CHICAGO — Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners are claiming dibs to save their Uptown church.
A group of congregants surrounded the 108-year-old building with folding chairs on Sunday while rallying to stop the Archdiocese of Chicago from selling or demolishing the property.
Citing a drop in attendance, a shortfall in operating expenses and more than $2 million in needed repairs at the century-old church, the Chicago archdiocese merged pairs with Saint Mary of the Lake in Buena Park in 2021.
It sold Our Lady of Lourdes school to a developer.
A spokesperson said there is no decision yet on the church’s fate.
Several parishioners formed the Our Lady of Lourdes Preservation Society in an effort to save the building from demolition.
The group is trying to convince Chicago’s city council to designate it a landmark.
The church held its first mass in 1892.
When the city widened Ashland Avenue in 1929, the church was lifted from its foundation across the street and rotated 90 degrees.
The church is also known for its grotto, a replica of the famous Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.