Preservation Projects

Preservation Projects

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Please help us continue the preservation efforts at St. Aloysius Church. Your donations make it possible for our church to remain a vibrant part of our community.

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2022-2023 Projects

Parish Center Boiler

Over 50-years old. A deposit has been made, but we cannot install until fully paid.

Church Irrigation System

This has been a patchwork for years. Our main line is broken and is not able to be repaired.

Church Landscaping

Due to the overgrowth of bushes and trees, removal must happen in order to install a new irrigation system.

Upper church painting

Paint is chipping all around the upper part of the church, and the metal is rusting.

Spires

Repairs were made in summer after years of snow and rain damage to lock in price.

Parish Center Apartments

These are being renovated with new bathtubs, paint, blinds, flooring, and appliances.

Ongoing Paid Projects

Egress Lighting & signage

Updated to code in case of emergency.

Electrical

Updates throughout the church.

Live Stream Video Equipment

This has been purchased with late winter install scheduled.

Upgraded Speaker System

A new speaker system was installed.

Professional Sound System

A new sound system was installed.

Niches

Small areas where people can stop and pray.

Preservation Efforts Background

Learn more about the background of our preservation efforts from St. Aloysius Preservation Engineer Peter Siposs.
See more

Stained Glass Preservation Project

See the beautiful stained glass windows that are being cleaned, repaired and re-leaded throughout the church.
See More

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross, in three-dimensional plaster, were made by the Mayers’ Studio of Germany.

This firm was also responsible for the magnificent stained glass windows (25 by 12 feet) flanking the nave, the great rose windows surmounting the east and west balconies, and the smaller niche windows, depicting Jesuit saints and the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, positioned around the apse. In recent years, four new windows have been added depicting St. Jude, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

The church is open for visitors and for private prayer during daylight hours throughout the year. Brochures providing a self-guided tour are available in the narthex near the main doors and near the Visitors’ Guestbook, and guided tours are scheduled at intervals after the Sunday Masses. Docents can be available for group tours throughout the year by appointment; call 313-7004 to schedule.

The church is open for visitors and for private prayer during daylight hours throughout the year. Brochures providing a self-guided tour are available in the narthex near the main doors and near the Visitors’ Guestbook, and guided tours are scheduled at intervals after the Sunday Masses. Docents can be available for group tours throughout the year by appointment; call 313-7004 to schedule.

The basement of the church, named O’Malley Hall after a loved former Jesuit pastor, provides a warm and hospitable setting for Sunday morning coffee-and-donuts, meetings, socials, educational programs and other parish activities. The hall, seating 100 at round tables, is often made available for family and community events.

Both the church and O’Malley Hall are handicapped accessible. The newly dedicated Antonian Room now provides full access to activities in the Parish Center across the street from the church.

Previous Preservation Projects

Click on the titles to learn more about each project.

Interior Painting

The interior of the church is filled with many architectural features. The upper wall detail and main arch over the altar feature various plaster design elements such as dentils, corbels, acanthus leaves, egg and dart, & sausage and berry among the interesting and unusual names. There are over a hundred thousand repeating patterns of some of these elements.

There are 15 different colors including 3 types of gold (not including gold leaf appliqué). Some colors are glazed and different techniques are used to provide an original appearance. This is a very time consuming process. To access most of the high areas, a very tall lift or long ladders are required. When the high arch over the altar was painted in 2011, a unique spider lift was utilized which provided access to the 50 foot-plus tall area.

It is possible to over-restore something. Flat plaster areas for example have various defects that were formed as part of the creation of the church. If these areas are overly smoothed over the aged patina look of a century old church would look too modern. Cracks and other defects are dealt with of course but otherwise an effort to retain the old classic look of 1909 is carefully performed.

There is much work still to do and is gradually being completed as time and other projects permit.

Interior Painting

Roof

The capital campaign started with work to the roof since it had leaks. Without a good roof, all the work completed under it is at jeopardy. The slate roof we have on the church is fairly unique to the area and repairs require special skills and techniques that are generally not taught on this side of the country. An experienced contractor from the mid-west was brought in to complete the work. Before new slate could be attached however there was significant work to be completed mostly on the large rain gutters surrounding the lower edge of the roof. They are built up structures of wood and covered in copper. Much wood rot had to be removed and replaced with new timber and a new copper covering of the gutters and valleys were added. We can now expect many years service without major repairs.

Roof

Skylights

Since they were cracked and leaking, the skylights on each end of the church roof were replaced during the major work of the roof. They provide natural light over the altar and the organ. They are energy efficient and prevent heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

Skylights
cross.

