St. Ladislaus in Natrona gives people chance to claim keepsakes, say goodbye
Rachel Brown doesn’t have the energy for social media.
But the Natrona resident has a keen eye for what might go viral.
Her interest in the architectural salvage of St. Ladislaus Church, shuttered in 2022, has drawn people from across the country to Spruce Street to rescue items before the building’s demolition.
“I told church administrators to cancel the scrappers, cancel the dumpsters and don’t let anything go to the landfill,” said Brown, 31. “I watch all these big beautiful buildings get torn down; and while I don’t have the money to rescue them, I can save everything that makes this place special.”
Brown lives a block from the 120-year-old church but only learned last month of its demise.
She let the internet work its magic and relied on the reach of social media to give people a glimpse of the treasures inside St. Lad’s.
She posted the stained-glass windows, solid oak pews, marble window sills and random other finds from the church and an adjoining school, which closed five decades ago.
“I belong to a couple of architectural salvage groups, and it’s quite a passionate society,” Brown said.
There are more than 100,000 members across the country who had access to Brown’s posts.
“I knew they would drop everything and drive across the country to rescue these things because they are like-minded people.”
She organized a public sale Friday that attracted a steady stream of people throughout the day.
Paul Rutkowski of Harrison was thrilled to find plates and saucers emblazoned with the church name. The cream-colored dishware was etched with gold leaf around the rim and likely used for the many banquets and celebrations that were hosted in the basement social hall.
Rutkowski attended the elementary school and served as an altar boy for many years. He also sang in the church choir.
“It’s nice to come through and reminisce,” he said. “I spent a lot of time here as a child.”
He and childhood friend Ed Bukowski shared memories of acting in school plays as youngsters and other good times centered at the church.
“The stage seemed so big back then,” Bukowski said. “Those are cherished memories for me. I still have the programs from those plays.”
Bukowski of Blawnox said his family received their sacraments at St. Lad’s. Visiting the now-shuttered church left him reeling.
“It’s just sad,” he said. “It’s a great loss of history.”
St. Ladislaus, founded in 1893 and built in 1903, is impressive for its architectural details, including the domed sanctuary, ornate carvings and oversized murals.
It was among five churches closed last year by Guardian Angels Parish.
Most of the religious artifacts were removed this summer, including the altars, which were dismantled and shipped across the globe for use by a Catholic church on the South Pacific island of Tonga.
Last month, the Stations of the Cross were removed after an anonymous donor stepped up to pay for their restoration and relocation to Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Harrison, one of two parish buildings that remain open.
Pipe organ
The 1912 pipe organ nestled in the balcony is the last of the major pieces remaining.
Organ technician Nemesio Valle of Heidelberg visited Thursday to inspect the instrument for its historical significance and to perhaps help find it a new home.
Manufactured by the Tellers Organ Co. in Erie, it is said to have been funded in part by Andrew Carnegie, who had a practice of putting up 50% of the cost of organs for churches in the early 1900s.
Total cost of the organ was $4,000. It is one of only 11,000 of its kind.
“Because of the number of church closings, there’s a high supply, and finding a short-notice home is a difficult task,” said Valle, who has a doctorate of music history with a focus in sacred music.
“Unfortunately, because of damage it suffered some years ago, nearly half of the organ is missing.”
Valle said some of the more intricate pipes could be sold to the right buyer, but it likely wouldn’t be a high-ticket item any longer.
Brown wasn’t deterred. She said the woodwork is “really cool, and someone will want to repurpose it. We’ll make sure it doesn’t go in the garbage.”
Church administrator Tom Babinsack was in disbelief at how the sale came together. He called Brown a godsend.
“She came out of the blue and contacted her people, and now we have people calling from L.A. and Virginia, all over the place,” he said.
“It has been a blessing because we wanted people to have all of this, but we didn’t have the connections.”
Unique items
The sale boasted an odd variety of relics and other random items for people with ties to the church — or in any market.
Brown said the school building was left intact since it last was used for CCD classes in 2008 and is chock-full of fans, projectors, decorations, and costumes.
Shoppers perused a variety of items for sale that included metal radiator covers, black soapstone window sills, velvet hats, Christmas trees and urinals.
The items were priced to sell.
For example, small square windows were going for $100; pews, $100; marble sills, $20; and missal boxes, $5.
“I could sell this stuff online for four times as much, but I wanted to give people a chance to get some keepsakes and also make some money for the church,” Brown said.
Also, it was a chance for closure.
“I wanted to open the doors and give people one last chance to say goodbye.”
Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.
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