Wednesday, July 6, 2011

First to stand up: Casey Brothers Letter to Editor April 22, 2011

    Letter to Editor regarding St. James Church, Belvidere, Il

    St. James was the first Catholic parish in Boone and Winnebago counties. I applaud the Casey Brothers in coming forth and speaking of their concerns. I share many of their sentiments.

    Editor,

    We would like to bring to your attention a significant
    event, about to happen in Boone County. There is a
    movement within the St James Catholic community to
    destroy the historic St James Catholic church in Belvidere.
    This Gothic designed building, built in 1886, has stood
    steadfast for so many generations as an iconic symbol of
    our Catholic faith. It is now targeted for demolition to make
    way for a larger building.

    As Boone County has grown so has the Catholic
    congregation at St James. This has necessitated the expansion
    of the Mass schedule. Most masses are not full, but during
    special church events an over crowded condition has
    occurred. A few argue that the congregation must respond
    with an expansion project to accommodate these needs. So,
    Father Geary, the Pastor at St James, and an elite team of
    core members started a process to convince the parish to
    give their treasure and talent toward this end. Unfortunately,
    they failed to adequately involve the congregation and
    seek out a broad scope of inputs to achieve a go forward
    consensus. Consequently there is much disappointment and
    frustration!

    An exploratory funding survey was conducted. While
    the results were never published to the congregation, the
    message from the pulpit was touted as most positive.
    Independent research indicated the response was probably
    mixed at best. Increased pressure was also sought out and
    obtained from the Diocese of Rockford, Bishop Doran.
    An architect was hired and a design was defined, mostly
    in a vacuum. Little or no input on other alternatives was
    discussed with the congregation as a whole. One idea,
    quickly shot down, was to build on to the existing structure
    with a complimentary design and refurbish the interior
    of church. The new Romanesque design, drawn out by
    the architect and accepted by Father Geary, is a drastic
    departure from the familiar design of St James. As a result
    the chosen design will not incorporate the artisan crafted
    stained glass windows that were donated in the late 1800’s
    in memory of the early families, the stations of the cross, or
    many other features, beloved by our parishioners. There was
    no attempt to seek a congregational vote on this emotional
    and financial decision to abandon the existing structure and
    discard our past heritage. In reality any who courageously
    offered a dissenting voice or objection were ignored and
    quickly dismissed. Father Geary and the elite team dictated
    the direction to us.

    The new proposed structure is nearly twice the size of
    the existing church and is targeted to be built adjacent to
    St James School. The intent here is to consolidate the mass
    schedule by accommodating up to 1,000 parishioners at a
    given mass. The old historic church will be demolished for
    a parking lot, what a shame! The local streets are already
    overloaded at certain masses and this larger structure will
    only exacerbate the parking situation. The tripling of parked
    cars will necessitate the purchase and destruction of many
    homes in the area as well.

    We are disappointed in the lack of transparency
    involving this decision!

    Letters were sent to the Bishop with no response. It is
    doubtful that these letters were given any consideration.

    Robert A Casey and Daniel J Casey

    The above was published in the April 22, 2011, Boone County Journal, page 2, which is available free of costs at merchants across Boone County and available on the internet at: http://boonecountyjournal.com/news/2011/Boone-County-News-04-22-11.pdf#page=2

     

    Here is the Journal’s story on the issue back in April.  You should check on later Journal articles as their view of the facts change in many respects.

     

    Out with the Old In with the New
    St. James’ Gothic Structure
    Slated to Become a Memory

