But what do you do with these buildings, some of which have not only historical worth, but more importantly spiritual worth?
What is the best solution? Tear it down? Convert it to a secular use such as a cultural center, restaurant, bar or apartments?
This is Saint Joseph Church in Indiana. I don't have pictures of what it was like prior to the brewery converting it. But I saw some that showed the long-closed church in total disrepair and desperation.
But this was the church in its heyday:
10 comments:
Turning the Church into a traditional parish seems to work in many instances.
Well that's nice in fantasy land, but the reality is most bishops and priests hate the Latin Mass and would rather sell off the property to make money or secularize it, vs bring in the nasty Trads as it were. Get used to this more and more unless the biological solution gives us better men in authority in the Church.
What is the financial situation at big....old... St. Joseph's? Comfortable? Making ends meet? Hanging on by its fingernails? About to turn into a brewery?
Convert them to breweries, book stores, restaurants, whatever. But don't flatten them. Because after Russia is consecrated we'll be able to get all these historical buildings for a handshake, and converted and reconsecrated to say the one single form of Mass that will exist during Mary's promised period of peace ;)
I think Pope Francis would like to see them turned into pizza parlors. I heard he spoke of loving pizza and going out to eat. Not a word on Ireland. But we know he likes pizza.
Douglas is preparing for his first holy communion....I think...
Pizza with Communion in Dixie cups…nothing like it…yummmm!
...and the Churches and the schools keep closing and nothing is taking their place.
These were once consecrated buildings, now they're just buildings.
Hopefully, we'll treat our aging shepherds better.
I dare say the pictures of the brewery are better than most run of the mill NO Parish Churches I've walked into. I think I'd be in favor of selling off any Church built in America between 1960 and 2010 and converting them to breweries. Or better yet, to concert halls or auditoriums, simply because the cost of conversion would be next to nothing for those re-purposes.
As for gob's question: I'm a Parishioner at St Joe's, and based on what is published in the bulletin and in the Monthly newsletter, the Parish is financially stable. It's forecasted budgets are usually met or exceeded through it's collections; projects and renovations (New School Gymnasium, Replacing Air Conditioning, Altar Rail Restoration as 3 recent examples) are all funded by donation and endowment, so on the whole I'd say it's far from brewery status. I dare say given it's status on the National Historic Register, St Joe's would have to meet a calamity such as fire to be closed.
http://www.stjosephindy.org/About-Our-Parish
The church building hasn't been used as a Catholic church since 1947. St Joseph's is going strong, having moved locations twice due to shifting demographics.
Post a Comment