Renovation Updates
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Contractors working out details for font installation
"Two Trinities" painting undergoing restoration
Ramp on west side of sanctuary
Main tabernacle removed from St. Joseph altar
Scaffold in main vestibule
Scaffold on east side of nave
Patching plaster near northwest door
Scaffold in west transept
Vestibule side platform
Vestibule stairs with tile removed
Removed Chandeliers
Scaffold by east side altars
Upper Church with pews removed
Extra support in ceiling of Lower Church
Corinthian Capital in Lower ChurchMarch 21, 2025
The framing for the baptismal font has begun. Decorative painting is beginning to move down from the church ceiling to the main arches of the church. Painting also continues in the west tower (elevator) entrance, as well as the main vestibule. Electrical wiring is being prepared for the new lighting.
March 14, 2025
Scaffolding has been set up in the west tower (elevator) entrance stairway, and painting has begun in that area. Work continues on the ramps on either side of the sanctuary. Painting continues in the main areas of the church and the main vestibule. Painting in the west transept stairway is complete and that area is open again to enter and exit the Lower Church. The area under the choir loft is being prepared for the installation of the baptismal font and holy oil ambry. The "Two Trinities" painting is undergoing restoration offsite.
March 7, 2025
Painting in the west transept entrance has begun. The main tabernacle has been removed from the St. Joseph altar to be refurbished before it is placed into its new home (which was actually its original location), directly behind the main altar. Painting in the main areas of the church (apse, nave, gallery) continues. Patching and painting in the main vestibule has begun.
February 28, 2025
The east transept entrance has reopened after being repainted. Scaffolding has begun to be set up in the west transept entrance for painting. Painting has begun over the organ/loft area.
February 21, 2025
Painting in the east transept stairway is almost complete. The east stairway should be opened again next week, and then painting begins on the west transept stairway. Work continues on the ramps.
February 14, 2025
Plaster repairs are being made to prepare areas of the church for painting. Stations of the Cross are being cleaned and touched up. Work continues on the ramps on either side of the sanctuary. Painting continues in the main nave area of the church.
February 7, 2025Painting in the apse continues. Electrical work is being done to prepare for the new lighting. Updates continue in the main vestibule. Work has begun to install the ramps on either side of the sanctuary. The "Two Trinities" painting in the vestibule has been removed for restoration and repairs.
January 31, 2025
Scaffolding has begun to be constructed in the east transept stairway. This stairway will be painted over the next two weeks, so it will not be accessible during that time. All are advised to use other entrances to the church while the east transept stairway is closed.
January 24, 2025Scaffolding construction has progressed into the aisle areas along either side of the main nave of the church and also into the choir loft. Painting has begun in the main sanctuary area. Cabinets have been removed from the sacristy to prepare for the installation of new cabinets.
January 17, 2025
The scaffolding has been constructed to about the mid-point of the church. Cabinets in the sacristy are beginning to be removed in preparation for updated cabinets to be installed. The platform areas in the main vestibule have begun to be built.
January 10, 2025
Scaffolding construction has continued, being set up from south to north, and is now being built in the transept area of the church. The baptismal font has been removed from the Upper Church and will be stored until it can be installed in the Lower Church.
January 3, 2025
The flooring material has been removed from the main entry stair. Work will begin soon to frame out new floor areas in the entry to provide space for gathering outside the main church area.
Scaffolding continues to be built throughout the Upper Church. Soon the entire church will be filled with scaffold to the ceiling. Then painting will begin.
Crews have begun to dismantle the communion rail, which will become part of the new ramps to access the altar area.
December 19, 2024Now that all the pews have been removed, scaffolding has begun to be erected, and the old light fixtures are being removed. The old sound system speakers are also being taken down. Scaffolding will continue to be installed over the next two weeks, and painting will begin shortly thereafter.
