Rock-solid plans: Cockeysville church set to begin $6.5 million restoration

COCKEYSVILLE – More than 160 years after Irish and Italian immigrants extracted marble from a local quarry and used it to construct St. Joseph Church in the Texas enclave of Baltimore County, parish leaders are following in their founding parishioners’ footsteps.

At nearby Martin Marietta Quarry, church leaders have successfully located the same kind of stone as was employed in the original church. They plan to use it as the focal point of an ambitious $6.5 million church renovation project expected to kick off after Easter.

The famous Cockeysville marble, which has also been used in the construction of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., the pillars of the U.S. Capitol and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, will be extracted in large chunks in the coming months and delivered to St. Joseph’s campus.

The parish has hired Hilgartner Natural Stone Company in Baltimore to cut and finish the stone – a company providentially founded by current St. Joseph Pastor Monsignor Richard Hilgartner’s fourth-great grandfather, Ludwig Hilgartner.

Artisans from Hilgartner (no longer affiliated with Monsignor Hilgartner’s family) will shape quarried marble into 40 large stones that will form a prominent arch in a soon-to-be renovated sanctuary. The new arch, framing a crucifix, will mimic an existing marble arch that has graced the church entry since the building was erected.

“The introduction of the original stone back into the church is more than just a neat architectural feature,” said Tyler Tate, a longtime parishioner who serves as chairman of the building committee. “It really is paying homage to the history of this parish and this region’s historical importance. I think it ties back to a fundamental part of human nature of wanting to feel connected to the physical place in which you reside. It connects geography, geology and history with the more important things like faith and meaning.”

Monsignor Hilgartner, who leads the 2,800-family parish, said the renovation will harmonize the interior look of the church with its classic exterior. Currently, the sanctuary features a modern design introduced during a 1967 expansion. Under the new plans, the interior will hearken back to its 19th-century aesthetic, with a new altar mimicking the look of the original. The church ceiling will be raised to its original height, and an interior dome will be constructed featuring a stained-glass window of the Holy Spirit that is now located elsewhere in the church.

“It will be much brighter and more inviting,” said Monsignor Hilgartner, noting that JRS Architects of Baltimore and CAM Construction Company of Timonium are working on the renovation effort.

The corners of the building’s transepts will be opened to improve sightlines to the altar. The extra space will allow seating for approximately 50 more people, bringing total seating capacity to about 700 – accommodated  on new white pews.

Monsignor Hilgartner said he is excited about building improvements that will enhance music ministry. A 45-rank, three-manual pipe organ is being constructed by the Peragallo Organ Company in New Jersey to replace an aging electronic one. A designated spot for music ministers will include flexible seating, the pastor said, and enhanced acoustics are expected to invite more participation at Mass.

As part of the renovation project, obsolete HVAC, sound and lighting systems will be replaced and a fire safety system will be added. The building will also be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and restrooms will be expanded.

During construction, which is anticipated to last up to 10 months, St. Joseph will offer daily Mass in a parish hall and weekend Masses in a gymnasium.

“People have been incredibly generous in supporting this,” Monsignor Hilgarter said. “The fact that we’ve been able to raise more than $6 million in less than a year has been remarkable.”

Tate, president of Lewis Contractors (which is not involved in the St. Joseph project), said the pastor, building committee and design team made aesthetic decisions with “a timeless mindset that will serve not only the current generation, but generations to come.”

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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