Immaculate Conception gets face-lift
"You could see the paint peeling, a board falling, the damage done by the pigeons," he said. "It really saddened me to see the state of disrepair."
But in recent years, that grand old church — the oldest continuing Catholic church building in Seattle — has undergone a face-lift. Almost every surface has been restored, repainted, washed.
And come Feb. 22, the church will be dedicating the restoration of the twin bell towers that had gradually fallen into such disrepair. Structural repairs have been made, original details have been restored, and a new electronically controlled bell system has been installed.
"It's beautiful," said pastoral coordinator Joan McGuire.
It's also one of the final steps in making the historic church what it has, and should continue to be, its leaders believe: a beacon for the community.
"It's a beacon of faith," MacDonald said. "That's the way I think we look at these towers standing so tall on this hill. It says to the community: We are here, and an important part of the city of Seattle."
The church's history has long been tied to the history of Seattle. Jesuit priests founded the Church and School of the Immaculate Conception in 1891, with temporary headquarters downtown. The church and school relocated to Broadway and Marion streets in 1894.
The school later became Seattle College, and after that, Seattle University.
Meanwhile, a new church building — the Italian Renaissance-style structure still standing today at 820 18th Ave. — was dedicated in 1904.
The church has been a gathering place for the community since it was built — first for the wealthy families on First Hill, then for an increasingly ethnically diverse population, according to the Web site HistoryLink.org. Under the Revs. Harvey McIntyre and Michael Holland, the church played a prominent role in local civil-rights struggles. In 1977, the city of Seattle designated the church a Seattle landmark.
The parish continued serving as a community center, housing service organizations such as the Filipino-American Historical Society and low-income, not-for-profit groups serving the Central Area. The church's programs included gospel choirs and Filipino Tagalog music offerings.
But by the 1980s, the church was falling into heavy disrepair. In 1982, a major fire that killed one woman caused significant damage. Soot from the fire covered the ceiling and an adjacent wall well into the 1990s. Pigeons wiggled into the sanctuary through a rip in a painting of the Virgin Mary. Water-soaked plaster peeled everywhere.
The church embarked on major reconstruction projects. Parishioners had to raise $200,000 to clean and seal the church's brick exterior, and another $400,000 to put on a new roof. In 1995, four donors raised $300,000 for additional restoration. Soot was removed. The painting of Mary was cleaned and sealed. New carpet was installed.
But then the church sustained about $250,000 in damage after the Nisqually earthquake in 2001.
Last year, the church embarked on a $1.2 million capital campaign to repair and restore the bell towers and lighting system. In all, the restoration of the church has been a multiyear effort totaling more than $3 million.
Pastoral coordinator McGuire is especially thankful that contributions have remained strong — despite the church weathering an emotionally challenging 2002. Last year, many parishioners were stunned when the church's former pastor, the Rev. John Cornelius, was accused by at least a dozen men of sexually abusing them as minors decades ago.
Fund raising also was made difficult by something plaguing most in-city churches: declining membership. Built to accommodate some 1,500 families, Immaculate Conception today counts about 450 families as members.
But the congregation, which gave readily, proved "alive and vibrant and well." People who have ties to the parish even though they've moved to the suburbs also donated, McGuire said. In-parish donations and pledges totaled about $550,000. Total contributions, including help from other churches and the Seattle Archdiocese, have reached about $900,000.
With the help of the wider community, the church hopes to meet its $1.2 million goal by February, McGuire said.
"For a small parish like this to accomplish a task like this is a miracle," MacDonald said.
Now, when McGuire and MacDonald hear the bell-system chiming in the towers, when they look atop the towers and see the stainless-steel balls and crosses than have replaced the old, rusted ones, "the whole sense of Immaculate Conception being a beacon of faith" springs forth, MacDonald says.
"These towers are a symbol of the light of Christ, burning brightly."