Long Island diocese renovates closed church as home for Latino congregation

The Diocese of Long Island renovated the historic Grace Episcopal Church in Riverhead, New York, and reopened it in August 2025 as the home of Iglesia San Francisco, a mission congregation serving Spanish-speaking families and farmworkers on Long Island's East End. Grace Episcopal Church, built in 1871, ceased regular worship in 2017 due to declining membership and was shuttered in 2023 due to safety concerns from deterioration. Rather than demolish the structure, the diocese invested in extensive renovations that adapted the spaces for Iglesia San Francisco's ministry. The Rev. Luis Fernando López, a diocesan missioner since March 2025, moved into the renovated rectory as the congregation's priest-in-charge. The renovation preserved the church and chapel for worship while transforming the parish hall into a multipurpose gathering space for meetings, celebrations, educational programs, and community events. Exterior work included a new roof, accessibility ramps, and safety upgrades. The site had served as a ministry center and hub for the diocese's partnership with Rural & Migrant Ministry, a nonprofit supporting farmworkers throughout New York state. Bishop Lawrence Provenzano celebrated the rededication as both a renewal of sacred space and the continuation of a flourishing ministry that persisted even when the congregation could not gather in their building.

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Source: Episcopal News Service — https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/08/12/years-after-long-island-churchs-closure-renovated-building-offers-home-to-latino-congregation/