In the News

Preservation Association of Central NY Newsletter, Fall 2024:

HOPE seeks landmark status for Holy Family Church

By Andrew Roblee, PACNY Board President

City of Auburn, Cayuga County, NY

The non-profit group Holy Family Organization to Preserve and Endure (HOPE) is seeking local landmark designation in order to preserve and protect the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church (hereafter, Holy Family Church, or “the church”), in the City of Auburn, Cayuga County, New York. The property was previously determined by the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to be eligible for listing on the State and National Register of Historic Places (S/NR) for its “long association with the city of Auburn’s oldest Roman Catholic congregation,” and “its fine collection of 19th and 20th century ecclesiastical architecture.”

In the words of HOPE member Karen Odrzywolski, "Holy Family Church, the Mother Church of Auburn, exemplifies historic European architecture and artistry brought to the United States, and we strive to preserve it as a Catholic sacred space because its aesthetic beauty draws many to holiness and a deeper understanding of Catholic teaching. The craftsmanship and artistry, while magnificent, serve to remind us to humbly live our lives in faith, virtue, and love for God and our neighbors; this is a reminder that the immigrants who built this church in times of great struggle understood, and is a reminder that is worth preserving for our society."

HOPE members outside of Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Auburn, NY.

Photo by Karen Odrzywolski

PACNY applauds the efforts of HOPE and other community-based groups who strive to preserve threatened religious properties across Central New York!