Fr Joshua Caswell is the superior general of the Chicago-based Canons Regular of St John Cantius, who are, I am sure, well known to our readers for their work in the promotion of beauty in the liturgy. We are very grateful to him for his kind permission to reprint this article about this outstanding restoration project at the church of St Peter in Volo, Illinois, about 50 miles northwest of their home church, which is also under their pastoral care. It was previously published on the website of the CRSJC.
The Canons Regular of St. John Cantius are typically only associated with St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago. After all, it is where the community, now numbering almost 30 members, was founded and calls home. Both the canons and the parish have gained international notoriety for a number of reasons. Fr. C. Frank Philips, CR, beloved pastor emeritus, not only founded the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, he also facilitated a great revival in the the parish. Under his leadership the parish grew from 50 parishioners on a Sunday to 3,000 registered families. Fr. Phillips restored the church spiritually and physically to the gem that many today are fortunate to call their spiritual home.
Only a portion of the community serves at St. John Cantius at any given time. The other canons staff two additional parishes, St. Katharine Drexel in Springfield, Illinois, and St. Peter’s in Volo, Illinois.
The Canons Regular at St Peter’s in Volo, Illinois
In 2007 the canons were asked to assume the pastoral care of St. Peter’s in Volo, Illinois, a parish situated in Lake County, on the very edge of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The assignment came from Francis Cardinal George, OMI, who was instrumental in the founding of the Canons Regular. When the request came, the community had just hit its first milestone of 10 members. Interestingly, their arrival at St. Peter’s relieved the retiring Fr. Don Dietz, OMI who was Cardinal George’s novice master when he joined the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
Divine Providence had its hand in the timing. Following their community’s charism of Restoring the Sacred, the canons have labored to renew St. Peter’s parish both spiritually and physically.
Restoration of the Sacred
The restoration of the sacred begins first with one’s own personal call to holiness. That personal restoration of the sacred in each canon affects the parishes they serve. The spirituality of the canons is evident in their pastoral zeal and careful execution of the Church’s liturgy and sacraments in all their fullness.
Since their arrival, the canons have increased the number of registered parishioners at St. Peter’s from 300 to 1100 families. The spiritual renewal of the parish brings together a growing community of souls that fill six parish Masses each weekend in a church designed to seat only 190.
It is important that the Restoration of the Sacred also be expressed physically in the art that adorns church buildings. As humans, we require tangible signs and symbols to understand the infinite majesty of the God whom we worship.
Structurally, this is what St. Peter’s has done for 100 years. Now it is important to continue and strengthen that same tradition so that it can be passed on to future generations. This renewal of the parish can be particularly noticed in the recent and ongoing physical restoration of the church. St. Peter’s is in its final stages of completing renovations, well ahead of the church’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2025. Fr. Nathan Caswell, SJC, parish pastor since 2020, enthusiastically notes, “We’re ready and excited for the next 100 years!”
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| His Excellency Joseph Perry, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Chicago, blessing a bell for the church. |
Renovation of the Bell Tower
The initial phase of the church renovation began with the restoration of the bell tower in 2018 by then-pastor, Fr. Anthony Rice, SJC. Damaged by lightning in the 1950s the tower became too unstable to hold the heavy brass bell, so it was removed and placed on display at the entrance to the church. After the structural reinforcement of the tower was completed, the bell was returned to its rightful place where it now calls new generations of worshipers to St. Peter’s.
Repairs to the Church Exterior
As with any century-old building, leaks began to develop in the roof and exterior walls of the church. The accumulation of moisture led to extensive water damage of the plaster walls in the interior of the church. Not only was the plaster discolored, and developing cracks, chunks of plaster actually began to fall from the ceiling, requiring urgent attention. Water leakage had also compromised the stability of the stained glass windows when the wooden bases and frames began to rot.
The first step to repair the aging building was to fix the roof so that it no longer leaked. This involved replacing all the flashing and damaged roof tiles. Then the entire church exterior was tuck-pointed to ensure that condensation could no longer seep through the brick facade. After that skilled craftsmen were enlisted to repair, and replace the plaster in the affected areas.
Once the building was sealed up properly, and the plaster was repaired, the parish needed to make decisions about what to do with the interior walls and ceiling. While many churches had made considerable changes in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, the integrity of the original layout and ornamentation remained intact at St. Peter’s. The sanctuary, transepts, and nave contained orphrey and scroll work stenciling that dated back to its beginnings. With new plaster replacing the damaged areas, the parish had to decide whether to replicate the original ornamentation, or take the opportunity to transform the interior with new artwork.
The families of many of the current St. Peter’s parishioners go back generations, even to those who first built the church in 1926. Their sacrifices and hard work needed to be honored and respected as part of the rich patrimony of the parish. At the same time, the current generation of parishioners wanted to make their contribution and become a part of its living history.
After much discussion It was agreed that this was an opportunity to enhance what was already a beautiful church. As Father Nathan put it, “We saw this opportunity not so much as a renovation, but a renewal.” The plan for the repainting of the church was not to restore the church interior exactly as it once was, but to bring its existing beauty to greater prominence. After all, tradition isn’t stale antiquarianism. Nor is it living in the past, or longing for a bygone era. Traditio means bringing the past forward; or handing on the past to future generations. Tradition invites the past to be a dynamic participant in the present. It’s what theologians call a hermeneutic of continuity.
