Renovation Updates

November 28, 2025

The main tabernacle has been refurbished and installed, and the sanctuary lamp has been installed above it. The other side tabernacles have also been refurbished. Final accents for the tabernacle and baptismal font have been installed. All kneelers have been installed. The sound system and lighting controls have been fine-tuned. A final cleaning of the pews and floors has been completed. There are still a few items that are being completed, such as the welcome desk and lectern, and there are some final touches needed in some areas, but the church is ready for public Masses beginning Sunday, November 30!

November 21, 2025

There are only a few things left to finish before the Upper Church will be open for Masses on November 30! The pews have been installed, and kneelers are being added. Final touches are being completed in the Bride's Room and Sacristy. Lighting programming and audio tuning are continuing. Final cleaning will be done next week.  The restored "Two Trinities" painting has been hung in the vestibule. The new sanctuary lamp will be installed next week, as well as the restored main tabernacle, and restored tabernacles for the side altars.

November 14, 2025

The baptismal font is mostly complete and has been tested for water leaks. Pews have been delivered and will be installed over the next several days. The sound system is going through final testing. The railings on the ramps are completely installed. Updates continue in the Bride's Room, including updated lighting and new mirrors. The sacristy and sanctuary carpet have been cleaned. New signage is being installed. The "Two Trinities" painting has been restored and has been delivered back to Gesu, awaiting final hanging in the main vestibule. Touch-up painting is being done.  All the new security cameras have been installed.

November 7, 2025

Marble finishes have been added to the baptismal font and ambry. Railings are being installed on the ramps on either side of the sanctuary. The main vestibule tile work is complete and the beautiful wood and metal railings have been uncovered. Sound and video items are getting close to completion. The restroom in the Bride's Room has new fixtures.

October 31, 2025

Tile in the main entry and the Bride's Room is complete. The marble surround for the tabernacle is complete. Speakers and other sound system components continue to be installed. Additional fire alarm sensors have been installed. Work in the sacristy is almost complete. New lighting has been installed in the Bride's Room.

October 24, 2025

The liner for the baptismal font has been installed. Tiling continues in the main entry and the Bride's Room. Marble installation continues on the tabernacle and font. New sensors and detectors for the fire alarm system have been installed. Security cameras have been installed.

October 17, 2025

Flooring installation continues in the main vestibule and on the ramps. Security cameras and the associated wiring continue to be installed. Additional fire alarm components have been installed. Plumbing and electrical work for the font are being completed.

October 10, 2025

All flooring in the main areas of the church is done, with work continuing in the vestibule. Additional tile work is being done on the ramps leading up to the main altar. The font liner was tested to ensure it would not leak, and it held. The organ is in working order but still needs to be tuned. Security cameras continue to be installed, along with more of the sound system components.

October 3, 2025

The main floor tiling is almost complete, allowing much other work to proceed. There was a meeting with carpenters, electricians, plumbers, flooring installers, architects, and others to coordinate the work going forward. Work has begun to uncover, clean up, and re-tune the pipe organ. The organ had been enclosed in plastic to protect the console and pipes from paint overspray and other possible damage during the renovation. The baptismal font liner has been installed. Components of the new sound system are being installed.

September 26, 2025

The flooring is being installed, starting with a liquid leveler to even out any imperfections in the subfloor. Most other work (electrical, plumbing, etc.) is paused while the floor is completed, since much of this other work requires passing back and forth across the main floor.

September 19, 2025

Tile flooring installation has begun. The tile design includes a highlight for the main aisle to connect the baptismal font to the main altar. There will also be accent tile around the perimeter of the church. Once the flooring is installed, pew installation can begin.

September 12, 2025

Wiring for the T-coil hearing system loop has been installed, and a liquid leveler has been poured on top of the underlayment and T-coil to prepare a level surface for the tile installation. Tile delivery has begun so installation can begin soon. More preparations are being made for the re-installation of the tabernacle to the center of the church.

