Draw together at one table
All the human family;
Shape a circle ever wider
And a people ever free.
Verse from "Sing A New Church"
Text: Delores Dufner @1991 Srs. of St. Benedict Music: from J. Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music

Shortly after Monsignor Swiger came to the parish, he observed that worshiping in two places seemed counterproductive to a cohesive sense of community. "The historic church was attractive, but small," and couldn't house the total congregation, he noted. "It became clear to me, that we needed one worship space." Because of the burgeoning size of the parish, he also believed that if we had a larger church where people would feel more comfortable, it would be more conducive for worship and even more people would attend.

Rev. Msgr. Charles W. Swiger"We began asking 'What should we do?'" he continued. "The diocese has a general policy that you must remove the old church before you can build a new one."

For eight years he discussed options with the Pastoral Staff and the Pastoral Council. In 1996, he formed a centennial committee consisting of several subcommittees. The theme of the centennial year was "A People. A Place. A Promise."

At that point, Monsignor and the Building & Grounds committee explored the possibility of making the auditorium more church-like, adding windows, statues, and the like-as well as the feasibility of taking the church down completely. However, at the prospect of razing the lOO-year-old church in which parishioners had celebrated many baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals, parish missions, and Sunday masses, a great ground swell of dissatisfaction came from the community.

After much thought and consultation with the Diocesan Building Commission and the Diocesan Building Office, the idea of expansion and renovation came about-albeit not without complications. The old school was removed at no cost to the parish through parishioners in the various trades; and the old rectory, which most recently housed the Sisters of St. Joseph, was demolished.

Two years of planning demanded many revisions and flexibility - from changes in the architectural plan and modifications in construction materials to the selection of artwork to be restored or replaced. What the Building & Grounds committee eventually arrived at was a dream that combined restoration and new construction - a structure that was to be a fully modern facility that retained the Old World flavor of the Romanesque style it was fashioned after.

St. Kilian’s contains numerous beloved remnants of our historic church. Whether old or new, it has become part of one church community blending together so well that, like a family with a new addition, it's hard to imagine it as it was before.

Of course the church is primarily a reminder to call us to worship. Its holy people are what count most; its layout is simply form following function.

We are a pilgrim people. We are the Church of God.
A fam'ly of believers, disciples of the Lord.
United in one spirit, ignited by the fire.
Still burning through the ages, still present in our lives.
Refrain from "One Spirit, One Church" Text: @1990 Ursuline Academy of Cleveland Music: @1990 Kevin Keil

In 1995, as part of the centennial celebration, a Building & Grounds committee was broadened to discuss the feasibility of a new worship space. Disparate and diametrically opposing ideas flew in from all directions: tear down the historic church - build a completely new church-accurately restore the old church to its 1898 appearance-make the auditorium more church-like-were among a slew of proposals. While all these things were considered, one resolution was at the heart of the discussion: the need for a warm, prayerful environment in which all can worship in one building at once. Our little church was about to grow to fulfill the needs of the parish, while still keeping ties with our storied past.

As you walk through the main entrance into the historic church you first step into a grand two story foyer, whose upper level once housed the pipes of the organ. The beige tin ceiling is now in view, as are double arched windows, which were once obscured by the choir loft. On either side are the vesting sacristy and a bridal room that will double as a history room, each with three windows that also had been eclipsed by the loft, which are now visible. A restored radiator will warm visitors in the vestibule.

The gathering space offers the best of the old and the new. The bricks were stripped, cleaned and repointed. Two giant murals of St. Benedict and the Sacred Heart of Jesus that were originally positioned on either side of the altar have been totally and stunningly restored by EverGreene Painting Studios, Inc. and are hung on the east and west walls of the gathering space. Some original pews have been strategically situated in the gathering space for resting or quiet meditation.

Throughout the construction, details most admired in the historic church were incorporated into and carried through the new work. The original confessionals, for instance, set the tone for the warm golden stained oak throughout the entire structure. The oak panels with glass panes (the fellowship screen) dividing the gathering space from the main church are reminiscent of the confessionals' style, while the screen's peaks are topped with a fleur de lis design that mimics the original high altar. The crest of the original confessional is replicated to crown a second reconciliation room, and is carried into wood peaks adorned with a trefoil over the south entrance and two side entrances. Another major instance of carry-over is the apse, the half-moon space behind the altar, which was duplicated and also integrated into the architectural plans at the south most addition to the church.

