Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and First Lady Diana Nausėdienė visited Maspeth’s Transfiguration Church Thursday to pay tribute to the church’s significance to the Lithuanian-American community in New York City and praise efforts to save the church from potential closure.
Nausėda and Nausėdienė, who were in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, visited Transfiguration Church at 64-25 Perry Ave. on Thursday, Sept. 25 shortly after the Brooklyn Diocese announced that the church will remain open on a “limited basis” following reports earlier in the year that the church was set to be closed down.
Built in 1962 using donations from Lithuanian-Americans and designed by Lithuanian architect Jonas Mulokas, the church is believed to house valuable Catholic artifacts smuggled out of modern-day Lithuania at the height of communism and the Soviet Union.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Lithuanian President commented on the significance that the church holds for members of the Lithuanian community in New York.
“Built by Lithuanian Americans in 1962, when faith was suppressed in Soviet-occupied Lithuania, it reminds us of WWII horrors, forced migrations, and also the fight for freedom, in which the U.S. played a vital role,” Nausėda said. “Grateful for the efforts to preserve this church.”
Council Member Robert Holden, who hosted Nausėda’s visit, praised the Lithuanian President for highlighting the significance of Transfiguration Church. Holden also vowed to continue to fight for the church’s future.
“It was an honor to welcome President Gitanas Nausėda and First Lady Diana Nausėdienė to Maspeth’s Transfiguration Church,” Holden said in a statement. “Their heartfelt words about preserving this house of worship resonated with our entire community. I will fight alongside parishioners and neighbors to keep this church open and thriving for generations to come.”
Rumors of the church’s potential closure stemmed from a Latin mass held at the church on March 9, when parishioners alleged that church officials informed them that the church would be closing.
In response, parishioners launched a petition to save the church, attracting more than 850 signatures. Meanwhile, several members of the local community had also contacted the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to encourage the agency to consider Transfiguration as a potential landmark.
However, Bishop of Brooklyn Robert Brennan has now informed parishioners that the church will not be sold or closed – for the meantime at least.
In a letter issued at all masses over the weekend of Aug. 23 and 24, Brennan outlined that the Diocese has been undergoing a “reconfiguration process” for several years, which has examined the sustainability of numerous churches in the area.
Brennan noted that Msgr. Joseph Calise had written to parishioners about the condition of the buildings in the parish, the costs of repairs and the financial stress facing the parish. He added that these conditions were outlined at a town hall meeting held in March 2025, while the pastoral needs of the parish were discussed in greater detail.
The Bishop said a number of options were presented at the town hall, including the sale of the property and the potential closure of Transfiguration Church.
Brennan said Calise had considered a number of options and has ultimately decided that Transfiguration Church will remain open on a limited basis as the Diocese continues to discuss future pastoral planning in Maspeth. Among the options presented for the decision was the need to provide appropriate meeting space for parish activities.
Weekday masses previously held in Transfiguration Church will now be celebrated Saint Stanislaus Kostka church at 57-15 61st St. on a permanent basis, Brennan said in a letter to parishioners.
He said masses on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings will continue to be celebrated at Transfiguration Church on a temporary basis, “anticipating that in the future the mass schedule will need to be adjusted.”
“The church will also be available for weddings and funerals as requested,” Brennan said in a letter to parishioners.
Meanwhile, Transfiguration Church’s Lithuanian Mass has been moved to the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Williamsburg on a permanent basis on Sept. 1.
“We are exploring the possibility of selling part of the property at Transfiguration, not including the church building,” Brennan wrote. “This will help meet the financial needs of the parish of Transfiguration–Saint Stanislaus Kostka and allow us to continue to provide the necessary pastoral care of the entire parish community.”
