Holy Angels Parish hopes to build new church as old one closes

Since 1903, Holy Angels Church has been a beacon of hope and faith in its Indianapolis neighborhood. Because of structural problems and health concerns, the church will be closed after the parish’s annual fall revival ends on Oct. 11. The parish hopes to eventually build a new church on the same hilltop site. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

By John Shaughnessy

Built atop a hill, Holy Angels Church in Indianapolis has served as a beacon of hope and faith for more than 100 years to its surrounding community, according to its pastor, Father Kenneth Taylor.

At the same time, Father Taylor says that he and the members of Holy Angels Parish agree with the recent decision to close the 108-year-old church because of health concerns and structural problems associated with the building.

“It was determined that the building was deteriorated so much that it wouldn’t be feasible to fix it,” Father Taylor said. “It was built in 1903, and it’s the last remaining wood-framed Catholic church in the county. Our plan is to build a new church. The next step is to create a site plan to determine the cost projection on what replacing the church building will be.”

While the longstanding church will be closed after the parish’s annual fall revival on Oct. 9-11, the parish will continue to offer a weekly Mass schedule to its 408 members.

Starting Oct. 16, the parish will have a regular 9 a.m. Sunday Mass at the Bishop Chartrand Memorial Chapel at Marian University in Indianapolis. The 6 p.m. Saturday Mass will continue in the music room at the parish school. An 8 a.m. Mass will also be celebrated in the convent chapel from Monday to Thursday while a 9 a.m. Mass for the parish school children and staff will be held in the gymnasium on Fridays.

The old church building represented a sentimental connection for many of the parish members who, like Father Taylor, received the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, holy Communion and confirmation there. It’s also served as a symbol in the surrounding community.

“It’s been the only place of worship the parish has ever had,” Father Taylor said. “It’s part of the people who have been members through the years. The parish has long been involved in the community development of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. corridor and the whole neighborhood community as well. Because it’s on the top of a hill, it’s been a geographical fixture. It shows what our role in the community has been, and what it’s called to be.”

Inspired by those emotional connections, parish officials hope to eventually build a larger church on the same hill.

“We’ve already acquired a lot of input from parishioners and have developed a concept for moving forward,” said Jerry Monette, president of the Holy Angels Parish council. “We feel we can make a new facility more attractive and help us to grow our membership.”

While the current church building has a capacity of 250 people, parish officials envision a new church being able to accommodate 450 people.

Father Taylor says there are also hopes of placing parish offices in a future church building.

Holy Angels Parish opened a new $3.2 million elementary school in 1999. At the time, it was the first Catholic center-city school to be built in the nation in 40 years. About $700,000 of the school funds came from parishioners. Grants, corporate gifts and other donations also made a significant difference—a combination that Father Taylor will be seeking to build a new church.

“We will need parishioners, community support and grants,” Father Taylor said. “We will need all three to get it done. I would like to see a strong parish with a strong parish life. I believe the building we’ve had has been holding us back from being as strong as we can be.”

Still, the strengths that have long marked Holy Angels Parish will continue, parish officials said.

“We plan to continue all the ministries we have,” Monette said. “I don’t imagine any interruption of our ministry outreach services and our efforts to improve them. Our people are committed to the community we worship in. We try to extend evangelization to people in the community. We hold job fairs and health fairs.

“It gives me a good feeling to know we will continue that longstanding legacy in the community.”

(For more information about Holy Angels Parish, log on to www.holyangelsindy.org.) †