05/05/2026
UPDATE — A federal judge has denied a motion by the city of Indianapolis to dismiss a lawsuit from St. Philip Neri Catholic Church over the historic designation battle of the former Holy Cross Church.
In a 41-page complaint filed Dec. 30, attorneys for St. Philip Neri Catholic Church say the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission and the Metropolitan Development Commission violated religious freedom by designating the former Holy Cross Catholic Church property as a historic landmark in October.
The church, which has stood at Ohio and Oriental streets for more than a century, closed permanently 10 years ago.
Church leaders say restoration is estimated to cost between $7.5 million and $8.5 million, while the site is appraised at about $1 million. The parish also reported spending nearly $80,000 in 2024 on maintenance, fencing and insurance — roughly 20% of its annual budget.
The church says the designation forces it to spend significant money maintaining a building it cannot use, diverting funds from its active parish and religious mission, while also risking future uses of the property that would violate Catholic law.
Below is a statement from Roman Storzer, attorney for St. Philip Neri Catholic Church and Archdiocese Properties:
“We are pleased that the Church was successful on every point and that this important case to protect its religious freedom in the use of its own property may now proceed. We are particularly gratified that the court noted the number of statements by government officials seeking to second-guess Catholic doctrine, which strikes at the heart of the First Amendment’s religion clauses.”