Additional material testing discovered asbestos in the adhesive holding the bottom layer of tile in the stairs of the main entry. (There are currently three layers of tile on those stairs!) Since the tile is being replaced in this area, an abatement crew will seal off the area and remove the hazardous materials before any other work is done in that stairway. This should not present much of a time delay as this work is confined to a very limited area. Other work can continue in the church while the abatement is being done.
December 11, 2024Crews removed the pews from the church this week. About 25% of the pews were given to other churches, chapels, or individuals to be repurposed. Thanks to all who helped keep pews out of landfills.
As the pews were removed, the crew began protecting the areas of the church that will not be part of the renovation. Special protection was added to the main altar, ambo, sanctuary flooring, and doorways that will be used for bringing materials in and out of the building.
November 29, 2024
The majority of the support work in the Lower Church has been completed. The last few items will be completed next week, as well as a complete cleaning of the Lower Church. Additional seating will be provided, and a choir area will be set up. Beginning the weekend of December 7-8, all Masses will be held in the Lower Church while the Upper Church renovation work is underway.
November 15, 2024
Additional support has been added to the floor joists, including large wooden planks and steel beams. The crew has been adding drywall to cover the joists, providing added sound insulation between the Upper Church and the Lower Church.
The updated schedule has been pushed back another week, so we are now anticipating that Masses will move to the Lower Church beginning Saturday, December 7.
Several churches and individuals have expressed interest in using the pews that will be removed from the Upper Church. We are glad that not all the pews will be disposed as trash. If you would like a pew from Gesu, there is still time to claim one. Please note that the remaining pews are 130 inches (10 feet, 10 inches) long or longer. If you would like a pew, please contact Ray Ellingen in the parish office, [email protected], 414-288-1565. All inquiries must be received by November 27, 2024.October 27, 2024
The abatement crew has completed its work in the north area of the Lower Church and hallway. This work has exposed the original wood beams. The next step is to add structural support to those beams to hold the weight of extra stone for the baptismal font and altar access ramps. That work is expected to continue through the last week of November. All Masses should move to the Lower Church beginning on Saturday, November 30.
When that move happens, one of the first tasks in the Upper Church will be to remove the existing pews. We hope to avoid sending all the old pews to a landfill, so we have offered them to other churches. Several area churches have expressed interest in them, but any pews not used by other churches will be available to parishioners and the public on a first come, first served basis. There is no set purchase cost for the pews, but we do ask for a contribution to our capital campaign to help fund the Upper Church renovations. If you are interested in obtaining a pew, please contact Ray Ellingen in the parish office, [email protected], 414-288-1565. All inquiries must be received by November 27, 2024. Wondering what you would do with an old church pew? Visit this website for ideas: https://bertolinidirect.com/blog/30-things-to-do-with-old-church-pews.
October 13, 2024
Work in the Lower Church ceiling continues, as the crew prepares to install structural support for the areas where the font, ambry and sanctuary ramps will be installed. In the process of this preparation, some areas were found to contain lead paint and asbestos. Abatement of these materials will be done in mid-October, with the structural work following immediately after that. Due to this extra work, the expected move from the Upper Church to the Lower Church has been delayed until the end of November. Barring any other delays, all Masses will be held in the Lower Church beginning with the Saturday evening Mass for the First Sunday of Advent on November 30.September 29, 2024
The Upper Church of Gesu is scheduled to be closed beginning November 4, in order to start the interior renovation, which will include new flooring, new pews, painting, new lighting, a new sound system, a new baptismal font, and ramps to access the altar area. The font and the ramps will add weight to the floor, so additional structural support is being added to the ceiling of the Lower Church in September and October. As the contractors began to open up the drop ceiling to do this work, they exposed the full height of the support pillars, which are topped by Corinthian-style capitals. The upper portion of these pillars have been hidden from view since renovations to the Lower Church in 1996 created new mechanical rooms, two confessionals, modern restrooms, storage, and meeting rooms.