St. Elizabeth and Coleman Pregnancy and Adoption Services rededicate building

Click here to see pictures from this event.

By Brandon A. Evans

When Michelle Meer, director of St. Elizabeth and Coleman Pregnancy and Adoption Services in Indianapolis, saw the damage to the center last May by a tornado, she held onto hope.

“When I came and saw it, I thought, we’ll be back,” Meer said. And not only did the center recover from the damage, but it has come back to a renovated home and a larger staff.

Meer, her staff and the friends of St. Elizabeth and Coleman celebrated the official return of the teen mothers and their children in the residential program with a rededication ceremony on Jan. 15.

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein was on hand to lead a prayer service and bless the building. He was assisted by Father Gerald Burkert, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Beech Grove, and the choir of St. Susanna School in Plainfield.

Seven months ago, powerful winds to changed forever the face of St. Elizabeth and Coleman, Meer said at the rededication.

The tornado—which destroyed two chimneys, tore off parts of the roof, felled several trees and caused considerable water damage to the two-story building—jump-started plans for a renovation.

The renovation was completed thanks to a $500,000 grant from United Way of Central Indiana and financial help from the archdiocese. In the midst of that renovation, St. Elizabeth’s acquired Coleman Adoption Services.

The staff of St. Elizabeth and Coleman was able to return to their office in September, but the teen mothers and their children, who are a part of St. Elizabeth and Coleman residential program, lived in temporary housing until this past week.

Janetta McKenzie, residential director at St. Elizabeth and Coleman, said the last seven months have been a “very long, hard road for us.” During the renovation of the building, McKenzie said she sometimes worked out of her car as she kept busy trying to help the teen mothers get to school and work and finding daycare for their children.

“We’re just so excited to get here and really, truly minister to this population of teen mothers,” McKenzie said. “My heart is truly overjoyed.

“When you are tried by fire, you understand how much strength you have in God’s faithfulness, because he is faithful and good all the time,” she said. “Satan pushed on us, and we pushed on him back.”

David Siler, executive director of Catholic Charities and family ministries for the archdiocese—and the former director of St. Elizabeth and Coleman—said that the rededication was overwhelming.

“I didn’t expect the impact,” he said. Having seen the destruction that was wreaked over Memorial Day weekend last year, he couldn’t have foreseen how powerfully the agency has bounced back.

“All I could see was the destruction,” Siler said. “It’s just been a resurrection experience.”

“We have a saying that everything is grace,” Archbishop Buechlein said at the rededication. “And that night in May we wondered what could possibly be the grace that the tornado brought. And today we see.

“May God who brings consolation to the suffering, help to those in need and rewards to those who devote themselves to their care, bless this building,” the archbishop said. “It was renovated by master builders, who committed themselves to being co-creators with God.

“May God bless them and this structure with long lives.”

(St. Elizabeth and Coleman is having a community open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 23. For more information, call agency at 317-787-3412.) †