Hundreds of parishioners at a Neptune church are hoping for a miracle after the threat of a collapsing roof shut them out of their place of worship.

Ishmael Lopez is attending mass at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in Asbury Park, but he says he would rather be at Our Lady of Providence. The church was forced to close last month after an engineering report revealed problems with the roof.

Our Lady of Providence serves as the spiritual home to more than 500 families. Many of its members are immigrants. The priest says the closure of the church would be devastating to the community. Church officials are awaiting a final report to find out if the building can be repaired or must be torn down.