Preservation Efforts Background
Preservation, Restoration, Conservation, Capital Campaign
It has been called different things but what it means is the preservation of this 100+ year old church.
The beautiful St Aloysius church took two years to build from 1909-1911 thus turning 100 years old in 2011. The architectural firm of Preusse and Zittel designed the church in an adapted Romanesque style. The cost to build the church was $176,000 which in those days was a hefty sum. Comparing photographs of the church when it was new versus today you will see little has changed (many old photos can be seen on the walls of O’Malley Hall in the basement). This is quite deliberate as the architects who designed the church had strong vision of how the church should look with longevity in mind, and fortunately, over the years the church has had priests and staff members who appreciated the period look and have left the style and feel of it largely alone.
An Ongoing Restoration
Build quality of the church is exceptional and everything in its construction is stout. But time takes its toll on everything and the church is no exception. Today, an ongoing restoration and preservation of the church is in process to ensure this peaceful sacred space remains beautiful and intact. Appearance of finished work is to look appropriate when the church was new and in a style and color of its first mass in October 1911. Sometimes when modern amenities such as air-conditioning or safety improvements are completed they are done so in a style and color keeping with the theme of this over 100 year old church. This can be challenging but necessary otherwise the classic feel would be lost.
To do this requires dedication and financial support. Without the gracious donations from parishioners, the work would simply not be possible. The 5-year Parish Capital Campaign has ended. The St. Aloysius Church Preservation Fund now takes over for the long haul. Much work is still to be completed and your help is greatly needed to see this through. Please consider giving and also consider adding the Preservation fund to your estate planning.
Thank you for your support.
Peter Siposs – St Aloysius Restoration Engineer
Contribute
Please help us fund the continued work on the stained glass windows through our church.
