The luxury jeweler Tiffany & Company reported quarterly earnings yesterday that topped Wall Street estimates because of stronger-than-expected sales growth, and said it was on track to meet its first-quarter earnings forecast.

Quarterly sales, particularly in higher-end diamond jewelry, were strong across the United States and in most international markets, other than Japan, Tiffany said.

Net income was $140.5 million, or $1.02 a share, for the fourth quarter, which ended Jan. 31, compared with $140.3 million, or 97 cents a share, a year earlier.

The earnings included a charge of 5 cents a share related to the company's Little Switzerland stores, its chain of duty-free shops.

Diocesan officials "just don't want to deal with the building, and they don't want to deal with Jersey City," said John Gomez, a Jersey City native who is the founder and past president of the conservancy. The city has three Episcopal churches, down from a peak of 12 in the early 1900s. "We're letting them know that we don't agree with that, and we're going to fight for this building."

The diocese, citing "safety concerns" and placing the cost of restoration at $25 million, believes the church should be demolished. "We would have loved to have figured out a way to save this, but it wasn't a fiscally responsible decision for Tiffany 5 OPEN HEART Necklace us," said R. Carter Echols, canon to Bishop Mark Beckwith.

Whatever happens, Father Castle is ready for another visit to the church that he sometimes wakes up thinking about in the middle of the night. "I'd come down and do a Communion service," he said, "just to let God know and the people know it was a good place with a lot of good people there."