Tuesday, February 16, 2016

St. John's Catholic Church........

   This is our local paper's front page from Saturday.  Our beautiful catholic church is to be dismantled. You can see the brick under the stone coating. This is breaking my heart. This church steeple can be seen for miles as you enter our town.
   Lightening struck the steeple a few years ago. The bell tower caught fire.. the steeple was rebuilt.  I do not know if the lightening cause the structural damage or the all the waters , from heavy rains, or the putting out of the fire, or just some kind of washout at the foundation. maybe a combination of it all.
  We lived 4 blocks from this church on the same street , for many years. Then when I was raising my daughters we lived 3 blocks from here. So this church has been a big part of our lives. Our neighborhood. Our town. It is to be dismantled and all the things saved that can be saved. The pews, the altar, and such. I am not sure if they plan to rebuild...how very sad.
   Wishing all of you well. XO

29 comments:

  1. Yes, Susie, that is very sad. I hope they will rebuild and use the items saved in the new church. I was watching something on TV the other night, a beautiful church building - that had been made into a private residence. There are many churches in our local area that are no longer churches but are now daycare centers or some such thing. It is a sad commentary on our society. I am so sorry about the church in your neighborhood.

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    1. Judy, It was such an impressive church for our small town...to replace it with something cheap looking would be wrong. I hope they rebuild in brick and use the parts of the old church in the new one. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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  2. That is sad. I hope they can rebuild using some parts of this. It is hard to see beautiful places like this gone.

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    1. Me too Debby. I think it would only be right to reuse what they can. Bless you, xoxo,Susie

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  3. I hate to see that happen, hate to see any old architectural interesting building be torn down but especially churches. We're losing too many of them.

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    1. Dewena, I know what you are saying. Church seem to be going to the way side and those big pole barn looking things taking over. :) I just will miss this part of our town. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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  4. I love old churches and yes, it is so sad when they become tattered and torn. Hopefully, they will rebuild and re-use the treasures saved from it being dismantled.

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    1. Laurie, People want cushioned seating ..LOL. Truly I hate to see out town lose this big piece of our history. I hope the salvaged things will be reused here. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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  5. That is sad and also because you were so used to seeing it as part of your life and memories. I'm with everybody else hoping they rebuild and use the things that were saved.

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    1. Nonnie, I am praying the salvaged things will be reused in a new church , right here on the same spot. Bless you, xoxo, Susie

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  6. I remember a post you did from long ago when you were worried about this happening. Praise God that memories will live forever!!!

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    1. Linda, It is sad for any church do dissolve..but to be physical torn down is a heart breaker. It seems the catholic monies are not there any more...possibly too many lawsuits. I am praying the dismantled pieces can be reused in a new church right where this one stands. Bless you, love, xoxo,Susie

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  7. I hope they can find a way to re-use a lot of the building...I know it must be hard to see it go...xo

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    1. Linda, It truly makes me so sad, I have cried over the lose of this beautiful church. I knew there would be others who would understand my thoughts on this church. Bless you, xoxo,Susie

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  8. I'm so sad. We have a lot of schools/churches closing here, too. Still, I know it's very personal for you.

    Sending love...

    Jane

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    1. Blondie, there was a time when the Catholics put lots of monies into the schools and churches...now the Catholic school has closed, the academy that had become a nursing home for Catholics and nuns closed. Now the church being taken down. I am not Catholic but I care. It's big parts of the history of our small town. Thanks for understanding, love you, Susie

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  9. Oh, it is sad! I wish they could restore it. In a nearby town we have a very old tabernacle that they just restored in to a LDS temple.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. Jann, Glad the temple was saved there. I just hate to lose our beautiful building that hold so much history. You can see the steeple as you drive into town. It will be missed so much. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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  10. That's so sad! I'm sure you will miss the sight of it...and the churchbells, which are one of my favorite sounds!

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    1. I remember the bells would ring at 8:00 every morning for the school across the street from the church. I would have my bathroom window open in the spring and summer and I could hear the bells those 4 blocks or so. I wish you could hear the Kemp Methodist church bells. They play a song at noon and again at 5:00. I absolutely them. Blessings to you, xoxo,Susie

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  11. A church in the center of town lost it's steeple during the blizzard of '78. It's legendary around here. The steeple was never replaced.

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    1. Boston Boy, I wonder why they didn't replace the steeple. Our caught fire and they replaced it...but now I wonder if they even checked the building out after that lightening strike. I think people do not understand the value of things at the time. Better to spend some money when needed than to let things fall apart. Hope you are doing well , have you moved? Bless you, xoxo,Susie

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  12. Better save up for a pew or piece if they auction it off. I haven't heard if they are rebuilding or not. I did see they took out all the buildings at 28 and 31. All of it except the Chrysler building.

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    1. Kathy, I'll ask Phil and Frieda to save me a brick or something. I would be willing to donate money to help rebuild. I have not been to the 28/31 intersection...I go Normandy to go west. I love you honey, miss you. love,mommy

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  13. Oh Susie, I'm so sorry to read this. They did the same thing here in our city. I understand and it breaks my heart too...

    Blessings
    Gert

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    1. Gert, I believe that some money spent on a building when needed, can save thousands or a million. Now we will not have our beautiful church. I hate to think what they will replace it with....if at all. Hope you are doing well, I think of you often. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Blessings, xoxo,love, Susie

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  14. It is really heartbreaking when something like this happens.
    A place where you have visited year after year, which has so many memories attached is going to be pulled down.

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    1. Some of my grandkids have gone to church there, most of their lives. Plus the big impact it will have on how that neighborhood will look . Sad. Thank you for visiting. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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  15. Oh, I don't like to see when old churches are torn down. This sounds like one with much history and memories for you, Susie. The house that I grew up in has a Catholic church a few blocks away. I still go there to this day.

    Too bad they can't fix this old church, Susie.

    love, ~Sheri

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