Keeping the Faith

The rise of industry in northwest Indiana in the early twentieth century attracted an influx of newcomers from throughout the country and immigrants from across the globe, people who brought diverse ethnic and religious heritage to the region. The convergence of these cultures contributed to a rich societal tapestry, with churches and religious buildings of all shapes and sizes.

After World War II, as people began moving to the ever expanding suburbs, shrinking urban populations and dwindling congregations left many churches unable to maintain their large buildings. In recent years, several Roman Catholic churches of the Gary Diocese have been razed, and several more face an uncertain future.

Last September, parishioners looked on from behind construction fences as crews demolished Merrillville’s St. Peter and Paul Church, founded by early German settlers in the region. The century-old building had been vacant since 2004, when inspectors discovered a structural issue the parish couldn’t afford to fix.

In nearby Whiting, people are looking through a similar fence at another landmark church slated for demolition. The city’s large Slovak community formed a parish in 1922 and two years later constructed Immaculate Conception Church and school to preserve their culture and language. Today, however, disuse and a hefty price tag to repair years of unchecked water damage have inspired church officials to close and demolish the historic building.

Sacred Heart Church in Whiting is slated to close in June.

On the north side of the city, Irish residents formed the Sacred Heart parish in 1890 and built the first church and adjacent convent in 1909. In 1926, the parish needed more space and built a soaring Renaissance Revival sanctuary and American Four Square rectory, later converting the original church to a school. With beautiful brick arches lining exterior walls, the vaulted ceilings, and stained glass windows crafted in Munich, Sacred Heart is an awe-inspiring space. However, the Diocese’s consolidation plan calls for closing Sacred Heart. Parishioners are planning the final mass and celebration, slated for this June. After that, no one is quite sure what will happen to the church’s complex of historic buildings.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Whiting

Indiana Landmarks is working with residents and parishioners to avert demolition and save the historic buildings for a new purpose. Our adaptation of the former Central Avenue United Methodist Church and school in Indianapolis as Indiana Landmarks Center, an event and performance venue and our state headquarters, shows how creative reuse can save sacred spaces. In Whiting, the acoustics in Sacred Heart would make the space a wonderful performance venue, while the school building, convent, and rectory could find new life as housing.

Our Sacred Places Indiana program works to help congregations stay in their historic buildings — before evacuation and demolition become the only answer – by training congregations to leverage their historic houses of worship for outreach and growth.