St. Irene Church in Warrenville to temporarily move religious services during renovation

St. Irene Catholic Church in Warrenville will be relocating daily and weekly Mass and other liturgical events to the former church, also housed on the parish campus. The closure will take place from Jan. 12 through March 28, with the plan to reopen the current church building in time for Holy Week of Easter.

The change comes as renovations begin for the parish’s $540,000 “Christ at Our Center” campaign, which includes significant improvements to the 15,000-square foot church building.

New flooring, restored pews with kneelers, a sound system and a new crucifix will be installed. In addition, the tabernacle (which houses the consecrated host) will be installed in a prominent place on the altar.

“Initially, the intention was solely to make improvements to the church flooring,” said the Rev. Gregory Rothfuchs, pastor of St. Irene Church. “But as often happens, this became an opportunity to incorporate some long-awaited changes recommended by the Diocese of Joliet and our advisory committee.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops calls for the use of kneelers during the Consecration and the presence of a crucifix on the altar.

“Just as church architecture trends change over time, requirements for parishes change as well,” said Rothfuchs, who joined St. Irene Church in 2024. “This update allows us to be in line with Diocesan guidelines.”

In the mid-1990s, parishioners engaged Harding Partners, Architects, to design the current church for the growing worship community. The welcoming, light-filled building has been recognized for its innovative design and use of light.

The current church was dedicated by Bishop Joseph L. Imesch at a Mass on Sept. 2, 1995.

The old church, which now serves as a multipurpose area for the parish, was originally built in the early 1930s.

“We’re very fortunate to be able to use our old church during this time of renovation,” said Rothfuchs. “Many of our parishioners have fond memories of Mass at the old church, and we’re bringing that to an entirely new generation.”

For more information on St. Irene Church or the Christ at Our Center campaign, please visit st-irene.org/christatourcenter.