Protesters have taken their yearslong campaign to save St. Adalbert Church to Chicago City Hall and the city's archbishop, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency has reported.
The battle to save the shrine reignited after a developer offered to pay USD 4 million for the property holding St. Adalbert Church, frustrating plans by the local community to convert some of the space into a facility for pilgrims, the IAR news agency reported.
St. Adalbert Church in Chicago is one of the oldest Polish parish churches in the United States. The building was constructed more than 100 years ago using funds contributed by Polish immigrants to America.
The church, which boasts a marble interior and impressive architecture, is an important Polish landmark in the Chicago area.
An organisation called the Society of St. Adalbert some time ago started collecting pledges of financial support aimed at saving the church in the Pilsen neighbourhood of Chicago.
Some prominent Polish Americans, including Irena Moskal, sister of the late head of the Polish American Congress, Edward Moskal, have joined the campaign to save the church.
The IAR news agency this week quoted Irena Moskal as saying that St. Adalbert Church, “a beautiful church built by Poles,” served the area’s Polish American as well as Latino communities.
“Now there’s also a Latino community; they need a church too," she said.
Irena Moskal has previously said that she intended to fight for the church to prevent it from being demolished.
"If we allow this beautiful symbol of the Catholic Church in America to be destroyed, it will be a sad day for both the church and this country,” she told Polish Radio last summer.
“The same could happen to other churches. That must be stopped,” she added at the time.
Campaigners have asked compatriots for support as the Society of St. Adalbert negotiated with the Archdiocese of Chicago on behalf of the area’s Polish community.
The Society of St. Adalbert plans to convert some of the space into a bed-and-breakfast for pilgrims to finance costly renovation of the church. The B&B would be managed by a non-profit organisation, according to reports.
Chicago is said to be home to the world’s second-largest population of Poles after the Polish capital Warsaw.
(gs)
Source: IAR