Some parishioners say renovation of one of Atlanta’s oldest Catholic churches will erase its ‘historical veneration’

Some parishioners say a roughly $4 million “redecoration” project at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus aims to modernize the historic church and erase the history of generations of community members who helped build and decorate it.

But the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the governing body for Catholic churches in the northern part of the state, is backing a renovation and overhaul of the iconic downtown church, known for its red brick and twin towers. The project is expected to restore the church to the way it looked when it opened in the late 1800s, but with new furnishings and an updated lighting and audiovisual system, officials said.

On July 15, crews began tearing up the church’s carpet and flooring to prepare the sanctuary for a new Carrara marble floor. They removed liturgical furnishings, including the altar, tabernacle stand and ambo. Fabricated replacements will be installed over the next few months.

The life-size crucifix displayed above the altar now hangs in the church’s reception room. The apse fresco visible above the altar and crucifix will be covered with a new fresco.

Gary Wolf, 75, has attended the church for about 40 years. He said he learned of the “radical” changes last year when he walked into Mass over Memorial Day weekend and saw renderings installed in the rectory. The lack of transparency, he said, led him to stop attending.

“It’s a bit of a debacle. It’s a very sad situation,” Wolf said. “They’re destroying the entire altar, taking away our crucifix, which is a major artifact, a huge crucifix that’s the focal point of our church. They’re making it look like some kind of Art Deco building or something, and it’s going to completely destroy the historical respect of the church.”

Other parishioners who have been attending the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for decades are also hurt and angry about what is happening. They say the project, called “For Such a Time as This,” dismantles not only the history of the building, but also that of so many families who have seen their children married at this altar and their grandchildren baptized.

Many people remember sitting and comforting each other in the wooden pews at the funerals of friends and loved ones. They found solace in the church they loved for its simple design but also filled with bright stained glass and antiques.

“Sacré-Cœur was like coming home,” said Alison McGowan, 61, a church volunteer whose family had been members for decades. “It was so welcoming. When you walked in, you felt like you were at home with your family.”

A petition on change.org calling on the Archdiocese of Atlanta to halt the renovation has garnered more than 800 signatures since May. Other parishioners, concerned about what they see as a lack of transparency about the plans, have created another website, “Sacred Heart Dialogue: Save Our Sanctuary,” where people voice their opposition to the changes.

“(The project) removes most of the historic furniture and artifacts from our church. A new, modern, clean interior will replace our historic interior,” the website says.

“Many want our basilica to continue to resemble a Roman Catholic church of the early 20th century, a historic church. (…) At this point, our congregation is deeply divided. Only consensus will erase the division. Only through dialogue will we reach consensus,” the website reads.

The scope of the project will provide the basilica with a “renewed and inspiring decorative scheme that recaptures and respects the original architectural intent while retaining the prayerful and inviting warmth of our sacred space,” according to the project website.

The “For a Time Like This” fundraising campaign has already raised $800,000, with an additional $1.6 million pledged. The money comes entirely from parishioners, said Maureen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The amount of money raised and the feedback Father John Howren received clearly indicate that the majority of parishioners support the redecoration project, Smith said.

“I’m sorry if (some parishioners) felt excluded, but the parish has made every effort to include all parishioners, including an invitation throughout the year to come to the design studio and provide input,” she said. “Those sessions in the design studio have resulted in changes to the plan based on parishioner concerns. And I believe the parish has done its best to include all parishioners.”

Sacré-Cœur was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The application for listing highlighted the building’s artistic Romanesque architecture. It also detailed the church’s interior, including the apse fresco.

There are no restrictions, including demolition, for places listed on the National Register unless the property is involved in a project receiving federal assistance.

In 1990, the church received a landmark designation from the City of Atlanta, which prohibits its demolition under most circumstances.

Smith said the church hired consultants Conrad Schmitt Studio Inc., known for its hand-painted interior finishes, and Rambusch Lighting Co. Both companies are well-versed in historic preservation and have assured Sacred Heart that none of their work will erase history.

The designations also only apply to the exterior of the building, so any work done inside would not violate any rules, she said.

“A church is a living community, and a church building is a place where that living community meets, and so sometimes you have to make changes that reflect the fact that people are meeting there every week,” Smith said.

She also said she did not believe a national historic designation “seeks to hamper the religious community by dictating what interior space should look like from one era to another.”

“It’s also a civic designation, so I don’t think a civic designation would interfere with how a religious organization would operate,” she said.

David Y. Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, said Smith and the Archdiocese of Atlanta are mistaken about what it means to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church’s 1976 application for listing includes many details about the church’s interior. Changing the interior, such as painting over the apse fresco with a new one, could result in the church being removed from the National Register, he said.

If that happens, the church would not be eligible for federal aid while planning continues to intensify to build The Stitch, an urban green space, above the Downtown Connector where Sacred Heart is located, Mitchell said.

Mitchell also wants the church to commit to reusing or moving all replaced furniture to ensure historic preservation, especially pews.

“At their core, these pews are a continuation of what’s around the parishioners. The things around them may change, but where they sit always remains the same,” he said. “It’s an example of what gives a person the kind of connection they’ve always had with the church.”

“We’re talking about tearing things out, taking out all the pews and putting in marble floors. It’s just extreme,” Mitchell said. “That’s why we have to prioritize historic preservation, now more than ever.”