Coney Island Cathedral Celebrates Renovations Three Years After Being Devastated By Sandy
Well, the new ceiling holds. That’s for sure.
Jubilation nearly blew the roof off the newly renovated Coney Island Cathedral Sunday when the church’s congregation held a rededication ceremony three years after Superstorm Sandy’s flood waters left their church in ruins.
“We are so grateful for this day of celebration. And it’s so good to see so many familiar faces at this homecoming,” Bishop Waylyn Hobbs told his parishioners.
As we previously reported, Coney Island Cathedral was cut off from receiving FEMA funds due to federal laws requiring a separation of church and state. Despite this, the congregation refused to abandon the property and continued to hold service inside their gutted building.
With the help of City Councilman Mark Treyger, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, and New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS), a faith-based nonprofit, Coney Island Cathedral was able to secure $260,000 from the Christian relief group Samaritan’s Purse to help rebuild. The money went towards restoring the walls, floors, and stage, as well as installing better plumbing and electrical wiring.
“It was these houses of worship that played a critical role in the hours and days immediately after Sandy that helped feed people, give them shelter, even when they themselves were under extreme inundation,” explained Treyger. “So the stronger our houses of worship are, the stronger the fiber of our neighborhoods.”