Guerin Prep Remembered Fundraiser-Save the Mosaic!

Carolyn Bull is organizing this fundraiser to benefit SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE OF SAINT MARY'S-OF-THE-WOODS.

Tax deductible

Hello Valiant Women and Men!

Guerin Prep is in the process of being demolished. The school we loved was closed and sold to developers. We need your help!

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to save the Guerin Prep mosaic, “Our Lady of River Grove,” the Chapel Stained Glass Windows, and Other Special artifacts! We are trying to raise $120,000 to defray the cost of preserving these items.

Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me and many alums and friends of the schools and community.

Note: All donations are going directly to the Sisters of Providence 501(c)3 for the goal of preserving and saving the historical art from Guerin Prep - which includes the mosaic and the chapel stained glass windows. The school property is in the process of demolition and the mosaic will be demolished if funds are not secured to remove it by August 15th. (The windows were already removed.) All monies are managed exclusively by the Sisters of Providence. If the funding goal is not met to support these projects or any surplus funding is received from these projects, the monies collected will be directed to the Alumni Association for the needs of Guerin Alumni at the direction of the Sisters of Providence.

The Sisters of Providence would love to see Our Lady of River Grove - stay in her hometown so that alumni and friends can always visit her.

We need your help – quickly! We need to raise money by August 15, 2021.

(And, what exactly does “valiant,” mean?)

valiant adjective /ˈvælyənt/(especially literary)

-very brave or determined

synonym courageous

-valiant warriors

#Guerin Prep Remembered Fundraiser!

Many of you are alumni of Mother Guerin H.S., Holy Cross H.S., and/or Guerin Prep. If our younger selves visualized the future of our school, it is doubtful that we would imagine that it would be permanently closed and in the process of being torn down. That is the current reality. According to the original deed, the property and all its contents reverted to the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese did allow the Sisters to take a few items (such as the altar used in the auditorium) along with files, etc. However, most of the contents reverted to the Archdiocese.

A school contains so many memories and those, along with our friendships, extend well beyond those four years and, of course, hold deeper meaning than the physical walls and art. In the case of Guerin Prep, and during this period of “loss,” so many have expressed a strong desire to save Guerin’s beautiful and iconic art from the wrecking ball. If we do not save it, it will be destroyed. No one else is going to save it. It is up to us and we need to move quickly.

As most of you know, Guerin Prep was permanently closed and the property’s demo process has already begun. The Archdiocese of Chicago sold the property to a developer who will be building condominiums on the site previously occupied by Guerin Prep and Holy Cross. This is the deadline as is currently known. The interior of the school is already being torn down.

First, remove the Chapel Stained Glass Windows: The first goal is to remove the chapel stained glass windows that are being broken by vandals – while there are still windows to be saved! Cost: $16,000 which includes an estimate for repairs. The plan is to provide these to St. Mary-of-the Woods. The windows were designed by Sister Adelaide, SOP, and created by Gabriel Loire Chartres, France. Gabriel Loire Chartres

Link: SunTimes 5/14/21 - Guerin Chapel Windows

Second, remove the Mosaic so that it is not torn down. (Approximate cost; $100,000 including an allocation for relocation engineering and contingency. Removal estimates were provided by the preservationist after a paid, formal inspection of its installation was done by contractors. Pricing is subject to change and might be higher, as some of these answers are unknown at this time, but answers are being sought. Variables include exact cost for repair and replacement of missing tiles from the mosaic, the engineering costs to develop the strategy for reinstallation elsewhere (choices include against an existing or new wall or freestanding, framed, and protected), costs of transportation to the final place, possible storage until install, and costs to reinstall, as required.) As quickly as possible, the goal is to remove and save the mosaic of, “Our Lady of River Grove,” located on the front of the school and its height is 18.5 feet tall, and is 8 feet wide, and designed and executed by Sister Immaculee, SP. (Some have always believed that the mosaic was a depiction of St. Mother Theodore Guerin, but it is not.)

The clock is ticking. Funds are needed for removal, relocation, reinstallation, and repair of the mosaic. Cost estimate for removal and engineering for the reinstallation of the mosaic (exact material cost for structure unknown at this time). (In-kind transportation and crane work welcome.)