September 5, 2025

The underlayment for the new flooring has been installed and the hearing loop system has begun to be added to the floor. Once that is complete, additional layers will be added to level and install the floor tile. However, before the green underlayment was installed, there was an opportunity for individuals to sign the base of the floor. Some simply added their names, other offered prayers for the future generations who will worship at Gesu. Among those who signed the floor was Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob, who also offered a prayer and blessing for the people of Gesu Parish and those who are working on this church renovation.

August 29, 2025

Work has begun on the Bride's Room, with the restroom walls removed to the studs to prepare for installation of new fixtures and tile. Much marble work has been completed on the ramps, font, and ambry. The floor has been completely cleaned in preparation for the laying of the porcelain tile beginning next week. Railings have been added to the edge of the platforms in the vestibule.

August 22, 2025

The tabernacle from the St. Mary altar and the tabernacle doors from the Sacred Heart altar and the St. Ann altar have been removed to be polished and restored. The gates from the former communion rail have also been taken for refurbishing. These will be incorporated into the face of the new welcome desk that will be located in the northwest corner of the church, near the elevator entrance. The canopy and other adornments that were added to the St. Joseph altar when the main tabernacle was located there have been removed, since the main tabernacle will be relocated to the center of the church behind the main altar.

August 15, 2025

All the chandeliers are in place. Work continues on the railings in the main vestibule. The ramps on either side of the sanctuary continue to be installed, utilizing the former communion rails. Sound system components are beginning to be installed. Wiring for security cameras is being installed.

August 8, 2025

Work continues as the remaining chandeliers are getting installed. The floor preparation is also continuing. Contractors have been meeting to ensure that the flooring, pews, and hearing loop (which gets installed under the flooring) will align properly. The next few weeks will be very busy as multiple contractors bring their skills together, including carpenters, marble finishers, electricians, audio visual installers, plumbers, flooring installers, and pew installers.

August 1, 2025

Floor preparation continues. Chandeliers are being installed. In the main vestibule, the wood portions of the railings are being custom fitted, and finished surfaces are being installed on the plinths. Some lighting elements have been fine-tuned to aim the light precisely where it is needed. Plumbing equipment has been installed for the baptismal font. Stonework is continuing on the ramps.

July 25, 2025

All the scaffold has been taken down in the church interior and work has begun on floor preparation. Work continues on the ramps on either side of the sanctuary. Vestibule handrail installation has begun.

July 18, 2025

The sanctuary is clear of scaffold and the new decorative paint work can easily be seen. Marble work has begun on the ramps. Wood portions of the vestibule handrails have been delivered.

July 11, 2025

The scaffold in the sanctuary area is coming down a little more each day and should be completely removed from that area soon. This will allow for marble work to begin on the tabernacle and ramps. When more of the floor becomes accessible as the scaffold is removed, preparations will begin for installation of the new flooring. Some areas around the church building are being used as staging areas as scaffold is removed and waiting to be loaded on trucks for removal. Preliminary wiring has begun for the security cameras. The new chandeliers should arrive next week, and installation of the new lighting will proceed after that.

July 3, 2025

Scaffold continues to be removed. Additional lighting in the sacristy area has been installed. Preparations continue on the font and ambry. Millwork for the new ramps is being prepared for installation. New video streaming cameras have been installed.

June 27, 2025

The scaffold has begun to be removed from the church. This process will take a few weeks, and will require the west transept door to be inaccessible as this is the main door that is used to remove the scaffold components from the building. As the scaffold is removed, the new paint design is being revealed. Some of the paint colors that have been used include names like Bona Fide Beige, Sax Squatch, Gale Force, Utterly Beige, Roycroft Copper Red, Covenant Green, and Slow Motion Implosion, as well as colors that are custom-tinted by the artists. New lights have been installed in the hallway that connects the east and west sacristies, making it much brighter. Work has begun to prepare the floor for new tile. This includes removing old tile and sanding off the old adhesive.

June 20, 2025

New lights have been installed in the west sacristy. Preparations are being made to install marble for the baptismal font, ambry, tabernacle and ramps to the sanctuary. New cameras for live-streaming Masses have been installed. The decorative painting crew is finishing some last touches and will be packing up their equipment soon. New light fixtures are getting adjusted so that they shine correctly.

