St. Francis Xavier plans school addition, chapel demolition

(Taylorsville/Kearns Journal) St. Francis Xavier School is moving ahead with plans to build a 12,000 square foot addition and tear down the old A-frame Catholic church next to the school,after the Kearns Planning and Zoning Committee approved the project on Sept. 2.

The new addition will include classrooms, offices, a new library, and restrooms for the school’s 300 students and faculty. In order to replace the parking stalls that will be lost because of the new building, the old church will be demolished.

But some people are concerned that destroying the church will destroy a piece of Kearns’ history.

“A major issue is nostalgia,” said Rev. Robert Moriarty, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church. “Not everyone is pleased [about tearing down the church]. I think about 95 percent of people don’t care, but for those who remember the church from when they were kids it becomes an emotional issue. I’m sad about it, but [the old church] just doesn’t fit the overall plan anymore.”

The A-frame chapel, which was built in the 1950s,, has not been used for church services for decades and is currently being used for extended daycare and some meetings. However, the building does not meet seismic code and there are concerns about fire safety. Moriarty said the cost of updating the building or moving it to a different lot is just not feasible.

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