Holy Cross residents cling to hope despite closure of neighborhood’s namesake church

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The bell tower soars above homes and trees in the Holy Cross neighborhood on the near east side of Indianapolis. 

The church itself has stood for more than 100 years at the intersection of Oriental and Ohio Streets: a landmark and gathering space for the community where parishioners stayed for hours after mass partaking in coffee and doughnuts and the gym served as a polling place for elections.

“Everything went around the church and the parish and the families and it was a very tight group,” said Ron Frazee, who grew up in the neighborhood, attended church and Holy Cross school and worked on church renovations in the early 2000s. 

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Holy Cross Parish shut its doors nine years ago. The school closed in May at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. It’s not clear what’s next for the neighborhood’s namesake.

Fencing and “Keep Out” signs surround the building. Boards cover openings that once held stained glass windows. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis in a statement said it is evaluating options for the future of the site but has no specific plans right now.

Thérèse Reckley actually moved to the neighborhood in 2008 after working at the school for years. She loved it, which makes the church’s current state “devastating.” 

“It has a whole different meaning for me right now,” Reckley said. 

Closing Holy Cross created a “hole” in the neighborhood, said Jen Higginbotham, the neighborhood association president. The chainlink fence blocks access to the building where people once felt welcome inside the large wood doors, she said.

The church in the ’70s and ’80s was “a vibrant focal point” for the area, said Marion County historian Steve Barnett, who had his daughter baptized there.

Neighbors continue to hope for the church to reopen its doors with a new purpose and welcome the community back in.

Contact IndyStar’s state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany.