Fourteen congregations around the state have received grants from Indiana Landmarks’ Sacred Places Indiana Fund to address significant capital needs at their historic houses of worship. The awards mark the third round of grants since the fund was established in 2023 with support from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Sacred Places Indiana will distribute $2.4 million in grants to the following congregations:

• Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne: $66,350 to replace the roof membrane and tuckpoint the 1929 church’s bell tower and chimney.
• Centerville Christian Church, Centerville: $185,000 to complete repairs to the 1878 church’s steeple and spire.
• Diocese of Gary: $400,000 to tuckpoint masonry on all elevations of the 1950 Cathedral of the Holy Angels.
• First Baptist Church, Columbus: $80,000 for roof replacement and window seal repairs at the 1965 National Historic Landmark church.
• Friends of Town Clock Church, New Albany: $100,000 to update the wheelchair lift and replace ADA-compliant doors at the 1852 Second Baptist Church.
• Our Lady of Hungary, South Bend: $100,000 to modernize heating and cooling systems and repair the radiator heat system at the 1949 church, which will help ensure preservation of historic sanctuary murals.
• Phillips Temple CME Church, Indianapolis: $300,000 to replace the roof on the 1928 church.
• St. Athanasius Byzantine Catholic Church, Indianapolis: $90,000 for critical upgrades to heating and cooling, electrical, and life safety systems at the 1894 church.
• St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Vincennes: $100,000 to restore masonry at the 1826 basilica and adjacent historic library.
• St. Paul Lutheran Church, Olean: $100,000 to repair masonry on the bell tower and sanctuary of the 1921 church.
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Evansville: $285,000 for total replacement of the 1928 church’s slate roof.
• St. Thomas More Academy, South Bend: $125,000 to install heating and cooling systems in the 1883 St. Hedwig Church.
• Valparaiso University, Valparaiso: $300,000 for to repair the slab floor and foundation in the sanctuary of the 1959 Chapel of the Resurrection.
• Woodruff Place Baptist Church, Indianapolis: $200,000 to replace the roof membrane, repair masonry, and restore window at the 1926 church.

“We continue to receive calls for help from congregations who need assistance in maintaining their historic facilities,” says David Frederick, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Sacred Places Program. “By offering this critical funding, we hope to help congregations and parishes continue to thrive as spiritual centers and use their landmark buildings in ways that support and serve their communities.”

Historic churches that have identified significant capital needs, have the support of their judicatories, and are ready to undertake a capital campaign could be candidates for the Sacred Places Indiana Fund.

The fund awards matching grants in a competitive process. Selected congregations must be committed to good stewardship of their historic structures and have demonstrated signs of organizational health including established clergy and lay leadership, clearly defined project goals, stable or growing membership, community engagement, and financial strength and stability. Congregations should be ready to undertake and complete both a capital campaign and construction project within the next two years.

To learn more about the Sacred Places Indiana program, visit indianalandmarks.org/sacred-places-indiana.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

David Frederick, Director, Sacred Places Indiana, Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534, 317-340-9939 (cell), dfrederick@indianalandmarks.org

Mary Scharnberg, Associate Director, Sacred Places Indiana, Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534, 317- 822-7916, mscharnberg@indianalandmarks.org

Mindi Woolman, Director of Marketing and Communications, Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534, 317-822-7904, mwoolman@indianalandmarks.org

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Indiana Landmarks revitalizes communities, strengthens connections to our diverse heritage, and saves meaningful places. With nine offices located throughout the state, Indiana Landmarks helps people rescue endangered landmarks and restore historic neighborhoods and downtowns. People who join Indiana Landmarks receive its bimonthly magazine, Indiana Preservation. For more information on the not-for-profit organization, call 317-639-4534, 800-450-4534, or visit www.indianalandmarks.org.