Historic Philly Church Faces Wrecking Ball

Former parishioners of St. Laurentius Catholic Church are outraged that the historic building is facing demolition. The archdiocese has made the decision to topple the church, citing the fact that the exterior is badly damaged and that it would cost too much to fix it. But those who grew up with the church, which dates back to the 1800s, are crying foul.

The church is beautiful on the inside, but the outside is falling apart.

St. Laurentius’ interior puts one in mind of Heaven, with its vaulted, sky-blue ceilings and gilded frescoes of angels and saints. The windows are of lovely stained glass and the altar screen was made in Germany. Outside, however, is another story. The Gothic towers and brownstone-faced walls of the church are crumbling. The question at hand relates to the expense of potentially fixing the church. The Friends of St. Laurentius, an organization dedicated to preserving the church, say that the archdiocese has been “lying” about the cost. But those higher-ups maintain that it would be prohibitively expensive to fix. The archdiocese is quoting a figure of $3.5 million to repair the church. Those opposed to the closing say they believe it can be done for under $1 million.

The church was decommissioned in March 2014, which means that the sacred parts of it – the altar, the tabernacle, and the stations of the cross – were removed. The church has been used since then for a few weddings, funerals, and the odd special occasion celebration of the mass. It merged with Holy Name of Jesus Church, which means that parishioners are welcome there. It doesn’t soothe the irritation of parishioners who were baptized or married in St. Laurentius, though, and for whom the church holds many memories.