St. John the Baptist Church Architect Selection
The St. John Building and Architect Committees began an extensive search process in August, compiling a list of 10 potential Church architects across the country. The list was narrowed down to four architect firms who were sent Requests for Qualifications (RFQ’s) and interviewed by the Architect Selection Committee. Each firm was provided a copy of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 175th Anniversary book by Paul Mizer and a compilation of other information describing St. John Church. Firms were given a month to respond with documentation that was 20 to 30 pages in length and interviews were conducted in October. In November, members of the architect selection committee visited several churches that had been designed and built or restored by the architects and second interviews were held, one onsite of a church designed by the architect. The selected architect provided a Professional Design Services proposal that was reviewed by the Architect Committee, Archdiocese and their attorney in December. A final proposal was submitted December 23rd. With the collapse of the west wall and demolition of the church, the Professional Design Services proposal had to be revised again. A revised proposal was submitted January 12th, reviewed by St. John’s and the Archdiocese and a contract was prepared.
The St. John Building and Architect Committees began an extensive search process in August, compiling a list of 10 potential Church architects across the country. The list was narrowed down to four architect firms who were sent Requests for Qualifications (RFQ’s) and interviewed by the Architect Selection Committee. Each firm was provided a copy of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 175th Anniversary book by Paul Mizer and a compilation of other information describing St. John Church. Firms were given a month to respond with documentation that was 20 to 30 pages in length and interviews were conducted in October. In November, members of the architect selection committee visited several churches that had been designed and built or restored by the architects and second interviews were held, one onsite of a church designed by the architect. The selected architect provided a Professional Design Services proposal that was reviewed by the Architect Committee, Archdiocese and their attorney in December. A final proposal was submitted December 23rd. With the collapse of the west wall and demolition of the church, the Professional Design Services proposal had to be revised again. A revised proposal was submitted January 12th, reviewed by St. John’s and the Archdiocese and a contract was prepared.
The Building and Architect Committees are happy to announce that Freytag and Associates, Inc., Sidney, Ohio https://www.freytaginc.com/ have been hired as the Architect and they in turn have contracted for the services of William Heyer https://www.heyerarchitect.com/ Columbus, Ohio as their liturgical consultant. Freytag and Associates had been closely monitoring the church fire and contacted us offering their services. Freytag and Associates are a local firm, who know and understand our local area, are familiar with local contractors and resources as well those in the larger surrounding area. They have the staffing and resources for large projects such as our future church and have renovated several local churches including IC Celina, St. Joseph Wapakoneta and Holy Angels Sidney https://www.freytaginc.com/worship Designing a new church is more extensive than renovation and so we requested that they seek out the services of a liturgical consultant who has experience in new builds.
William Heyer is a well-known traditional/classical architecture firm that has done a lot of Catholic liturgical work in Ohio and 15 states across the country. They have a good mix of new-build and restoration/renovation with a lot of work in the Diocese of Columbus and accolades from Bishop Fernandez. Members of the Architect committee visited two new builds by William Heyer, including Sacred Hearts Catholic Church, Cardington, Ohio and Oratory of St. Francis on the campus of St. Francis College, Ft. Wayne, IN. We are hopeful these combined services locally and nationally, will provide the best design services for our future St. John the Baptist Church.
St. John the Baptist Church - Building Our Future Together
Sunday, February 22nd 6:30 PM, Marion Local High School Gym
The St. John Building Committee invites parishioners to a parish gathering to meet Freytag and Associates and William Heyer who will be leading the design phases to prepare drawings and specifications for construction of our new St. John the Baptist Church. The February 22nd gathering will include St. John Church updates, an overview of the professional design services provided, general time lines, and updates on preliminary work underway. The gathering will also include time for parishioner input on the future church. The Building Committee has been using the QR code below to record all input on the future church, along with input mailed to the parish office and sharing that information with our architect team. Parishioners are invited to submit input using the QR code below. Freytag and Associates will develop preliminary concept for building a new church incorporating areas and spaces identified. Conceptual drawings will be shared at a future parish gathering. We look forward to coming together in hope, transparency, and shared commitment to the future of our beloved church. All are welcome to attend.
Sunday, February 22nd 6:30 PM, Marion Local High School Gym
The St. John Building Committee invites parishioners to a parish gathering to meet Freytag and Associates and William Heyer who will be leading the design phases to prepare drawings and specifications for construction of our new St. John the Baptist Church. The February 22nd gathering will include St. John Church updates, an overview of the professional design services provided, general time lines, and updates on preliminary work underway. The gathering will also include time for parishioner input on the future church. The Building Committee has been using the QR code below to record all input on the future church, along with input mailed to the parish office and sharing that information with our architect team. Parishioners are invited to submit input using the QR code below. Freytag and Associates will develop preliminary concept for building a new church incorporating areas and spaces identified. Conceptual drawings will be shared at a future parish gathering. We look forward to coming together in hope, transparency, and shared commitment to the future of our beloved church. All are welcome to attend.