Cross Lights

We’re blessed with two spires each with their own cross which are visible throughout the city. A beacon of light straight to St. Aloysius for many. About the time the roof work was finished an update to the cross lights was conducted. Each cross insert got a new metal surround with new light sockets and very long lasting efficient LED lights were used instead of the old incandescent bulbs. There are 60 lights on each side making it a total of 240 lights in all. A timer was added to allow use on a nightly basis. Previously the lights were turned on only for special occasions partly because changing those old bulbs at 167ft high proved difficult to say the least. Operating costs of the new lights are substantially less than before as they each only use only 2.2watts versus the old ones at 100watts.

Cross Lights

Pulpit

The marble pulpit has been moved a couple times. As seen in old photos, during the first few decades it was about 3 feet to the west of its present position and had a straight-on stair entry. When it was moved to is present position it was set a bit close to the wall. For many years it had a simple, poorly made and uneven wood stairway with red carpet. In late 2012 it was discussed to update the pulpit and stairs. Moving it away from the wall was deemed too risky as damaging it beyond repair was very possible. It’s estimated to weigh roughly 7000lbs. In late 2012/early 2013, the stairway was replaced with a redesigned easier to use and wider layout made of matching marble. The entry to the pulpit itself was also widened which provides easier access. The book base was redesigned to look like an open book and is also made of marble and has an integrated concealed microphone connection. The stairway also received a new railing which is powder-coated (a very hard wearing paint process). Sanctuary side stair railings were also powder coated at that time to match.

Pulpit

Rain Gutter Downspouts

You can imagine the amount of rain water coming off the roof of this large structure. Over the years some of the original downspouts split their seams and leaked water. Ice and the ash from the eruption of Mount St. Helen caused all sorts of problems as well. Some also rusted though and complete replacement was needed. Before installation began however the dry wells where the water goes underground had to be replaced. The old ones were either filled with debris and sediment, collapsed or effectively non-existent. There was simply no place for the water to go. Several new wells and piping were placed underground around the church and since the process involved digging up some sidewalks these were also replaced. On the exterior brick walls, complete removal and replacement of 20 units totaling 700 feet of downspout piping and fittings were required and like everything, it has to have the right look. Their fluted design is the same as original. Several semi-unrelated work was also completed during this time including repairs to brick mortar, clearing of gutter and downspout entry debris, and redressing of valleys with heat tape.

Rain Gutter Downspouts

Front Porch & Stairs

The exterior entry to the church is important. It sets the tone and feel of entering such a beautiful sacred place. In June of 2013 the front granite stairs received much needed work. The century old red brick supporting structure under the stairs deteriorated due to moisture and age, and when the granite steps tilted inward this allow more water to enter the supports which accelerated the failure. The new supports are concrete blocks of a much larger size and filled with concrete. The original granite stairs were removed one by one and put aside while this work was completed. Once the supports were recreated, the stairs were reset in a consistent ‘rise and tread’ arrangement giving a much improved, safer, and better appearance to last a very long time. This really was one of the projects you have to complete every 100 years.

The porch top was originally a full step height shorter. This meant you had to step down as you exited the doors which was causing a lot of people to stumble. In 2014 a new top was created to the same level as the interior foyer. The surface was coated and colored in a durable material in the same basic pattern as the original. The railings were also reworked and reused as well as powder coated for long life.

A couple years prior to all this the roof material of the porch was replaced and the front facing received some much needed work as well. The frontage and ceiling has been repainted. The churches main entry now looks proper and will last a very long time.

Front Porch & Stairs

Air Conditioning

For years the concept of adding air conditioning to the church was explored and in 2012 an earnest effort by Peter Siposs was developed. Previously, only open windows and doors gave ventilation and on warm days with a full house of people it was sometimes quite warm. Those open windows and doors also allowed a lot of dust into the church. As with any improvements like this, the visual impact had to be minimal and the unavoidable noise had to be virtually zero. The heart of the system is in the attic with some equipment on two roof balconies largely hidden on the sides. This arrangement allows very quite operation both inside and out. There’s funny thing about Air-conditioning. Its an added element to the church that was designed to just be there, largely out of sight and sound. Making a comfortable place to worship without really noticing a temperature too hot or cold is important and challenging.

The cooling provided is effective anywhere in the main body of the church (less than 1 degree difference from front to back) and the clean filtered air has helped keep the church cleaner than before. Filtered air is important for the longevity of all intricate detail and Stations of the Cross etc. It is remarkably inexpensive to operate partly due by taking advantage of cool night air being brought into the church rather than forced cooling until warmer daytime hours when full cooling is needed.

