The historic church of St. Liborius in North St. Louis has been transformed into Sk8 Liborius, an indoor skate park that is now open to the public. Graffiti and skate ramps are now paired with religious drawings on panels.
According to St. Louis Public Radio, in 1856, St. Liborius opened his doors to German Roman Catholics in North St. Louis. The Karen House operated a homeless shelter on the grounds after it closed 136 years ago. The Catholic Worker house found it too difficult to maintain the building, so it turned the keys over to an odd group. And the cathedral walls have seen a different crowd in the last ten years.
Blum created the skate church's notoriety alongside Bryan Bedwell and Joss Hay without ever officially opening the doors to the public. They've hosted a number of skate sessions — as well as raves — for the underground skate community without drawing much attention from city officials, as per the report.
However, the trio is now ready to use the space for official purposes. The three founders just launched crowdfunding to bring the building up to code and turn it into an art center, bed & breakfast, and a maker space where they can teach youngsters various skills like skateboarding, welding, woodworking, and more, the article stated.
Blum and Bedwell will join presenter Sarah Fenske on St. Louis on the Air on November 22 to discuss how they transformed the space into a destination for skaters, musicians, and artists from across the country. Hay's views will be interspersed with observations from local skaters on their experiences inside the skate chapel, the story mentioned.
SK8 Liborius
SK8 Liborius' mission is to restore the ancient St. Liborius Cathedral and Rectory into the Liborius Urban Art Center, LUAS (501c3), a skate park, art, music, and education center, as per its website.
This facility is meant to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to better themselves and our community by learning new skills, pursuing new vocations, and creating art – all while being housed in the oldest Neo-Gothic Cathedral west of the Mississippi River, the page bared.
Church History
The old Catholic parish of St. Liborius in the St. Louis Place area of St. Louis, Missouri, is the focus of St. Liborius Church and Buildings. The historic district is a City Landmark in St. Louis and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, its online history stated.
In 1856, St. Liborius was designated as a German national parish. In 1889, the church was built. The convent was built in 1905, and the rectory was completed the following year. From 1859 through 1969, the School Sisters of Notre Dame taught in the parish school, sources bared.
In 1975, the parish buildings were designated as a city landmark, and in 1979, they were included on the National Register of Historic Places, its history mentioned.
A merger with adjacent parishes was necessary due to a reduction in the number of Catholics in the area. It is amalgamated with Holy Name, Holy Trinity, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The chapel was decommissioned in 1992, and many of the building's decorative items were auctioned off in 1993. Hogan Street Partners LLC purchased the property, the site bared.
The church structure is a massive red-brick Gothic Revival structure. It was created by William Shickel, a New York City architect. The center bell tower used to have a stone tracery spire. In the 1960s, it was decommissioned, the page revealed.
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