What guidelines will be followed for designing the future St. John the Baptist Church?
The design and construction of a new church follows guidelines of the Catholic Church found in the US Conference of Catholic Bishops document “Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship.” These guidelines are intended for use by architects, liturgical consultants, artists and contractors engaged in the design and construction of a church. They are also helpful to those who wish to understand the Catholic Church's tradition regarding church buildings, the arts, and architecture. These guidelines will be followed for the design and construction of St. John the Baptist Church. Information sessions explaining Built of Living Stones were held Nov. 25th & Dec 9th at Precious Blood Church. You can view the presentations by clicking the following Session 1 on Living Stones Session 2 on Living Stones
Presenter: Fr. Jeff Kemper is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who has served as a pastor, Dean of Mount St. Mary's Seminary & School of Theology, Cincinnati and as Director of the Office for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Fr. Kemper was pastor during the design and construction of St. John the Baptist Church, Harrison, OH dedicated in 2019.
The design and construction of a new church follows guidelines of the Catholic Church found in the US Conference of Catholic Bishops document “Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship.” These guidelines are intended for use by architects, liturgical consultants, artists and contractors engaged in the design and construction of a church. They are also helpful to those who wish to understand the Catholic Church's tradition regarding church buildings, the arts, and architecture. These guidelines will be followed for the design and construction of St. John the Baptist Church. Information sessions explaining Built of Living Stones were held Nov. 25th & Dec 9th at Precious Blood Church. You can view the presentations by clicking the following Session 1 on Living Stones Session 2 on Living Stones
Presenter: Fr. Jeff Kemper is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who has served as a pastor, Dean of Mount St. Mary's Seminary & School of Theology, Cincinnati and as Director of the Office for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Fr. Kemper was pastor during the design and construction of St. John the Baptist Church, Harrison, OH dedicated in 2019.
Archdiocesan Assessment on St. John Recovery Funds to Resume
As you may or may not know, since the May 29, 2025 fire, the Archdiocese has taken the unprecedented step of not collecting a financial assessment from the funds received for the recovery of St. John the Baptist Church, while at the same time providing unparalleled guidance, support and resources. A few examples of the help and resources provided include the Archdiocese holding weekly meetings with vendors and insurers since the fire, coordinating mitigation and advocating on our behalf. They have provided gift processing services that normally would cost 10% or more of the total funds received and they have provided media relations staff to help respond to numerous inquiries from news outlets. This generosity has been a tremendous blessing during a very difficult time in the life of our parish. As we continue to make progress and look toward the future with hope, this temporary arrangement is coming to an end. Beginning next month, on March 22, we will resume paying our regular financial assessment to the Archdiocese on fire recovery funds received.
We are grateful to all who have continued to give faithfully and generously to our parish. Your support has sustained us in many ways. We encourage everyone to continue your stewardship as we move forward into this important rebuilding phase for the parish.
As you may or may not know, since the May 29, 2025 fire, the Archdiocese has taken the unprecedented step of not collecting a financial assessment from the funds received for the recovery of St. John the Baptist Church, while at the same time providing unparalleled guidance, support and resources. A few examples of the help and resources provided include the Archdiocese holding weekly meetings with vendors and insurers since the fire, coordinating mitigation and advocating on our behalf. They have provided gift processing services that normally would cost 10% or more of the total funds received and they have provided media relations staff to help respond to numerous inquiries from news outlets. This generosity has been a tremendous blessing during a very difficult time in the life of our parish. As we continue to make progress and look toward the future with hope, this temporary arrangement is coming to an end. Beginning next month, on March 22, we will resume paying our regular financial assessment to the Archdiocese on fire recovery funds received.
We are grateful to all who have continued to give faithfully and generously to our parish. Your support has sustained us in many ways. We encourage everyone to continue your stewardship as we move forward into this important rebuilding phase for the parish.
The wind blows where it wills
On December 29, 2025, seven months after fire ravaged St. John the Baptist Church, the west wall of the church collapsed due to high winds and the declining condition of the remaining structure. Over the last five months, the St. John the Baptist Building Committee had explored numerous options for protecting the remaining structure, including options for possible restoration and selective demolition to preserve parts of the remaining structure that could be used in a future church. The stained glass windows were removed and are being stored by Window Creations. Approximately 1,040 of the 1,323 organ pipes were removed and cleaned, and are being stored locally. The beautiful main entry doors, frames and stained glass transom windows were removed and are being stored locally. The inside of the remaining church structure was scanned in hopes of using elements in a future church. While several options were presented for tarping the entire church and for selective demolition, none were pursued due to concerns with the viability of utilizing the remaining structure and cost. In the beginning, God created all things and breathed new life into our world. Perhaps the wind of God is breathing new life into St. John the Baptist Church.
