INDIANAPOLIS — The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to deny the demolition of the Church of the Holy Cross.
It's a 120-year-old vacant building on Indianapolis’s east side.
The church is owned by St. Philip Neri Catholic Church. The parish argued that it cannot simply sell or repurpose the property due to restrictions under Canon law.
Attorney Paul Carroll, representing the parish, said church rules limit how the property can be handled.
He also cited a developer’s estimate that repairs would cost too much, making restoration financially unfeasible.
Father Jeffrey Dufresne of St. Philip Neri said he cannot approve a sale that risks misuse of a former sacred space.
Despite these concerns, neighbors and preservation advocates packed the meeting to voice strong opposition to demolition.
Many believe the church can be repurposed and see it as an important architectural and cultural asset.
City-County Councilor Jesse Brown, who represents District 13 and is also a practicing Catholic, strongly pushed back on the Church’s stance.
“I don’t agree that Canon law universally requires these kinds of structures to be demolished rather than reused,” Brown said. “There’s substantial documentation from the Vatican itself that suggests reuse is not only permissible, but actually desirable.”
Brown added that community consensus on the matter is overwhelming.
“In a democracy, we can never guarantee total unanimity about how to govern,” he said. "I would challenge anyone here to find a local issue with so many different community partners all on one side — and a single landowner standing alone on the other.”
Supporters pointed to similar success stories, like St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greensburg, which was converted into an event space.
Tim O’Sullivan of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association called the building “the cornerstone and soul of the neighborhood” and said its loss would be “tragic.”
St. Philip Neri Catholic Church plans to appeal the decision to deny demolition at the commission's next meeting.
For now, the Church of the Holy Cross remains protected, with many in the community hoping it can be restored and given a new purpose.
