PROJECT DETAILS
LOCATION : Sugar Grove, Illinois
MARKET : Civic, Cultural
AREA :
Since the establishment of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, it has become home to over 1,000 registered families. Registration in the Religious Education program exceeds 300 students, from pre-school through high school. Attendance at weekend masses regularly exceeds 1,000 worshippers.
St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church was founded in 2008, under the Rockford Diocese, and had been leasing space in Sugar Grove for church activities. In late 2009, Cordogan Clark & Associates was asked by the church building committee to assist with the design and construction of the first phase of their master plan, the St. Anthony Chapel.
The completed facility is located on 20 acres of cornfield just south of Rich Harvest Farms on Dugan Road in Sugar Grove, Illinois. It includes a 350-seat chapel, with overflow seating in the narthex / parish hall for an additional 140 people and is more than 18,000 SF large overall. The sanctuary is highlighted with traditional wood truss detailing, and has a high-volume ceiling flanked by tall perimeter windows.
Administrative wings, classrooms, and a kitchen facility are designed to accommodate the church's growing congregation. The classrooms accommodate varying class sizes ranging from smaller 10-12 seat classes to much larger classes with seating for 120 people. This portion of the building also includes the church and priest offices, and a bride's room for weddings and wedding receptions.
This white clapboard with stone base church is thoroughly modern yet traditional. Two steeples top the structure. The larger one, including tower, measures approximately 72 feet and weighs about 40 tons; the smaller one is 58 feet tall and weighs about 30 tons. These provide a strong regional presence, highlighting the church's importance for the community.
