Community Rallies To Aid Of New London Church

NEW LONDON, CT — Engaging Heaven Church lost its historic Union Street home when it collapsed last week. Now a fundraiser has been started to support the church.

Titled "Help Historic Church Rise from the Ashes," the GoFundMe was started by Pastor James Levesque.

"At 1:29 pm, on January 25th, 2024, the unthinkable happened," the GoFundMe reads. "One of the most iconic churches in America, after 174 years, collapsed in New London, Connecticut. The historic steeple would fall gracefully into the sanctuary that once held its parishioners."

One person was in the church at 66 Union St. at the time. She made it out safely, and there were no injuries.

However, the building, which dates back to the 19th century, is a total loss.

"Just like that, Connecticut’s history and New London’s landscape was forever changed," the GoFundMe reads. "Engaging Heaven Church was forever changed."

But the "church rallied" and "the city united."

The next morning, amid the destruction, the church "extended our hands to the less fortunate in our city." The church had been known for providing a daily breakfast for the city's poor.

"The Salvation Army graciously opened their kitchen to our daily Breakfast Program, enabling us to continue serving hot meals to the poor in our community," the GoFund Me reads. "For many, this meal is the only meal they will have for the day."

The costs associated with cleaning up and moving on from the disaster are mounting.

"As you can imagine, the costs of the crisis response teams, the demolition, the cleanup, and rebuilding are immense. After learning our insurance had coverages, it ultimately did not have what we needed for the structure."

As of Monday afternoon, the fundraiser had generated $56,896 of a $1,000,000 goal. For more information and to donate, go to the GoFundMe page.

Engaging Heaven shared the space with First Congregational Church. The congregation dates back to the 1600s, according to its website. The current church was constructed in 1851 by Leopold Eidlitz.

New London Mayor Michael Passero told Connecticut Public Radio that the city "suffered a very serious setback here." He said the church was "one of the oldest and certainly one of the most gorgeous religious structures in the city.”

The investigation into what caused the collapse is ongoing.

See related: Church Vows To Continue After Their Home Collapses In New London