    By Lisa Palmeno

    St. James Church, the
    only Catholic Church in
    Belvidere, is slated to be
    replaced by a new, larger
    facility to accommodate a
    growing parish. While many
    that worship at the 125-yearold
    Gothic have donated
    funds and support the move,
    others are against it.
    In March, Robert and
    Dan Casey, two brothers
    who grew up at St. James,
    submitted letters with
    strong language to Bishop
    Thomas G. Doran of the
    Rockford Diocese. In those
    letters, they addressed
    their displeasure with the
    project Bishop Doran and
    Father Brian Geary, who
    came to St. James in 2008,
    deem necessary to meet
    the growing needs of the
    church.
    The Casey brothers say
    they are disappointed that
    they and other parishioners
    were not allowed to vote
    on the decision and that the
    beautiful Gothic “elements”
    of the church will be but
    a memory when the new
    Romanesque-style church is
    completed.
    This year marks the
    125-year anniversary of the
    church, located at Caswell and Church streets, which has
    undergone many changes. Those changes have included the
    renovation of the sanctuary and basement after a fire in the
    1960s, new furnishings and more throughout the years.
    However, the congregation has grown right along with
    the population in Boone County. The flock has grown from
    711 families in 1979 when Father Miller was there to more
    than 2,000 families.
    The new church will have enough seating to accommodate
    1,000 people at each of the eight masses held at the church;
    an expanded narthex; a choir/music section for 50; four
    confessionals (everyone’s favorite spot); special inside
    features; and an expanded parking lot.
    The church brochure, “Building On our faith Capital
    Campaign St. James Catholic Church,” shares much
    information about the project, complete with artist renditions.
    The brochure opens with a letter from Father Geary, who
    states that “Bishop Doran has directed that we may initiate
    a capital campaign to build a new church for St. James in
    Belvidere. I enthusiastically support the effort to build a
    new church to meet our present and future needs.”
    He said that the small church accomplishes quite a bit:
    it offers eight masses each week; teaches 180 students at
    the school; puts more than 800 members through Catechism
    each year; and outreach is growing.
    Geary added in the letter, “Everywhere you look there
    are signs of growth and vitality. God is doing great things
    through us and now God is calling us to do even greater
    things in His holy name.”
    Plenty is included about the finances, interest rates, and
    the Master Site Plan, Phases One and Two, with diagrams
    of what it will look like from an artificial aerial view, from
    side views, and from the entryway toward the sanctuary.
    The brochure ends with a campaign prayer.
    While Robert Casey said he knows the lack of space is
    “putting pressure on attendance,” he said other options could
    be pursued. He offered alternatives, such as lengthening
    the church and building a wing to the north, “with similar colored
    bricks and make it really nice. But those ideas
    were shot down immediately,” he said. He also brought up
    issues about financing, down-payments on the project, and
    donations.
    Dan Casey talked about the “Rainbow Club Raffle,” that
    he organized 27 years ago to save the school. Since founding
    the event, he has raised $270,000-$300,000 in funding from
    the raffle. He and his brother Robert are hoping that others
    who are disagree with the new plans will come forward to
    express their feelings and that, just maybe, Bishop Doran
    and Father Geary will change their minds about tearing St.
    James down.
    Dan Casey said that, although he will still attend St.
    James because it’s where he has always gone, he will not
    support the church financially if they continue with their
    plans. However, he said his wife will continue to support
    the church.
    His most memorable event at the church was his wedding
    on Dec. 1, 1973. His four siblings were married there, as
    were his parents and uncles and aunts; he added that his
    98-year-old aunt is also very displeased about the plans to
    tear down the existing structure. However, he said some
    of the other long-time members are very supportive of the
    new church and that he has no doubt they will get the funds
    they need to finish the project.
    Dan Casey said, that in one of the meetings called to
    inform parishioners of the new plans, several members
    told dissenters to sit down and be quiet. Dan said all the
    meetings were “post design,” and that no one got a chance
    to vote on the issue and that he and his brother, and about
    40 others with whom they have spoken, feel that they as a
    members should have had some input.
    Dan Casey also said that some of the neighbors in
    the nine or 10 houses that will have to be torn down to
    accommodate more parking might have something to say
    when they find out the parish wants to buy them.
    Most of all, both brothers expressed their feelings
    about the beauty of the church that is already there; the
    stained-glass windows with the names of the families that
    donated them back in the 1880s on them; the Stations of the
    Cross, which Father Miller had repainted in the 1980s; and
    particularly the depiction of the Last Supper.
    Dan Casey said, “I’m not against expansion, I’m for
    expansion if it’s done in the right manner.”
    Robert Casey said, “I could buy into an addition, I can’t
    buy into this destruction.”
    Father Geary’s return call was missed by the author of
    this piece last week, and he has since been busy with other
    obligations when calls were attempted. However, attempts
    will be made to speak with him about the plans. Contact
    with Bishop Doran is still pending.
    St. James Church is located at 535 Caswell Street.
    For more information, call the church at 815-547-6397,
    or visit www.stjamesbelvidere.org.

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