$1.3 million needed for iconic Manayunk church's repairs

St. John the Baptist, Manayunks major Catholic Church, is a landmark in every sense of the word.But at 120 years old St. Johns is need of significant repair.

The church lords over the neighborhood from the corner of Cresson and Rector streets, towering over the elevated rail tracks and Pretzel Park, and it is an iconic part of the neighborhoods craggy skyline as seen from the Schuylkill Expressway. It is a community anchor where generations of Manayunk residents have gone to school, been baptized, mourned family, and come together in community. The church, designed by renowned 19th century ecclesiastical architect Patrick Charles Keeley, also boasts a fine architectural pedigree. (It is not listed in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places or the National Register of Historic Places too few Catholic churches are - though it is surely eligible.)

Like too many aging churches, deferred maintenance has left St. John's in distress.

I spent my entire life here and I thought Id be carried out, said Deacon Casper Baratta, standing in the back of St. Johns on Good Friday. He went to school at St. Johns, spent his working life stewarding the parish buildings, and continues his service as part of the ministry. Now Baratta is not so sure hell outlive the church, and the very thought of that weighs on him.

Scaffolding went up around St. John the Baptists corner tower last fall, prompted by a faade inspection byODonnell & Nacarettolast year.Vitetta Architectsand Engineers andMacIntosh Engineeringperformed a more comprehensive conditions assessment of the building over the winter.

Tuesday night Architect Nan Gutterman and Engineer Bob MacIntosh presented their findings to a crowd of about 200 people who packed the churchs social hall. That meeting came after parishioners, past and present, have spent a few months worrying about the fate of St. Johns fears that were compounded by a lack of information from the church about the studies.

On the upside, the Vitetta study found the church sanctuary to be in sound condition. But the churchs imposing bell tower and some of its masonry both decorative and structural are areas of serious concern. To fix these urgent repairs, it will cost nearly $1.3 million and the work needs to be done before winter.

The masonry buttresses supporting the church are splitting and rotating, which weakens their structural integrity.

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$1.3 million needed for iconic Manayunk church's repairs