The Diary - September 26

The Diary

September 26, 2026

Someone wants to buy the church.  So, we are tearing down the church.

Let me start over. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Henry has been closed and relegated for years. The church still belongs to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Henry-Lacon, but mass and the sacraments are no longer celebrated there. The church is charming—small and cozy. Made of stone, huddling close to the street, it stands in complete harmony with the houses that surround it. It adds greatly to the streetscape.

Someone is interested in buying and using the church building. The proposed use- a music rehearsal and performance space—presents no conflicts with Church teachings. This would be a dream scenario for faith communities across the country struggling with surplus property.

The reaction in Henry?  Tear down the church. I find this incomprehensible.  Our pastor has, correctly, consulted with the parishioners who once attended St. Joe’s to assess their feelings. They are afraid that the new owner will not take care of the property.  “Look at all the abandoned churches in Peoria,” they say.  This will reflect badly on the Catholic Church, they argue. They have “precious memories” of St. Joe’s and do not want those sullied by a building in disrepair. Father has taken these messages to heart and will spend thousands of dollars to raze the church (forgoing, it should be noted, thousands of dollars in income that would result from the sale of the church), stating that he will respect the unanimous wish of former parishioners.

I am heartbroken.  We failed to keep St. Joe’s alive.  Not enough people came to mass or dropped bills in the collection basket, so the church “closed”. Because we failed, we now apparently believe that someone else will fail. We are willing to destroy something beautiful because we do not have enough generosity or faith to believe in someone else’s dreams.  The Catholic faith is rooted in hope—the resurrection— and celebrates the generosity of a God of abundance.  Tearing down a church to prevent someone from using it repudiates that wonderful message. It is spiteful. I liken it to slashing a painting or burning a precious book because you can no longer take care of it and don’t believe anyone else can either.

Former parishioners should not have the final say in the matter. The church is part of the built environment. It belongs to us all. Henry has enough abandoned houses and empty lots.  We cannot afford to lose yet another part of our collective heritage especially when there is a new use that could save and preserve the building.