I am an alum from the Class of ’73 and the person who most recently wanted to explore whether the mosaic could be saved, but didn’t have proof that it could happen. Before me and before the sale, leadership at the school had been told that it could not be saved. I learned about the demolition on Facebook, like many of you, and was incredibly saddened and wanted to do something to help. (Like many of you!) My experience in masonry restoration/construction made it seem very possible [to my hopeful self] that the mosaic could be saved - if the right people looked at it - and that a plan could be created to safely remove and save the windows and other items. Following my gut and many, many exchanges with Sr. Jeanne, I found a reliable contractor, with whom I’ve previously worked, who could investigate. Once we had a proposal, the Sisters of Providence covered the cost for the contractors to do the recent masonry investigation of the mosaic. This provided the much-anticipated, needed answer, and verified that it is possible to preserve the mosaic!

The mosaic cannot be easily removed as it was originally affixed directly to brick; however, contractors have figured out a plan to preserve and move the mosaic. There is a high cost associated with this work and we are asking for your help to fund this project and help bring Our Lady and the windows to a new home.

Where will the mosaic go?

As the recent news of being able to save the mosaic is happening almost parallel to the timing of the start of demolition, there has been little time to lock in the final, final, arrangements for the mosaic on an expedited schedule.

The mosaic probably weighs around 3 tons (because the mosaic tiles were applied directly to the brick, and will need proper engineering to be reinstalled elsewhere). This would be either freestanding, on an appropriate support system, or against an existing wall.

The contractor’s investigation exposed the interior structure from the sides and interior of the building. This allowed them to see how the mosaic was attached to the vertical supporting wall and whether it could be removed independently from the brick or was directly attached to it. The mosaic and brick wall will be removed as a unit and supported from the front and back. (There was no independent backing board.)

Following are pictures of the inspection:

What we know:

All of the removed pieces will become the property of the Sisters of Providence. Any future changes or dispositions of the removed property will be at their direction. All funding will go to the Sisters of Providence for these projects to support their removal and preservation.

Note: If the funding goal is not met to support these projects or any surplus funding is received from these projects, the monies collected will be directed to the Alumni Association for the needs of Guerin Alumni at the direction of the Sisters of Providence.

The Sisters of Providence would love to see Our Lady of River Grove - stay in her hometown so that alumni and friends can always visit!

The three currently discussed places to rehome the Our Lady of River Grove Mosaic (at this time and subject to change) are as follows

1). On the Guerin Prep original school site (surprise!). There is a definite possibility, with our recent findings, “Our Lady of River Grove,” may be able to stay in her hometown and be moved to a new location onsite at the new development! This is being discussed with the developer. It would not be reinstalled immediately because of construction, but they may also be able to store the mosaic in the interim.

2) St. Joseph’s Cemetery - This idea is being explored and a possibility.

3) Moving it to St.-Mary-of-the-Woods in Indiana or another site for display at their discretion. The site where it may be installed (if it goes to Indiana) may be the Sisters of Providence onsite cemetery or for a potential COVID memorial.

Where will the stained glass chapel windows go?

The windows may be used at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, in Indiana,- possibly as a COVID Memorial or to enhance new construction.

Some of these windows have been vandalized and will need to be repaired.

Another thought is to use them as auction items to raise money for Guerin alumni in the future at the full discretion of the Sisters of Providence.

They will be removed and crated for safe delivery and possible storage.

Stained glass repair will be needed for several of the windows.

We need to remove them quickly as they are at risk of more vandalism on the property.

Glazed Green Bricks (Removal cost with additional to manage distribution, if done: $4,000. Plan is subject to change.)

There is significant interest (by alumni) in the green, glazed bricks by the front stairways and the foyer.

These can be removed, but the glazed brick needs to be cut out by contractors using diamond blade saw blades, which are costly.

There would be a cost to each brick for the payment system, labeling, distribution, packing, and shipping costs to people if these were mailed, which is complicated.

If someone covers the entire cost of removal, this will be considered, as it is unknown how many people will buy bricks and pay for their packaging, and shipping, to reimburse.

We are not in a position, at this time, to promise, advertise and/or charge for individual bricks and the contractors have to be paid to do the entire brick removal job at once.

Misc.

Removal of the cornerstone.

Efforts will be made to locate and try to retrieve any important sentimental pieces, with the help of the developer, (such as memorial bricks), etc.

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We truly appreciate your help and support of this project and are grateful for our years at Guerin and the direction of the Sisters of Providence in our lives.

Sincerely,

Carolyn M. Bull, ‘73 - and my dear family . . . . .

- Sister of Laura J. Bull Nussbaum, ‘75

- Sister of Maureen E. Bull Pinta, ‘80

- Daughter of Aderine R. Johnson Bull, Providence H.S., Chicago