On December 29, 2025, seven months after fire ravaged St. John the Baptist Church, the west wall of the church collapsed due to high winds and the declining condition of the remaining structure. Over the last five months, the St. John the Baptist Building Committee had explored numerous options for protecting the remaining structure, including options for possible restoration and selective demolition to preserve parts of the remaining structure that could be used in a future church. The stained glass windows were removed and are being stored by Window Creations. Approximately 1,040 of the 1,323 organ pipes were removed and cleaned, and are being stored locally. The beautiful main entry doors, frames and stained glass transom windows were removed and are being stored locally. The inside of the remaining church structure was scanned in hopes of using elements in a future church. While several options were presented for tarping the entire church and for selective demolition, none were pursued due to concerns with the viability of utilizing the remaining structure and cost. In the beginning, God created all things and breathed new life into our world. Perhaps the wind of God is breathing new life into St. John the Baptist Church.
St. John the Baptist Church demolition
The collapse of the west wall and concern that the tower could also collapse and fall onto SR 119 were serious safety issues requiring immediate action. SR 119 was closed and detoured. FIRST ONSITE explored options to remove the upper portion of the tower, but structural engineers and demolition teams were concerned that could not be done safely. A team from Sunesis Environmental arrived onsite Friday, January 2nd and began controlled demolition of the remaining church. A large excavator was used to demolish the West and North walls, including the Northwest work sacristy and storage area above. They were able to preserve the original marker from the 1849 & 1889 churches. Demolition continued on Saturday including the East wall and Northeast priest sacristy and storage area above. While demolishing the walls, Sunesis used the brick and debris to build a platform within the church to support a much larger excavator with a boom and claw with a 120’ reach. After several days of delays, ODOT issued the transport permit and the heavy equipment arrived January 7th. The excavator claw was used to remove the tower from the top down, while striving to preserve the sandstone façade and other decorative work around the church.
The collapse of the west wall and concern that the tower could also collapse and fall onto SR 119 were serious safety issues requiring immediate action. SR 119 was closed and detoured. FIRST ONSITE explored options to remove the upper portion of the tower, but structural engineers and demolition teams were concerned that could not be done safely. A team from Sunesis Environmental arrived onsite Friday, January 2nd and began controlled demolition of the remaining church. A large excavator was used to demolish the West and North walls, including the Northwest work sacristy and storage area above. They were able to preserve the original marker from the 1849 & 1889 churches. Demolition continued on Saturday including the East wall and Northeast priest sacristy and storage area above. While demolishing the walls, Sunesis used the brick and debris to build a platform within the church to support a much larger excavator with a boom and claw with a 120’ reach. After several days of delays, ODOT issued the transport permit and the heavy equipment arrived January 7th. The excavator claw was used to remove the tower from the top down, while striving to preserve the sandstone façade and other decorative work around the church.
St. John the Baptist Church demolition and follow up
With the urgent safety concern of the falling tower mitigated, FIRST ONSITE began exploring demolition of the remaining structure and foundation and selective removal of salvable building materials including the sandstone façade, 1889 corner stone and bricks that can be used in the future as a memorial, given to parishioners and perhaps used for fundraising. They will haul off general debris, provide compacted backfill of the basement, seed and straw for storm water pollution prevention, abandon underground sewer and waterlines and coordinate EPA required oversite. It is estimated that the remaining demolition, salvaging of materials, hauling off debris and backfill would take 7 to 8 weeks, depending upon availability of the demolition team, masons for removing the sandstone façade and weather in winter months. According to St. John history, the façade and other decorative trim is Berea sandstone, possibly from Cleveland Quarries founded in 1868, still operational and known for keeping shop drawings back into the 1800’s. This could help salvaging the sandstone and replacing pieces that may have been damaged. A lot of heavy equipment has been onsite, including the concrete parking lot which is being assessed and monitored for damage that could result in further mitigation. The St. Isidore statue will be moved to the cemetery and the historical marker will be removed and stored in the garage.
- Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S, Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
With the urgent safety concern of the falling tower mitigated, FIRST ONSITE began exploring demolition of the remaining structure and foundation and selective removal of salvable building materials including the sandstone façade, 1889 corner stone and bricks that can be used in the future as a memorial, given to parishioners and perhaps used for fundraising. They will haul off general debris, provide compacted backfill of the basement, seed and straw for storm water pollution prevention, abandon underground sewer and waterlines and coordinate EPA required oversite. It is estimated that the remaining demolition, salvaging of materials, hauling off debris and backfill would take 7 to 8 weeks, depending upon availability of the demolition team, masons for removing the sandstone façade and weather in winter months. According to St. John history, the façade and other decorative trim is Berea sandstone, possibly from Cleveland Quarries founded in 1868, still operational and known for keeping shop drawings back into the 1800’s. This could help salvaging the sandstone and replacing pieces that may have been damaged. A lot of heavy equipment has been onsite, including the concrete parking lot which is being assessed and monitored for damage that could result in further mitigation. The St. Isidore statue will be moved to the cemetery and the historical marker will be removed and stored in the garage.
- Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S, Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
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