New York Yankees baseball star Mariano Rivera has agreed to buy and renovate a crumbling century-old church building in the city of New Rochelle, N.Y.
Rivera agreed to become part of this project alongside other members of his Spanish-speaking church, Refugio de Esperanza.
In terms of the agreement they have entered into with the city, Rivera’s congregation will lease the building and restore it at no cost to the municipality, and then buy it for $1.
The church was originally built in 1907 and once housed the biggest Presbyterian church in the area, but has since fallen into such disrepair that it is considered a safety risk. Experts say it could cost up to $3 million to properly restore but Rivera wants it nevertheless.
During a press conference announcing the project, New Rochelle's Mayor Noam Bramson spoke highly of the North Avenue church facility, describing it as “a much beloved structure that's had a significant role in New Rochelle's history.”
“Today, we are here to observe and to celebrate an agreement that will bring the church back to its former luster, and with its original purpose, as a house of worship,” he told the Associated Press.
Bramson also praised Rivera, saying that the closing pitcher is thought highly of “for his skill and grace and for his deep faith.”
Rivera, who is a previous resident of New Rochelle and owns a restaurant there, said: “We have a lot of goals that we want to fulfill, but the main goal right now is to restore the church. You know, make the church the way it was before.
“The moment that I saw the church I fell in love with the church,” he added.
Once the facility is fully renovated, Rivera was looking to use it to minister to youth in the area. “I love the youth,” he said. “I always say that that's the future. That's our future.”
Lohud.com reports that Rivera informed them his church would hold after-school programs and possibly even sponsor a youth baseball team, thus combining his two passions.
“The game is my job, but life continues,” Rivera said. “Baseball will stop one day and I will have to step up. This is what I want to do.”
(Image from Wikipedia.com).