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St. John church was badly damaged in a May 29 fire. Should the parish opt to repair the church, the basement and foundation walls would likely require reinforcement.
MARIA STEIN - A claims administrator is evaluating fire-related losses at St. John the Baptist Church and developing two key estimates, one for repairing the church to its former condition before the May 29 blaze and another for building a new church from the ground up, according to the Rev. Ken Schnipke.
The two estimates, along with feedback garnered from parishioners at town hall meetings to be held in the coming months, will guide the church's building commitee in making a decision about the parish's future.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which owns the church property of 205 parishes in 19 counties in western and southwestern Ohio, has excess insurance coverage in the commercial market for catastrophic losses exceeding $500,000.
Sedgwick serves as the archdiocese's claims administrator "for these complex, high-value claims," Schnipke wrote in an update viewable at marioncatholiccommunity.org.
The building committee is currently working with estimators to review Sedgwick's line-item estimates. Members will also be interviewing architects over the next several weeks. The selected architect will assess the estimates and the existing structure, and develop a design process for the future church, whatever form it may take.
"The insurance company is line-item (inventorying) everything in the church - and there's over 200 items that they're estimating," Schnipke told The Daily Standard. "They're just trying to do a ballpark of numbers on a variety of different things."
A structural assessment of the church found a portion of the walls would need to be disassembled from the top down until a section is reached that has no damage in the wythe (vertical layer of bricks) structure.
This process does not include mitigation costs from all of the work already undertaken at the church, including fencing and securing the site, removing the bells and large debris with cranes and the removal of debris from the church.
"These mitigation expenses are separate from and do not reduce the funds available for repairing or rebuilding the church," Schnipke wrote.
Due to the difficult nature of identifying and estimating all components necessary to either repair the existing structure or build a new church from the ground up, Sedgwick advised that the parish also engage estimators, architects and other resources "to assure the item list is complete and the estimated values are accurate."
"We're bringing in people to help us evaluate those numbers and see if they're accurate," Schnipke told the newspaper. "The architect would also help with that."
Furthermore, the architect would be tasked with developing a church design.
"If you rebuild, you have to have a design. If you do something new, you have to have a deign," Schnipke said.
Should the parish opt to build new from the ground up, the current church would likely be razed, with the new structure going up on the same site.
The design and construction of a new church would adhere to guidelines laid out in a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops document entitled "Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship."
"That talks about what you have to consider when you build a church. There is the beauty and there's also the function of it and how the church works for the people of God and accommodate the sacraments and help to pray and worship well," Schnipke said. "There's a lot that goes into designing a church. It'll be a long process."
A massive blaze May 29 caused the roof to collapse in on St. John the Baptist Church and eventually sent its spire crashing down. A church building committee will determine whether the church is restored to its former glory or razed to make way for a new church.
While Sedgwick will provide estimates for repairing the church as well as building from the ground up, additional estimates will be issued for church contents and rectory repair and contents.
"These figures represent minimum estimates that can be adjusted up through further review and as actual bids and costs are determined," Schnipke wrote. "Importantly, the Archdiocesan insurance policy stipulates that the final settlement is the lesser of the two estimates, either repair existing structure or rebuild a new like structure."
Schnipke pointed to another church beset by fire where the decision was made to repair the existing structure.
"The final cost of repair was double the estimate due to structural findings that needed repair, but were not found until the repair process was underway," he wrote.
That same scenario, Schnipke said, may unfold locally if the parish decides to restore the church to its former condition.
"If the decision was made to repair the current church, St. John would only receive the final estimated repair settlement," he wrote. "St. John Parish would be responsible for any additional costs due to structural issues discovered during the repair process which would be likely with a 134 year old church."
The brick work at the top of the wall surrounding apse of St. John the Baptist Church following a devastating fire in May. A structural assessment of the church found a portion of the walls would need to be disassembled from the top down until a section is reached that has no damage in the wythe (vertical layer of bricks) structure.
A detail of brick work at the top of the wall surrounding apse of St. John the Baptist Church following a devastating fire in May. A structural assessment of the church found a portion of the walls would need to be disassembled from the top down until a section is reached that has no damage in the wythe (vertical layer of bricks) structure.
A structural assessment of the church found the following:
• A portion of the walls would need to be disassembled from the top down until a section is reached that has no damage in the wythe (vertical layer of bricks) structure. It's estimated this would include 10-12 feet or more of the east and west walls, nearly all of the northwest wall and approximately half of the remaining bell tower.
• Basement and foundation walls would likely require reinforcement.
• The floor would need replaced and all existing joists examined and shimmed to even out the floor.
• There would need to be a new roof structure using updated building codes and structural assessment to determine weight loads on walls and foundations.
• All plumbing, electrical, gas piping, HVAC duct work and equipment would need replaced.
The brick work at the top of the bell tower of St. John the Baptist Church following a devastating fire in May. A structural assessment of the church found a portion of the walls would need to be disassembled from the top down until a section is reached that has no damage in the wythe (vertical layer of bricks) structure.
Multiple fire departments descended on the St. John the Baptist Church site on State Route 119 on May 29 after a fire call came in around 2:30 p.m. The massive blaze caused the roof to collapse in on the church and eventually sent its spire crashing down. Fire crews were on the scene for as much as seven hours, with members of the Chickasaw Fire Department remaining throughout the night to watch for hot spots and begin investigations.
On July 27, the parish recognized the heroic efforts of the firefighters and other first responders who raced to the burning church.
"Firefighters came from all over the area bringing fire trucks and tankers, hoses and helmets, courage and wisdom, strength and compassion, giving of themselves so generously and freely to help and protect others," Schnipke recounted.
One of the area's oldest houses of worship, dedicated in 1891, the St. John space holds countless thoughts and memories of baptisms that marked new life, healings and reconciliations, and families being nurtured by the body and blood of Christ, noted Schnipke, who serves as the pastor of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, which includes St. John.
The church persists as a sacred place in parishioners' lives, and in one form or another, will someday again welcome parishioners, Schnipke assured the faithful, pointing to the creation of the St. John Building Committee.
The Archdiocesan Stewardship Office has set up an online giving platform and will assist with gift processing, with all proceeds to flow back to St. John. To access the online donation portal, visit marioncatholiccommunity.org and click the St. John the Baptist Church Fire and Recovery page.
The church is also accepting checks made to the St. John the Baptist Church Recovery Efforts and addressed to The Marion Catholic Community, 7428 State Route 119, Maria Stein, Ohio, 45860.
The church would require a new roof structure using updated building codes and structural assessment to determine weight loads on walls and foundations.