Details such as the set of twin windows in the steeple are mirrored throughout the church. A stained-glass transom over the original front door was replicated and added at each of the new side entrances. Two front pew screens (the wooden panels that once housed the front-row kneelers) also did not go to waste: each has been converted to a chest to hold food donated to the Outreach ministry. The original chandeliers hang from the high ceiling in the gathering space, and the original church entrance doors were restored and have now become the vesting sacristy and history / bridal room doors.

You may recognize other recycled items: pew screens have also become part of the stairway to the basement; wood from the choir loft was milled into moldings and risers for the stairway; and the handrail and knobby balusters from the choir loft staircase were reworked to become part of the interior stair leading to the lower level.

Set on a platform sanctuary, the altar is positioned so that everyone has an excellent view-no obstructed seats here! A reservation chapel behind the altar replicates the former apse. A wooden reredos, a screen to separate the reservation tabernacle from the main altar, is modeled after the former high altar with its Gothic spires. Reminiscent of the former altar, the two pillars are refinished in faux marble.

Look up and you will notice original gold floral capitals atop the brick pillars, which you may not have noticed in years. The domed ceiling above the main altar, which has changed over the years from its original dark blue night sky with stars to the light blue of late, and several other designs in between, is painted a daytime sky blue.

The new altar, crafted from three panels of marble that comprised the lower third of the former high altar, is angled so it can be seen from any position. The upper two-thirds were restored and used as the altar of repose in the chapel behind the main altar and as the base of the tabernacle. It is a great feat that, although the church now holds nearly three times the number of people (it accommodates 850 including flexible seating for the choir), no seat is any further from the altar than any seat in the historic church.

The pipe organ from the Bishop Pipe Organ Company, with a console from the Schantz Organ Company, is a work of art unto itself. Paul C. Phinney, director of music, is still stunned at its beauty. In keeping with tradition, and for several other reasons, we chose to remodel our pipe organ, rather than introduce the digital sounds prevalent in new churches today. A pipe organ is said to have a far richer sound than a digital organ. The emotion conveyed is both softer and stronger when you move air via real pipes, as noted by the music director. Our pipe organ is composed of thousands of pipes, some as large as 16-feet tall and others as small as a pencil. It retains the best of its original pipes, while also containing pipes donated from other churches combined with some new pipes. (It is rumored that sundry churches in the tri-state area may be missing a pipe or two.) The trumpets, or Cor d'Gabriel (heart of Gabriel) as Paul refers to them, are polished copper resonators that are mounted on the top wall of the fellowship screen. The front caseworks that can be seen in the arched chambers to the right and left of the altar contain new pipes. Amazingly, the longevity of a pipe organ is nearly limitless. This instrument can be expected to be playable for our bicentennial anniversary.

While the new church integrates so much of the old church's designs, it introduces its own style and the latest in convenience and modern technology. In short it has the conveniences of modern day technology with the textures of the Old World. People today prefer natural lighting, as reflected in skylights, Palladian windows and the like in our homes: the church was designed with an updated airy feeling, with soft muted natural light. Key was central air conditioning for comfortable services even on the hottest summer days; two handicap accessible entrances on the new wings and a third automatic entrance that allows independent access to handicapped visitors; and a sound system that addresses the needs of the hearing impaired. The hearing impaired can use a special wireless device, called an Assisted Listening Device, which looks like a portable radio with tiny earphones, that can tune into the amplification system, adjusting the sound to individual needs.

Inside this House of God where God's people come to celebrate God's love and Presence in our lives every day, there is so much to focus on, to connect to. We have created a dignified space to unite us as a people, and to give glory to God. In this new place not only can we experience God's Presence in the Eucharist but also God's gift in ourselves and in each and every person around us.

The entire church is a living history lesson, a perpetual partnership with the past, present and future. Not only is it a building with character, it is a people with character, a people with a history, and a legacy. The original cornerstone reads 1897; the new cornerstone 1997. We have come so far as a faithful people, our ancestors before us, our scions after us. The Catholic church, as well as our tiny part of it, is a continuum, a connection with the past, present and future. This is our gift for today, and for our posterity.

Pierre Lehmuller, Ed Thompson, Ellen Pence, Jo Colwell, Deacon Herman Rodenburg, and the entire history committee are gratefully acknowledged.