Former Blessed Sacrament, Revisited

It turns out that Most Blessed Sacrament, which I looked at back in December of 2020, was founded in 1907, and originally worship occurred in a wood frame structure with dimensions of 73 x 30 feet, that was built in six weeks at the behest of its first pastor, Father P.H. Bradley. The whole campus was 175 x 288 feet. The original boundary of the parish was Bircher on the north, Marcus on the east, Cote Brilliante on the south, and the alley in between Arlington and Union on the west.

I was messing around on Google Satellite, and while I had already spotted holes in the roof, I discovered there were actually four holes cut in the roof, and they are all placed in a square, hardly the result of accident. I wonder what the heck was the purpose behind these holes; they have proven to be extremely destructive to the interior of the church.

At this point, I’m sad to say, the price tag to fix this stout and well built edifice will be very high. Perhaps someone out there has the money.

I hadn’t thought much about Most Blessed Sacrament since I visited the first time, but I was recently contacted by Ms. Christi Griffin, a former parishioner of the church. Griffin, is a graduate of Most Blessed Sacrament grade school and founder of The Ethics Project, a multi-award winning non-profit organization that addresses the impact of mass incarceration on children, families, and communities. I encourage you look into the Ethics Project, which you can visit here. We met and talked about Griffin’s experience attending Most Blessed Sacrament, and the memories she has from her time there.

Christi Griffin’s Cousin Joan’s Wedding at Most Blessed Sacrament, Photo Courtesy of Christi Griffin, The Ethic Project

I love old photographs of when these buildings were alive and still in use, particularly towards the end in the Twentieth Century. It seems like there are a lot of photos of the Nineteenth Century, but not many from relatively recent times.

4 Comments Add yours

  1. ME says:

    If the holes are square; It was most likely the result of scrappers stealing ductwork from those penetrations, that connected up to Mechanical A/C units on the roof.

    1. cnaffziger says:

      Oh, that makes sense! There were makeshift “ladders,” pieces of scrap wood, nailed to the roof to access the holes. I suspect you’re right.

  2. ME says:

    Whether it was in operation or not… It’s pretty low for one to steal from the Lord’s house.

    1. cnaffziger says:

      Wouldn’t be the first time such sacrilege was committed–look at St. Augustine. You can see one of the makeshift ladders below; they look so crude that they must have done illicitly.

      https://i0.wp.com/stlouispatina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Copyright-St.-Louis-Patina-1584.jpg

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