Demolition Of St. James Catholic Church To Begin Wednesday
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 26, 2013 3:15PM
Photo credit: Chuck Sudo/Chicagoist
Demolition of St. James Catholic Church in Bronzeville is expected to begin Wednesday after months of attempts by preservationists to save the 133-year-old building, including an appeal to the Vatican. Cardinal Francis George, in a letter to St. James pastor Rev. Edward Linton, said "the canonical requirements have been met to take (the building) down."
The Archdiocese claims it would cost $12 million to restore the St. James, spent $1 million in feasibility studies to reach that conclusion and started a $4 million campaign to build a new church nearby to replace the old sanctuary. St. James was designed in Brooklyn-born architect Patrick C. Keely, an Irish Brooklynite who designed over 600 churches across the country including Holy Name Cathedral and Notre Dame University’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Its cornerstone was laid in 1875. Much of the church’s detail is in storage awaiting the construction of the new chapel. The bells in St. James’ carillon will also be dismantled and moved to the new church.
St. James made Preservation Chicago’s 2013 “Chicago 7” list of endangered architectural landmarks. George, in his letter to Linton, said demographic studies showed the congregation lives east of the parish near where the new chapel is to be built.
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