A successful appeal to the Vatican will keep the historic Church of the Immaculate Conception, also known as St. Mary's, as an independent parish.

The church, a pillar in the Yonkers community for 175 years, was set to merge with another parish due to high repair costs.

Parishioners, who had been fighting against the merge, are calling the outcome "an Easter miracle."

They hope this means more bilingual services will return, according to parishioners.

A spokesperson from the Archdiocese of New York says they are reviewing the notice from the Vatican and figuring out the next steps. "It's just true faith," said Domini Pisculli, a St. Mary's parishioner. "Everybody was asking what we could do... pray."