By Donald Wittkowski
Just two years after visionary real estate developer Charles K. Landis founded Sea Isle City in 1882 as a Venice, Italy-inspired beach resort, a new church was built as the sanctuary for the growing Catholic community.
The same stately chapel of St. Joseph Catholic Church still stands today on Landis Avenue, although a feud has erupted among the parishioners over whether the 134-year-old building should be saved or redeveloped into a new spiritual life center.
The historic chapel stands side-by-side with the modern $7 million St. Joseph Church that opened in December 2011 and includes a 1,300-seat sanctuary serving as the main worship hall for the congregation.
A church committee studying the future of the old 225-seat chapel has recommended looking into the possibility of demolishing the structure and using the site at the corner of 44th Street and Landis Avenue to build a spiritual center.
The committee wrote in a letter included in the Sept. 9 church bulletin that there are no immediate plans to demolish the old chapel. According to the committee, an engineering study will be conducted to assess the cost of rehabilitating the chapel into a spiritual center versus building new.
“Regardless of which route is ultimately chosen, the space will be respectful to the history and design of the existing building,” the letter said. “It will continue to blend seamlessly with the new church. Appropriate care will be taken to safeguard and incorporate the historical aspects of the church.”
In an interview Sunday, Jackie Meiluta, who chairs the church committee, emphasized that no final decisions have been made about the chapel. She noted that discussions over its fate are part of a broader strategy, known as the “Catholic Strong” fundraising campaign, to find ways to reinvigorate St. Joseph Church in the future, including creating a more robust senior ministry.
“The purpose of the campaign is not to tear down the church,” she said.
However, members of the church who want to preserve the chapel believe the study committee plans to push ahead with the building’s demolition. They have launched their own “Save St. Joe’s Historic Church” campaign that includes a Facebook page petition drive to rally support on their side. As of Sunday, the petition drive had collected 865 signatures.
“That’s our history. It’s been there for 134 years. It’s a sacred place,” said Michael McHale, one of the leaders of the parish faction looking to save the chapel.
McHale, a former Sea Isle mayor, vowed that the church preservationists are willing to take their fight all the way up to the Vatican, if necessary. At the same time, they are looking to hire a legal expert in church canon, the system of laws and principles governing the Catholic Church, to press their case.
“The majority of the parishioners in Sea Isle City want to see the old church stay,” McHale maintained.
The building’s history and architecture are enough to justify saving it, McHale said. There are also important historical elements that are part of the structure, including fine-quality stained glass and a church bell dating to 1891, he said.
“It is one of the oldest buildings in Sea Isle,” McHale said.
Meanwhile, Meiluta said it has not yet been determined how much it would cost to build a new spiritual center in place of the chapel. The spiritual center is envisioned as meeting space, a venue for special events and possibly new classrooms, church officials said.
McHale estimated it would cost around $800,000 for a new spiritual center. In comparison, it would be much less expensive to rehabilitate the old chapel for the same purpose, he said.
Parts of the old building have become deteriorated. Joseph Murphy, who serves as church deacon, said there is no heat in the chapel, two of the four air-conditioning units have failed, the pipes leak and it costs “a fortune” to maintain the structure.
“The church is in terrible condition. None of us rejoice in this,” Murphy said of the possibility of demolishing the chapel.
Murphy, one of the members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Strong committee, believes the best option is to replace the little-used chapel with a modern, cost-efficient spiritual life center.
McHale, though, said a building inspection conducted in 2012, shortly before Hurricane Sandy pummeled Sea Isle, found that the chapel was in good shape overall. After the hurricane, insurance money was used to fix up the building’s basement, he said.
According to McHale, the parishioners were assured by St. Joseph’s pastor, the Rev. Joseph Perreault, that the old chapel would remain open when plans were being made and money was raised to build the new church next door.
“He promised to keep the old church,” McHale said. “We raised money for the new church on the condition the old church would stay.”
McHale also accused Perreault of allowing the chapel to become deteriorated in the past several years.
Both the church committee and Deacon Murphy believe Perreault is being unfairly criticized by the faction that is in favor of keeping the chapel.
“We appreciate that there are strong feelings about the future of the parish, and the old church in particular. However, we feel the tone of the opposition is unfairly directed at our Pastor, Rev. Joseph Perreault,” the committee said in its letter to the parish.
Murphy is trying to act as peacemaker between the church committee and the parishioners who want the chapel to remain standing.
“Keep in mind, we love these people. There should be no animosity,” Murphy said of the two groups.
In the meantime, the committee is urging the parishioners to stop “bad-mouthing our pastor.” In their letter, the committee members called on all parishioners to “ask us questions, share your concerns, and get the facts” while St. Joseph moves ahead on deciding the fate of the old chapel – whether to rehabilitate it or demolish it.