The only visual changes in the church are the air vents present near the high altar and a purge vent near the pipe organ. Modern louvered ventilation grates would look inappropriate in a 100 year old church so the new grates were carefully designed to look original to the church. In fact their look was modeled after the original four ceiling vents, the grates over the rear confessionals, the exterior crawl-space vents and other metal scroll work throughout the church. Look close and you will see the similarities and how the styles are tied together. Hot summer masses and weddings are finally a comfortable at St. Aloysius.

Air Conditioning

Bell

A few years ago, the bell, (weighing 3000lbs, about 4ft round and dedicated in 1913) needed work to ensure safe and reliable operation. It was removed by crane and taken to a workshop for repair. The exterior church tower deck was also repaired and given a new floor while the bell was removed. A new stronger foundation cradle was created and after a few months the bell returned and was craned up into the tower. A new modern timer with remote operation was added. In the summer of 2012 however the clapper (aka striker) had broken off and fell to the deck floor. The pieces were sent to a long operating bell manufacturer where a new one was created in the same size and weight of the original. Today the bell is a prominent audible and visual feature of the church and rings at least twice every day.

Bell

Fire Suppression

A professionally installed complex fire sprinkler system was added which covers any area in the church top to bottom. In visible areas, a grand effort to conceal the many sprinkler heads was made. The system is continually monitored. In the event of an emergency or fault, the fire department is automatically notified. It is thoroughly inspected annually. In the future a partition wall will be created to conceal it from the basement hallway.

Fire Suppression

Additional Projects

The marble statue – weighing about 700lbs – was moved outside and thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. The detail and clarity were significantly improved. The holy water fonts on the side exits were also cleaned and resealed. Other marble pieces in the church will get the same treatment as weather and time permits.

The mass altar candle stands used for years were narrow and just not large enough for the size of the church. Another set, used long ago for funerals, was found in storage but were painted black. They were stripped of their black paint, disassembled and gold plated. This new yet original set is properly sized with stature worthy of our mass altar. They are quite striking today and being gold will never tarnish nor need polishing. Today they are a prominent feature of the sanctuary.

The granite stairs were slowly collapsing due in part to a faulty rain gutter drain system running through the inside of the stairs. Eventually the stairs were deemed unsafe for use and had to be entirely rebuilt. The stairs were completely disassembled to the ground and rebuilt with a new internal support structure but all of the original exterior granite was reused and the final look is as original. The previous drain pipe was rerouted to avoid a repeat failure in the future. Other brick damage around the church was also repaired at this time.

A boiler steam heating system is still in use today. In the 1960’s it was converted to use natural gas rather the coal. There are still coal shoots visible at the back of the church. A rather complex maze of steam pipes through-out the structure along with many radiators etc are used to provide heating in the church. Among other work completed in 2012 and onward, the system received some large replacement steam piping, a digital schedule timer, water quality monitoring system, and semi-automatic chemical treatment injection. In early 2015 a new larger condensate tank and pump was added along with an automatic fresh water system. Continuous effort is required to keep this much needed, very out-of-view system in working order for the church. Its operation is not only for the comfort of visitors but to protect the church and plumbing from freezing. Much like the air-conditioning system, the heating system is largely out of view and the warmth is simply present.

The wood flooring around the back five 5 Altars was refinished to their original state. The back hallwall near the Altars, as well as the Sacristy and Flower rooms received new carpet.

The Stations of the Cross were not well lit and blended into the shadows somewhat unnoticed. A slight change in the lighting allowed the use of a center flood light while still providing a period feel. Wiring of the fixtures were replaced and during this time the stations were also carefully cleaned but some peeling paint was noticed. Soon after, they were restored one by one. The overall result today is much brighter and enjoyable and the ambient glow of period lights add to the detail.

A Baptismal font was originally in a Baptistry room by itself where the foyer bathroom is today. The font (made of plaster and horse hair) was refinished in 2012 to give the appearance of being made of marble and to provide continuity with the marble altar. It also received a new white bowl for holy water, a new bowl surround to finish the top, and a new lower-to-the-ground and stronger wheeled base. Today it is a sanctuary feature very appropriate to the church and normally in full view in front of Mary’s altar.

The organ with its 2200 pipes continues to be played regularly. Much restoration work such as replacement or service on the many large bellows has already been completed but there is still much more to do.

The rear O’Malley hall entrance to the church had a gravel parking area. The area received brick pavers and nicely compliments the church. New storm drains were also added to the area.

The ability to watch masses and other events from your living room via the internet was created and a recording of the event can be viewed as well online. Masses, homily’s, weddings, funerals, confirmations, musical events etc can all be watched online.

Less visible projects

Among the many largely unseen projects are continuous wiring updating / safety improvements, interior west basement stair repair, sewer drain repairs in basement, and a massive amount of maintenance throughout both the church and the parish office.

Thank you for your support!

The preservation of the church 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 recently ended and 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.

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