Neighbors continue fight to keep La Pieta statue at shuttered St. Adalbert Catholic Church in Pilsen
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Neighbors in Pilsen continue their fight to keep a beloved statue in place at a closed Catholic church.
Activists have camped out at St. Adalbert Catholic Church for more than 40 days now to prevent the removal of the replica of Michelangelo's La Pieta statue, which the Chicago Archdiocese plans to move to St. Paul Catholic Church.
Members of the Spanish and Polish rosary group said Chicago police have been to St. Adalbert at least five times, threatening them with arrests.
Members of the group have held 24-hour vigils watching over the statue since Sept. 8. Parishioners stood in the way of workers on Tuesday as they tried to remove the statue from the closed St. Adalbert.
"We're here to stay. We're going to continue to fight. We want our church back. We want the fabric of this community to stay as is," parishioner Judy Vazquez said.
The church has been closed since 2019, and the Archdiocese plans to remove the La Pieta replica and move it to St. Paul Catholic Church, also in Pilsen.
"Work is continuing to move the replica of Michelangelo's La Pieta statue from St. Adalbert Church, a closed building, and it will join the parishioners of St. Paul Catholic Church, an active, vibrant church at 2127 W. 22nd Place, within the same Pilsen community," the Archdiocese said in a statement. "Parishioners will have access to worship before and better enjoy the sculpture in its new home. Moreover, this valued community treasure can be better safeguarded and preserved in an active parish church."
When workers started removing the statue on Tuesday, they stopped after representatives from the Chicago Department of Buildings realized they didn't have a permit.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) said Wednesday morning he sent a letter to the city's Office of Inspector General, calling for an investigation of the situation. He said neighbors will be at St. Adalbert every day, protecting the church and the statue until they have a meeting in person with the Archdiocese.
In a recent statement, the Archdiocese of Chicago has said the parish is working with the city to attain all the permits needed for safely removing the statue from the building.
"For more than 40 days, the archdiocese has been directed to get the right permits and they still haven't. So it's really mind boggling to me they still came today yet again without the proper permits to do the work they were there to do," Mary Lu Seidel, Director of Community Engagement at Preservation Chicago said Tuesday.