June 13, 2025

The painting of the ceiling and walls of the church is almost complete. One highlight is that the new IHS symbol has been added at the peak of the ceiling. The plastic that had been placed over the stained-glass windows and Stations of the Cross has been removed. Windows in the west sacristy have been restored and re-installed. The windows in the east sacristy are still being worked on. Finishes are being installed in the main vestibule. The scaffold in the church is scheduled to begin disassembly by the end of next week. That process is expected to take two weeks.

June 6, 2025

Work has begun on the relocation of the tabernacle to the center of the church. Sacristy cabinet installation continues, as well as restoration work on the sacristy windows. New heating units in the main vestibule are being installed. Electrical work continues for lighting and outlets. More video recording was done for the upcoming series being prepared by students from the Diederich College of Communication. In the main vestibule, the crucifix that had been removed during the patching and painting has been re-installed on the west wall.

May 30, 2025

New cabinets in the sacristy continue to be installed. Components of the new baptismal font, ambry, and tabernacle shelf are being produced elsewhere to be added as those pieces come together. Finishes in the main vestibule are being done so the new spaces blend with the existing.

May 23, 2025

Cabinet installation in the sacristy has begun. Framing has begun for the shelf space being added in front of the central tabernacle to add functionality there. New exit signs have been installed. Electrical upgrades and painting continue. Preparations are being done for the installation of new handrails in the main vestibule.

May 16, 2025

The renovation continues on schedule, with all work expected to be completed by Thanksgiving. Stencil work in the spandrels continues. Gold leaf work has been completed. New cabinets for the sacristy have been delivered and will begin installation soon. New handrails for the main vestibule will begin installation next week. Water issues in the main vestibule will be addressed next week, with tuckpointing and roof and gutter repairs. Students from Marquette University's Diederich College of Communication began recording for an upcoming video series about the Church of the Gesu renovation project and the people doing this work.

May 9, 2025

Patching and painting is complete in the main vestibule, and the scaffolding has been removed from that area. Stencil painting continues. Work on the south side clerestory windows is complete. Chandelier hardware has been installed on the ceiling of the church; the actual chandeliers will be hung once the scaffold has been removed from the main church area. Repairs have begun on the windows in both the east and west sacristies.

May 2, 2025

Extensive stencil painting continues, and Fr. Simone was able to add gold leaf to one of the stars on the ceiling above the sanctuary. Painting in the vestibule should be complete by the end of next week and the scaffolding in that area will then be removed. Repairs and painting on the south side clerestory window frames has begun and should be completed within the next week.

April 25, 2025

The new fire alarm system was installed this week, helping to protect Gesu church for the future. Work continues on the baptismal font, and decorative painting continues in the vestibule. Detailed stencil painting is proceeding in the spandrels of the church. The heating units in the vestibule have been removed to make space for new units that will provide better heating and cooling and be more efficient, while blending into the new stairways and railings. Next week, the exterior of the clerestory windows on the south side of the church will be re-sealed and painted to prevent future water damage.

April 18, 2025

Detailed stencil work has begun in the spandrels of the church. Painting in the east tower stairway is almost complete and the scaffold in that space should be removed within the next week. New chandeliers will begin to be installed in the next week or so. Millwork for the font and ambry are in production. The new frame for the Two Trinities painting has been completed and the artwork will be framed in the coming weeks, and will be installed back in the vestibule once the other work in that area is complete.

April 11, 2025

Decorative painting continues, as more elements are added to the background. Electricians are working in the attic to install new light fixtures. Additional lighting is being installed to light the Stations of the Cross. The new fire alarm system installation also continues, along with painting in the vestibule and east tower.

April 4, 2025

The east and west transept entrance painting is complete. The west tower painting is complete. Painting is beginning in the east tower stairway. Electrical rough-in for the lighting and other cabling continues. Installation of the new fire alarm system has begun. Carpentry work on the sanctuary ramps is complete. Painting continues in the main vestibule and decorative painting continues in the main church. Framing continues for the font and ambry.

