A church service was held at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Sunday morning one day after it was foreclosed upon.

Pastor Kenneth Moales, Jr. and his congregation were supposed to be evicted from the church since, according to court records, it did not have adequate insurance coverage.

The pastor says the church had the coverage. It did not see the point to buy more during the pandemic when the country was closed. He cited predatory lending practices targeting Black churches as why the church fell behind on the mortgage payments, as well as gentrification.

A news conference attended by state and local leaders was held outside of the church before the service. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and State Sen. Dennis Bradley were among those showing support.

“We want to stand united as a community,” says Bradley.

“This church needs to survive and thrive,” says Blumenthal.

State Sen. Marilyn Moore says she believes if everyone comes together, they can save the church property.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Myer gave the church an emergency stay giving the parish and its supporters time to find a way to move forward.

This is not the first time the historic church has faced foreclosure. In 2017, the cathedral needed $150,000 to keep the doors open.

The church was established by the late Bishop Kenneth Moales.

“We are not fighting for the building but for the legacy of Bishop Kenneth and Lady Moales in Jesus' name,” says Pastor Moales, Jr.