Stop the demolition of St. Laurentius Church. 

St. Laurentius Catholic Church is a majestic cathedral located in the dense urban neighborhood of Fishtown in the city of Philadelphia.  

The church was the home of the oldest Polish Catholic Parish built by immigrants in the United States and remained active until its doors were shuttered in 2014. It is beloved by its surrounding Fishtown and Kensington neighbors. 

The church was designed by Edward Forrest Durang in 1885. The steeples and structure represented the Polish working class immigrants who built the church as a beacon for the neighborhood.  

For almost a decade, there have been claims the building was in imminent danger of collapsing.

The building has continued to stand, as it has for 136 years, through rain, snow, ice, hurricanes, and even minor earthquakes, showing no further signs of decay after repairs in 2019. 

The Historical Commission eventually allowed the current developer to remove the towers in 2020, while requiring the facade to be maintained or restored. The work has yet to begin despite the owner's woes of imminent danger.

The current owner is now moving quickly towards a full demolition of the church, beginning in November 2021. 

Please sign this petition and tell our district councilmember, Council President Darrell Clarke, that the demolition of the church must be halted. 

The church's zoning was recently changed to allow apartments, but with the expectation that the building be saved. If the church must be demolished, the site's zoning should be reverted back to its original classification. No developer should benefit from his own intentional neglect of a historic landmark.

Please sign our petition to prevent destruction of our neighborhood and our historic landmarks.