WHITING – Whiting now has a building listed in the National Register of Historic Places that is dedicated to serving the broader region.
St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church was bestowed the designation as the oldest Eastern Catholic church in Indiana and the Chicagoland area, serving as a cornerstone of the community for 127 years.
Father Andrew Summerson said St. Mary holds an important place in the Byzantine Catholic Church's history in the United States and has a vital place in the local history of Northwest Indiana. He was pleased that they were able to acknowledge that history through the National Registry of Historic Places.
“This will allow us to continue to tell that dynamic story for years to come,” Father Summerson said.
St. Mary isn’t resting on its history; it’s invested in planning and caring for the future of Whiting-Robertsdale and the broader community. Later this year, St. Mary’s landmark campus will become the new home of the Whiting Food Pantry, Clothing Room and Senior Center. The process of adapting the 5,000-square-foot basement of the church hall to accommodate these three vital community charities is already underway in collaboration with the municipality and local architects and engineers.
Father Andrew Summerson explained that using the lower area of the hall as a space for a diversity of social service initiatives within the community gives the church a concrete way to live the Gospel in communion with local city leaders, the residential population and the Catholic community. He added that putting the initiatives together allows their work to be “bigger than the sum of their individual parts” and serve more people.
“St. Mary is a big fan of the Northwest Indiana region, and we're so grateful that Northwest Indiana is a great fan of ours,” he said. “There's just such mutual support; we're here to help each other. Northwest Indiana is a place where church and life can interact, and they don't need to be private.”
With initial demolition steps completed, Thomas Abbott, project manager, said the next phase includes working with an architect firm, which is preparing a report of the building’s condition. The proposed plan will be sent to the state for approval. Then, the construction phase can begin.
Abbott said, “The priority is for the clothing exchange to get basically a home, so get a wall up for them so they can inhabit the space and then after that build walls for the other spaces and get HVAC installed.”
St. Mary is continuing its investment in the community through the ongoing restoration and beautification of its 99-year-old church building and grounds. The historic stained-glass triptych on the south side has been fully restored and other stained-glass windows have been uncovered since St. Mary launched its Accessibility to Beauty Campaign last year. Scaffolding is scheduled to go up again this spring, when restoration of the large stained-glass triptych on the north side is set to begin.
Bishop Robert Pipta of Parma shared that Eastern Catholics in America are typically small in number. Leadership within the church, he explained, often envisions parishes reaching out into a large territory. He acknowledged they have expectations that the faithful will drive long distances to come to its churches, but at the same time noted that the church should do what it can for the local community.
“The immediate community is wonderful,” he said, speaking about St. Mary. “It's really what I would like to see in so many of our churches. Yes, big parish territories, people driving long distances to come to our services, but the church itself doing what it can do in the neighborhood.”
Bishop Pipta stated that St. Mary has been a wonderful example of engagement with the neighborhood. He commended the church for repurposing the space that once had an integral role in the life of the parish in a way that truly serves according to what the church envisions: clothing the naked, feeding the hungry and promoting community fellowship.
“This is what the church is all about,” he said. “It's certainly what our faith is about.”
Mayor Steven Spebar said the City of Whiting is very excited about the community project. He noted the plans will serve the needy in the community and the seniors in the area for many years to come.
“I’m looking forward to this project moving forward and will assist in any way possible,” said the mayor.
Members of the church and community came to support these initiatives at St. Mary’s Third Annual Gala, organized under the theme, “Caring for Community, Together.” It was held on April 11 at Dynasty Banquets in Hammond. The evening included dancing, a silent auction, the custom-made “Byzantini” cocktail, and the bestowal of the Myrrhbearers Award.
The guest speaker for the evening was Vincent Noth, president and CEO of an organization called Kinship Community Food Center. The organization received a new name three years ago, but during its 46-year history, it was known as the Riverwest Food Pantry. A simple shift in its mission occurred about 12 years ago, Noth explained.
He said, “We thought, what if, instead of food or clothing being the endpoint of what we do, what if it was an entry point? What if we saw the food as a means to building community and sort of accompaniment at a deeper level?”
The non-profit set three goals, focusing on nourishment, belonging and prosperity. Noth said by not only focusing on hunger and poverty, but social isolation as well, people can begin to transform the neighborhood. The key message he hoped to deliver was about the importance of relationships.
“If it's about providing a service, then that's great, and that's needed,” he said. “But if it's about relationships, then the possibilities are endless.”
For more information and an opportunity to donate, visit https://stmarywhiting.org/beauty.