March 28, 2025

Framing for the ambry has begun.  Decorative painting continues in the main part of the church.  Patching and painting continue in the vestibule.  Painting in the west tower also continues.  The ramps to access the sanctuary are continuing to be constructed, as well. Preparations are underway for improvements in the sacristy.

March 21, 2025

The framing for the baptismal font has begun. Decorative painting is beginning to move down from the church ceiling to the main arches of the church. Painting also continues in the west tower (elevator) entrance, as well as the main vestibule. Electrical wiring is being prepared for the new lighting. 

March 14, 2025

Scaffolding has been set up in the west tower (elevator) entrance stairway, and painting has begun in that area.  Work continues on the ramps on either side of the sanctuary. Painting continues in the main areas of the church and the main vestibule. Painting in the west transept stairway is complete and that area is open again to enter and exit the Lower Church. The area under the choir loft is being prepared for the installation of the baptismal font and holy oil ambry. The "Two Trinities" painting is undergoing restoration offsite.

March 7, 2025

Painting in the west transept entrance has begun. The main tabernacle has been removed from the St. Joseph altar to be refurbished before it is placed into its new home (which was actually its original location), directly behind the main altar. Painting in the main areas of the church (apse, nave, gallery) continues. Patching and painting in the main vestibule has begun.

February 28, 2025

The east transept entrance has reopened after being repainted.  Scaffolding has begun to be set up in the west transept entrance for painting. Painting has begun over the organ/loft area.

February 21, 2025

Painting in the apse continues. Electrical work is being done to prepare for the new lighting. Updates continue in the main vestibule. Work has begun to install the ramps on either side of the sanctuary. The "Two Trinities" painting in the vestibule has been removed for restoration and repairs.

January 31, 2025

Scaffolding has begun to be constructed in the east transept stairway. This stairway will be painted over the next two weeks, so it will not be accessible during that time.  All are advised to use other entrances to the church while the east transept stairway is closed.

Scaffolding construction has progressed into the aisle areas along either side of the main nave of the church and also into the choir loft. Painting has begun in the main sanctuary area. Cabinets have been removed from the sacristy to prepare for the installation of new cabinets.

January 17, 2025

The scaffolding has been constructed to about the mid-point of the church. Cabinets in the sacristy are beginning to be removed in preparation for updated cabinets to be installed. The platform areas in the main vestibule have begun to be built.

January 10, 2025

Scaffolding construction has continued, being set up from south to north, and is now being built in the transept area of the church. The baptismal font has been removed from the Upper Church and will be stored until it can be installed in the Lower Church.

January 3, 2025

The flooring material has been removed from the main entry stair.  Work will begin soon to frame out new floor areas in the entry to provide space for gathering outside the main church area.

Scaffolding continues to be built throughout the Upper Church.  Soon the entire church will be filled with scaffold to the ceiling.  Then painting will begin.

Now that all the pews have been removed, scaffolding has begun to be erected, and the old light fixtures are being removed.  The old sound system speakers are also being taken down. Scaffolding will continue to be installed over the next two weeks, and painting will begin shortly thereafter.

Crews removed the pews from the church this week. About 25% of the pews were given to other churches, chapels, or individuals to be repurposed. Thanks to all who helped keep pews out of landfills.

As the pews were removed, the crew began protecting the areas of the church that will not be part of the renovation.  Special protection was added to the main altar, ambo, sanctuary flooring, and doorways that will be used for bringing materials in and out of the building.

November 29, 2024

The majority of the support work in the Lower Church has been completed. The last few items will be completed next week, as well as a complete cleaning of the Lower Church.  Additional seating will be provided, and a choir area will be set up.  Beginning the weekend of December 7-8, all Masses will be held in the Lower Church while the Upper Church renovation work is underway.

November 15, 2024

Additional support has been added to the floor joists, including large wooden planks and steel beams. The crew has been adding drywall to cover the joists, providing added sound insulation between the Upper Church and the Lower Church.

October 27, 2024

September 29, 2024