Parish hopes to restore St. Mary church to former glory

It’s the Rev. Kevin Lutz’s hope that when parishioners walk into St. Mary Catholic Church after its renovation, it will be just as it was when the original members walked in almost 150 years ago.

“The only thing different than when the pilgrims walked in is electric lights and A/C,” Lutz said, standing among scaffolding where pews used to be.

The church closed in August after it was struck by lightning, causing damage and exposing

some unknown wear and tear in the 148-year-old German Village institution.

The trusses have been stabilized, scaffolding put in, and next, the engineers will complete their assessment, with hopes of construction coming soon after.

The intricately painted plaster ceiling, cracked by age and the lightning strike, was painstakingly traced over and photographed by artists before it was taken down, exposing the aged wooden trusses that need help holding up the structure’s high ceiling.

Treasured historical aspects of the church have been protected from the construction work: The organ, installed in 1901, has a house of wood built around it; an ornate carving at the front of the sanctuary has been walled off for protection.

“The church is in a bad way,” Lutz said. “On the other hand, it’s exciting to know a very old building is going to be preserved, and when you walk in it will still have the original look.”

That preservation doesn’t come free. The church is about to start a public fundraising effort, though it has been silently fundraising for months.

The estimate is that it might take $6 million to fully restore the church, though contractor Bryan Hamilton has hopes of keeping the project under budget.

The money will come largely from donations, Lutz said. The insurance covered very little of the damage because much of it existed before the lightning strike. The diocese hasn’t sent the church any money yet, he said at a community meeting last month, though he mentioned the possibility of a loan.

The construction phase will include building a steel structure inside the church for added support while keeping the trusses.

Then, the stained glass windows will be refurbished, the paintings will be cleaned, the organ’s electrical damage repaired and the ceiling replastered and painted with richer colors. was like a warning. ... It all could’ve come down.”

Lutz isn’t sure when the church will be done

[JONATHAN QUILTER/DISPATCH PHOTOS] Full restoration of St. Mary Catholic Church is projected to cost $6 million and could begin in the fall.

The Rev. Kevin Lutz looks up at bare trusses last week while standing on a floating floor high above the main worship area of St. Mary Catholic Church. The damaged trusses have been stabilized, and engineers are inspecting them.