynn McCaffery Stevens, one of the protest organizers with deep ties to Sacred Heart, said earlier this year that she still had her doubts about the motivation behind the closure.

“Once it’s closed, what is to stop them from tearing it down?” she said. “They say it’s not up to code, but nothing is up to code — this church is a historic landmark, not a municipal building. A lot of us find it hard to believe that it would cost $2 million to fix it. There are just too many questions, and we’re scared we’re going to lose the whole character of the town.”

Would you like to see Sacred Heart renovated and preserved? What would you like to see happen with the church and convent? Should the properties be sold? Share your thoughts in the comments section.