Dear Parishioners,

I am delighted and gratified by my assignment to the historic Downtown Kenosha Catholic parishes. Both campuses are unique and beautiful sacred spaces in which to worship God. The English Gothic design of St. James and the Romanesque Revival architectural style of St. Elizabeth complements our wonderful city.

Since arriving at St. Elizabeth, my affection has grown for the copper roof’s green patina and the red barrel tiles on the rectory building. Five years older than the church’s copper roof, the Spanish barrel tile roof is part of the original 1921 construction of the rectory structure.

Following the demolition of the convent, one can now see them from the lakefront path without obstruction. These roofs are handsome and contribute magnificently to Kenosha’s skyline; moreover, they are architecturally appropriate for the buildings’ design. Despite my fondness for them and appreciation of their beauty, I am also reminded how much work and financial resources they require to adequately maintain.

The Cream City brick church was erected in 1866 and extended in 1877 by Kenosha’s German immigrants. In the fall of 1926, the current copper roof was installed and the original steeple structure was converted to the dome of the bell tower. The copper still has a seal from the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, which acquired the American Brass Company located here in Kenosha.

Both the church and rectory roofs have significant leaks in multiple spots. Fewer craftsmen know how to properly work with these materials, and, annually, we arduously seek assistance from them to provide short-term solutions to make it through the year. The time has come to employ a long-term solution to avoid further damage and ensure that our historic buildings will stand for at least another 150 years. “It looks like it is time for a new roof,” explained one expert this summer after having inspected the copper.

The Romanesque Revival architecture style of St. Elizabeth was widely used in constructing churches, universities, and public buildings throughout America throughout the mid-19th century. It was one way in which immigrants could feel connected to the old-world look and feel of their indigenous home countries.

Architecturally speaking, it was common for the structure to be made of brick or stone with red clay tiles covering the roof. This is the same material that was originally used for the rectory roof.

Therefore, it would be appropriate to use the same red clay tile roofing materials for both the church building and rectory – thereby unifying the visual component to the St. Elizabeth campus. For reference, both the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and St. Stanislaus Catholic Church (pictured below) in Milwaukee are Cream City brick structures built in a similar period with Spanish barrel tile roofs.

I seek to be a careful steward of the financial resources you share with Downtown Kenosha Catholic. It is not realistic to replace either roof with the original clay materials as to do so would substantially exceed what the parish can afford and would not be a good use of our parishioners’ financial resources. After performing considerable research, I was able to find a company, Brava, that creates old-world roofs but constructed from modern materials. 

This suitable alternative is more durable, long-lasting, and cost-effective. While installing this product on both the church and rectory roofs will be at a slightly higher cost than asphalt shingles (the type of roof we just installed on St. James church), it is considerably less than a new copper roof and authentic Spanish barrel tiles.

As I wrote in the July 14 edition of The Canon’s Column, replacing the roof on both St. Elizabeth church and rectory is slated for Fiscal Year 2024-25. The project will begin in early October and is scheduled to be completed well before the holidays this year. Earlier this spring we had allocated $100,000 for FY 2024-25 towards roof repair; however, the total cost of removing and reinstalling new roofs on St. Elizabeth church and rectory will be $530,000. 

I am overjoyed and humbled to announce that a generous parishioner, who wishes to remain anonymous, has already contributed $250,000 to the project.

It would be ideal to pay for this project outright and not dip into our savings, but we will do so, if necessary. I am requesting that our parishioners consider helping this endeavor by making a tax-deductible contribution towards the $180,000 remaining balance. 

Restricted donations, as would be the case in any generous donation towards the paying down the final balance of this project, are exempt from the Archdiocese’s assessment. All income from restricted donations stays locally at the parish.

We will communicate in future bulletins and Flocknote messages the best way to contribute to the St. Elizabeth roof project in the capacity of a restricted donation, if you choose to generously support this endeavor.

May God protect you all the days of your life and bless you abundantly.


Spanish Barrel Tile on the Rectory Roof
Damaged Roof Tiles in Need of Replacing

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Milwaukee, WI)

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church (Milwaukee, WI)