The Church That Refuses to Die Receives $90K
from Nonprofit that Saved it from Demolition
Chicago, IL January 11, 2021 —With a final donation of $90,000 towards the completion of the first phase of restoration of the Shrine of Christ the King Church, Save the Shrine, the group that saved the church from demolition in 2016, has made its final donation on Friday, December 18, 2020.
“The Shrine is saved. We accomplished what we set out to do,” said Emily Nielsen, co-founder of Save the Shrine and the Coalition to Save the Shrine, the ad hoc group that preceded the nonprofit. “With this final contribution, we ensured that the building’s physical integrity is secured, and we can honestly say that we have fulfilled the mission of our organization.”
The Coalition to Save the Shrine formed in January 2016, after the Archdiocese of Chicago applied for a demolition permit for the historic landmark, which had suffered significant damage in an October 2015 fire. A steady stream of press coverage and more than $650,000 in pledges secured the property, which was then placed in the hands of the religious order that was occupying the property when it burned.
Completed in 1927, the church was originally dedicated to St. Clara and was designed by Henry J. Schlacks, who designed many of Chicago’s architecturally significant Catholic churches before founding the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame. The church, whose Italianate facade combines neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque elements, was designated a historic landmark by the city of Chicago in 2003.
“Without the Coalition to Save the Shrine, there would be no Shrine of Christ the King,” said Save the Shrine co-founder Gabriel Piemonte. “Just as ordinary people built this church, ordinary people saved it, with the help of some great Chicago organizations, and we will never forget all the donations—large and small—the signatures, volunteer work, and pure grit that brought us to this point, nor will we ever forget the heroes behind the scenes of this story without whom the church would not be standing.”
Altogether, Save the Shrine and the Coalition raised more than $1 million that went towards restoration of the church. ###
“The Shrine is saved. We accomplished what we set out to do,” said Emily Nielsen, co-founder of Save the Shrine and the Coalition to Save the Shrine, the ad hoc group that preceded the nonprofit. “With this final contribution, we ensured that the building’s physical integrity is secured, and we can honestly say that we have fulfilled the mission of our organization.”
The Coalition to Save the Shrine formed in January 2016, after the Archdiocese of Chicago applied for a demolition permit for the historic landmark, which had suffered significant damage in an October 2015 fire. A steady stream of press coverage and more than $650,000 in pledges secured the property, which was then placed in the hands of the religious order that was occupying the property when it burned.
Completed in 1927, the church was originally dedicated to St. Clara and was designed by Henry J. Schlacks, who designed many of Chicago’s architecturally significant Catholic churches before founding the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame. The church, whose Italianate facade combines neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque elements, was designated a historic landmark by the city of Chicago in 2003.
“Without the Coalition to Save the Shrine, there would be no Shrine of Christ the King,” said Save the Shrine co-founder Gabriel Piemonte. “Just as ordinary people built this church, ordinary people saved it, with the help of some great Chicago organizations, and we will never forget all the donations—large and small—the signatures, volunteer work, and pure grit that brought us to this point, nor will we ever forget the heroes behind the scenes of this story without whom the church would not be standing.”
Altogether, Save the Shrine and the Coalition raised more than $1 million that went towards restoration of the church. ###
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SAVE THE SHRINE is a coalition of a local congregation, community members and preservationists that are committed to restoring the Shrine of Christ the King through historic preservation and community engagement. The Coalition successfully opposed the planned demolition of the Shrine in early 2016 and effected a transfer of ownership. Extending the outpouring of support for the Shrine during the anti-demolition campaign, Save the Shrine incorporated as a single-issue, non-sectarian, apolitical organization to support the Shrine’s restoration.
KENNEDY-KING COLLEGE'S
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