Looking forward to 2019, let's take a moment to reflect:

WHY DO WE DO THIS?

In 2015, we learned of the possibility that we could do something to stop the demolition of St. George Church (St. John Vianney). We knew that if we didn't try, we would never forgive ourselves when there was a hole in the ground where our church once stood.


WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED?

  • Our appeal process suspended the Diocesan plans.

  • St. George Church is not a hole in the ground! The church is still standing despite a Diocesan proposal in 2015 to demolish it.

  • The church has not been cannibalized for salvage value, the sacred items were not removed and the artwork is still there. The stained-glass windows and the church have been secured.

  • We have installed a camera security system to monitor the area.

  • A parishioner has filed an application to the Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission to have the church designated as historic.

WHAT ARE OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

  • The St. George Church Preservation Society (SGCPS) was organized by parishioners in 2015 and established as a PA nonprofit designated as IRS 501(c)(3).

  • We've established a contact list that has increased to over 1300 people including parishioners, former parishioners, alumni, neighbors, the Allentown community, organizations, businesses, foundations and preservationists.

  • We've been able to connect with the St. George Family throughout the region and around the nation to stay in touch and keep everyone updated on our progress.

  • We've organized events for the St. George Family & supporters to gather together.

  • Through the generosity of our many dedicated donors, we've established an endowment to start the care and restoration of the church once an agreement is in place.

  • Because we are a volunteer organization, the proceeds from our many fund-raising events and the St. George Store are adequate to fund our operational expenses such as postage, printing, legal fees, insurance, bookkeeping system and the security camera system.

OUR PROPOSAL:

We have provided a proposal to the Diocese where SGCPS will own the church and operate it as a Catholic sacred edifice (chapel) at no cost to the Diocese or Parish. We will pay for the costs of operation, maintenance, repairs and restoration of the church. This plan is copied from recent proposals that were approved in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, CO, the Diocese of Joliet, IL and Ft. Wayne IN.

HOW?

Through the generosity and support of the St. George Family & Supporters, we presently have adequate funds to pay for the utilities, insurance and some repairs for a significant amount of time.

Once there is an agreement in place, we will be able to reach out to the foundation community, corporate contacts, the preservation community and the German ethnic community for significant support. In addition, we can redeem our previous pledge commitments and also reach out to our nationwide contacts for routine continuing donations to support our mission.

HOW MUCH?

Unlike the Diocese, SGCPS is a small nonprofit that has minimal overhead costs and can make very efficient use of donations and volunteer services. We will be able to competitively shop our insurance and utility costs while implementing basic energy conservation efforts.

Our previous estimates for the restoration work by respected contractors and consultants came in at about $600,000. By including our pledge commitments, we are now able to provide for about a fourth of that cost.

In regard to past inaccurate reports about debt: The church has no debt. The church is a Catholic sacred edifice and does not have debt. Although the former St. John Vianney Parish had debt when it existed, that debt was forgiven by the Diocese after the parish was extinguished.

OUR OUTCOME: (At no cost to the Diocese)

  • Provide a Catholic place for worship in Allentown for the local faithful who are unable to travel to another church where the lost faithful will be able to return to church.

  • Repair, restore and care for this beloved historic landmark and light it up to provide the halo effect of a beacon to define the skyline of Allentown.

  • Provide community gathering spaces for fellowship and events.

  • Renovate a space for the Food Bank to return to the church and serve the community.

  • Establish a safe and secure place to archive parishioner and community memorabilia.

WHAT'S NEXT?

While waiting for our case to work through the Vatican court system, we've requested meetings with the Diocese to try to work out an agreement regarding our latest ownership proposal. There has been no response to those requests.

THE ST. GEORGE LEGACY

We have learned through our faith to respect and preserve traditions, readings, symbols, ceremonies and holy places. It follows that we should also honor the legacy of those who came before us:

We honor the founders of St. George Parish who provided the resources and oversaw the acclaimed design and construction of St. George Church. It was built with the finest materials available because their intent was to provide a perpetual place of worship that will last indefinitely.

We honor their descendants who, for decades, faithfully provided for the maintenance and improvements to St. George Church to ensure that it will always be there for us to worship.

We honor our family, friends and neighbors who continued to support our church with their generosity, service and resolve to provide a Catholic presence in the community.

Those who came before us never could have imagined that the church their great efforts produced and cared for would ever be discarded.

“If you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it's as if they never existed.”

Frank Stokes, “The Monuments Men”


HOW CAN YOU HELP?

  • Please pray for us and ask God to continue to provide us with the strength, wisdom and courage to succeed as we challenge the power, wealth and control of clericalism.

  • Please continue to send your kind words of encouragement and support. It means a lot to us and gives us strength.

  • Please join with the hundreds of parishioners, alumni, organizations, businesses and others who have supported and encouraged our efforts each year since we started this journey.

  • You can become a member of the St. George Church Preservation Society and we will keep you informed of our progress and provide our member benefits.

Thank You,

The volunteers at SGCPS

Visit our online store to get your membership today! Click here.