St. Adalbert's Supporters Taking Effort To Save Church To The Vatican
CHICAGO (CBS) -- At midnight Thursday night, St. Adalbert's Church in Pilsen ceases to exist as a parish in the eyes of the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, but the battle by its supporters to save the 102-year-old building is not over.
Supporters asked Archbishop Blase Cupich to reconsider his order dissolving the parish, but he rejected the plea in a June 13 decree.
Catholic Church Preservation Society member Anina Jakubowski said one hope remains -- appealing directly to the Vatican. She said a canon law lawyer has filed the necessary papers to begin the appeal.
"It's not over," she said.
Jakubowski said St. Adalbert's supporters have been assured the donor, who has promised $1.3 million toward repairs to the twin towers of the Henry Schlacks-designed Italian Renaissance church, remains committed to saving the church. The Society is trying to raise interest in its fight among other Polish Roman Catholic organizations and parishes, but Sunday's 8 a.m. mass in Polish could be the last at the church.
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Protesters from the now heavily-Hispanic parish have staged three protests in the past month at Holy Name Cathedral to press their pleas for reconsideration. Under the Archbishop's decrees realigning the parishes in Pilsen, as of Friday, the St. Adalbert's church and school property, and the contents of the church become the property of nearby St. Paul's Roman Catholic parish, at 2127 W. 22nd Pl.
Sale of the St. Adalbert's property is expected to help St. Paul's retire $10 million in debt already spent on its own renovation.
Jakubowski argued that St. Adalbert's supporters deserve one more chance to show that they can raise the money needed for renovation and ongoing maintenance. The Archdiocese indicated, in issuing its decrees, that it sees no path to self-sufficiency for St. Adalbert's, at 1650 W. 17th St.
Failing that, Jakubowski said, the Preservation Society believes if the parish closes, St. Adalbert's physical property should be redistributed among other parishes of Polish heritage in the Archdiocese. St. Paul's was built by German immigrants.
The church has offered masses in three languages -- English, Spanish and Polish -- and Jakubowski said its roster of parishioners numbers around 650, a number that she said could easily be increased if concerted efforts were undertaken.
An Archdiocesan spokesperson said only that the appeals process continues.
