Inside the sanctuary of Holy Angels Catholic Church, visitors can see the attributes that make many congregations appear majestic: stained glass windows, large paintings of Jesus and his Disciples and a peaceful, reverential atmosphere.
The otherwise flawless appearance of the sanctuary, however, is tarnished by a gaping hole in the ceiling above the balcony, where water has leaked and left a trail of unsightly brown water stains down the wall.
“Unfortunately, that is not the only one,” said Father Kenneth Taylor, Holy Angels’ pastor.
On Sunday, Holy Angels held services in its historic building for the last time. The parish is being forced to move out of the structure due to health concerns about its condition.
Leaking water from the deteriorating roof has caused severe damage to the ceiling and walls, leading to mold in several areas of the church and sacristy. For example, the ceiling appears on the verge of collapse in a room where choir robes are stored, and mold is overtaking the candle closet.
Located near the intersection of 28th and Martin Luther King Jr. Street, the Holy Angels building was built in 1903 and is the only wood frame facility for a Catholic church still in existence in Indianapolis. It is also the second oldest surviving structure owned by an African-American church in Indianapolis, the first being the main building for Bethel A.M.E. Church downtown, completed during the late 1860s.
Holy Angels is one of three predominantly Black Catholic congregations in Indianapolis, along with St. Rita and St. Bridget, which was officially closed in 1994 but still has members who gather for services at St. Phillips Episcopal Church.
In March the Marion County Health Department conducted an inspection of the Holy Angels building and found several code violations, then offered the church time to correct them. However, the Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis commissioned engineers to review the structure, and the report they came up with in September was not encouraging. The best option, it concluded, is to close and ultimately demolish the church.
“We were told that we need to completely replace the roof, and in order to get that done we would need to replace the walls and also have work done on the foundation,” Taylor said. “It was determined that the repairs would not be financially feasible, and that we might as well just build a new church.”
Taylor said the announcement of the building’s closing was not a surprise to most of its 425 members, given the obvious signs of deterioration that have appeared over the last 20 years. Still, many of them, along with residents of the neighborhood, will miss seeing “the church on the hill,” where the life size statue of an angel can be seen standing at the front, with a warm facial expression and arms outstretched to invite people in.
Holy Angels’ presence has provided peace in an area that has faced many challenges related to crime and economic decline.
“For many years this place has been something people can look at and see continuity, stability and God’s presence,” said Taylor, who grew up in Holy Angels before serving at other churches and returning as its pastor in 2006. “Recently, we have had people who aren’t members of the church but grew up in this neighborhood stop by because they heard about the closing, and wanted to fellowship with us in this building one last time.”
Taylor noted that although the Holy Angels building will close, the congregation itself is very much alive and looking forward to constructing a new facility. No dates for its construction or a community fundraising drive have been set by the diocese yet.
“What we would like to see is Holy Angels become a strong and vibrant parish that is growing, and in many ways this current building held us back from doing that,” he said. “We are excited about what is ahead.”
Sunday services for Holy Angels will continue at Marian University, with most other activities being held at Holy Angels Catholic School, which is housed in a modern building that was completed in 1999 and is not adversely affected by the congregation’s temporary displacement.
Despite uncertainty as to when or how a new Holy Angels church will be built, third generation Holy Angels member Mary Terrell, remains optimistic about the future.
“We have a lot of memories in that building, but we remind each other that the building is not the church, the people are,” said Terrell. “Still, I’m looking forward to the new church and what it can offer the community.”
Michael Joseph, director of Holy Angels School, is always touched by the sight of the church.
“It will be sad to see it go, because it has been like a beacon and bright light in this neighborhood for decades,” Joseph said, looking at the church through his office window. “But I’m anxious to see what will come next, and how it will help energize and revitalize people around here.”
When asked if Holy Angels planned to share what it learned from its sudden change in residence with other congregations, Taylor smiled and replied, “Well, I’m not sure if we’re through the learning stage just yet. I think it is important to make sure as much money as possible is set aside in your budget, so that repairs and upgrades can be made on an ongoing basis.”
