A historic church in downtown Yonkers is now protected under a landmark status. Yonkers City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the designation.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception, also known as St. Mary's, has been a pillar in the Yonkers community for 175 years. Last December, the archdiocese announced the church was in need of major repairs to continue regular service.

Those repairs were too costly and a couple weeks ago, the church was merged into another parish in Yonkers.

However, dozens of parishioners have been fighting for St. Mary's to stay as is. They tell News 12 this kind of landmark status is a step in the right direction, but they say there is a lot more work to be done.

"We still have a journey ahead, this isn't over," says longtime parishioner Miguel Angel Lucas.

Angel Lucas has been a part of a major push from many longtime parishioners to keep the church as is. Sunday Mass is still being offered there but Angel Lucas says it no longer has the same number of bilingual services.

"The connection is because the community is based on the immigrant community so we all like to engage at St. Mary's because we have all becoming here our entire lives," says Lucas.

City leaders say the landmark status will preserve the structural integrity of the church.

"We hope the archdiocese hears the cry of the residents and the parishioners and that they will find a way to save St. Mary's Church," says Yonkers City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy.

It's now up to the archdiocese to decide what's next when it comes to services.

News 12 reached out to the Archdiocese of New York but has not heard back yet.