CROWN POINT – In an often-quoted exchange from the 1965 film “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” Pope Julius II repeats his inquiry of Michaelangelo, asking him when his four-year painting work in the Sistine Chapel will be nearing an end. “When I am finished!” retorted the painter, portrayed by Charleton Heston, to Rex Harrison’s papal character.
Curious parishioners and city residents have peppered St. Mary staff members with a similar line of questioning in recent months, referencing the construction and restoration high above the nave of their circa 1890 church building.
It has been more than a year since the prominent sacred space east of the old courthouse square has been closed because of a compromised structural truss that was discovered during an inspection in November 2023.
“We were just doing routine maintenance and we went into the attic and, as we were walking down the catwalk, we noticed one of the trusses had a split in it,” said Paul Czyszczon, 16-year information technology coordinator and 10-year maintenance chief for St. Mary. “The wood shouldn’t have been behaving that way; that was abnormal.”
Czyszczon promptly reported the matter to then-pastor Father Kevin Huber, and parish leaders hired Enspect, Inc. of Merrillville to provide an assessment of the fitness of the support truss located on the northwest side of the church. The firm recommended that, to err on the side of caution, people be prohibited from entering the building.
The 10-by-12 inch wood trusses, the condition of the brick walls and connecting joints were all inspected to provide the most “holistic” view of structure and what needed to be addressed.
Father Peter Muha, who last served at St. Joseph in Dyer (pastorate concluded on Jan. 1), accepted the appointment of Bishop Robert J. McClory to become the pastor of the Crown Point church on Nov. 23, 2024. One of the reasons the seasoned clergyman said he was happy to accept the assignment was because of the parishioners’ reputation of faithfulness and resilience.
“I look forward to working with the parish community,” said Father Muha. “They have such a long history, there’s great spiritual patrimony and we certainly ask for the continued intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon us as we move forward into the future.”
As St. Mary’s new leader, Father Muha said he is grateful that parish staff members and crews from Enspect, Tonn and Blank Construction and other contractors have prevented any injuries related to the structural issue and ongoing reconstruction.
“We certainly thank God that there were no injuries or significant damage to the interior of the church,” said Father Muha. “We are thankful that we had the foresight to make a very big decision to replace the entire roof … God’s providence is always at work.”
In the fall of 2023, plans were set in motion to facilitate another worship space. Mass and other liturgies were relocated to the St. Mary Catholic Community School of Crown Point gymnasium and Hammes Hall. A core of volunteers continued to assist in decorating and service roles for fairly well-attended gatherings.
Yet the serious issue prevented parishioners from accessing the beloved building they long to use for their sacramental life. Surveying architectural and engineering firms began employing the newest technology to size up the situation. Drones scanned the church structure with LiDAR, (light detection and ranging) as they completed sorties around the apex of the vaulted roof.
After much consultation, the parish leadership team moved ahead with plans to have the entire wood support system replaced, with work beginning after the end of the 2023-2024 school year. For perspective, Czyszczon said several single-piece old-growth trees were logged locally to construct the frame of the church building in the late 1880s. They have since held the finished ceiling, insulation, deck and shingles in place – a weight estimated at more than 100,000 pounds (the weight of about 25 average-size cars).
Father Muha said the “very wise” decisions of former pastors, particularly senior priest Father Patrick Kalich, who saved “significant funds” for his parish, allowed St. Mary’s leadership to move forward with the total roof reconstruction. No capital campaign was necessary.
Neighbors, visitors and history buffs all came to view the church from the outside as the building preservation went forward. Initially, steel structures gripped the weakened wood sections. Then, section by section, from towering cranes, the roof was removed and replaced, laid over a new truss frame.
Beside the structural fortification, the improved insulation and a more accessible cat walk, insiders can see stars in the ongoing detail work of the repainted portions of the church by Daprato Rigali Studios of Chicago.
“The ceiling has been painted in dark blue; painters are working on the stenciling now,” the pastor explained. “There are going to be stars set against the sky. It’s a beautiful motif.”
Father Muha, who visited Paris in the 1980s, said there is a bit of a comparison between how Notre-Dame de Paris was restored after a 2019 fire destroyed the roof and the dangers that were averted with the replacement of the St. Mary roof. Just as the famous French cathedral was unveiled to an adoring public, he hopes all work will be completed in Crown Point at a time ahead of Easter.
“There was a drawing put out that showed the plan for the ceiling,” he said. “I’ve had several people tell me how excited they are and how they can’t wait to see it in reality.”
Additional beautification measures have been suggested by parish leaders, but first, curious parishioners and local residents will see the roof restoration finished. Czyszczon said he expects the loving and caring relationship between a family of faith and their home will continue.
“During the whole project I was thinking that this church has stood here for how many years, and from the day St. Mary’s became a parish, the people had to overcome (many things),” Czyszczon said. “And they came together … here at the church.”
Caption: A view of the ceiling and catwalk shows original features and new enhancements to St. Mary in Crown Point in 2024. Undergoing more than a year of assessment, reinforcement and construction, the circa 1890 building features a new truss frame, ceiling and roof necessitated by the discovery of compromised timber in Nov. 2023. (St. Mary parish photo)