The St. Clare parish will be hosting their annual Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, September 30 at St. Clare School, which will feature homemade German cuisine, a wine garden, silent auction, basket raffle, bingo and live entertainment. Oktoberfest offers a full evening of fun and opportunity to celebrate our community’s German heritage. This event is also a major fund-raiser for the new church, which is currently being constructed by The Korte Company, headquartered in Highland, Illinois.
The Korte Company is scheduled to begin installation of the exterior panels, which will be hoisted into place. The project utilizes a series of tilt-up panels to construct the outer walls of the structure, a method of construction where the exterior walls are first poured as concrete panels, then lifted and positioned using a crane.
The church, when completed, will measure 28,678 square feet and will feature an assemblage with a 1,140-seat capacity. The arched ceiling in the main area will reach 62 feet at it’s highest point. The main entrance doors will be a unique feature in themselves as they are being constructed and shipped by their adopted parish in Guatemala. The tilt-up walls will be cast with a split-face block, which will add an architectural dimension to the exterior finish. The 20-acre site also includes a renovated farm house, which the parish has already converted into office space.
