Corpus of risen Christ graces
St. Christopher Church

By Mary Ann Wyand

“Risen … to Home,” a bronze sculpture depicting the resurrected Christ, welcomes and inspires people who pass by St. Christopher Church at 5301 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis.

Funds for the life-size corpus were given to the Indianapolis West Deanery parish from the estate of the late Joseph and Dorothy Krieger, longtime St. Christopher parishioners who were killed on Oct. 6, 2002, during an unsolved robbery at their home.

The Kriegers left 10 percent of their estate to four Church ministries. St. Christopher Parish, the Society for the Propaga-tion of the Faith, the St. Vincent Hospital Foundation and Gibault in Terre Haute all benefited from their generosity. Their bequest also made it possible for St. Christopher School to offer financial aid to students.

The corpus is a reminder of Christ the King, who overcame death, and is comforting for their children—Dan, Greg, Brien and Anne Krieger—who live in central Indiana and mourn the senseless deaths of their parents.

“They loved their faith,” St. Christopher parishioner Anne Krieger of Indianapolis said of her parents. “They loved their parish.

“I’m thankful that they were able to give me the foundation that I have or otherwise I wouldn’t have had the strength to get through this situation with my parents,” she said. “My faith was the strongest it had ever been in my life when this happened, and I’m so thankful because otherwise I don’t know what I would have done.”

Overlaid with nickel and chrome, the Dali Corpus made by Bramante Studio in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, is mounted on an exterior brick wall of the church facing West 16th Street, where it sparkles in the sunlight and gleams in the lights illuminating it at night.

This Sunday marks the feast of Christ the King, which was instituted by Pope Piux XI on Dec. 11, 1925, to pay homage to the Lord after World War I.

The Krieger children are pleased that their parents wanted to share their love for God with their parish, and were glad when parish staff members suggested that the sculpture of the resurrected Christ be dedicated in their memory.

“My parents were wonderful, caring people,” Anne Krieger said. “They would have given the shirts off their backs to somebody who needed it. This [corpus] shows how they felt about their faith.”

Nancy Meyer, a pastoral associate at St. Christopher Parish, said the corpus serves as an inspirational reminder of Christ’s place in our lives, identifies the church as a sacred space, and welcomes parishioners and visitors.

Father Michael Welch, pastor, presided at a blessing and dedication ceremony for the corpus last May that paid tribute to the Kriegers’ love for God and their Church.

“They lived in this parish for close to 40 years and raised their four children here,” Meyer said. “They were such a part of the parish, so active here, especially in their younger years, and they were both such a part of the community. It was very clear that they loved this parish and wanted to help it continue to grow.”

This image of the resurrected Christ reminds people of the importance of “living in the resurrected life and that Christ’s presence is always with us,” Meyer said. “It’s a very visible sign of their love and the grace that they lived out in their lives. The grace that they received from St. Christopher Parish is expressed very concretely.”

Immaculate Heart of Mary parishioner Jim Smith of Indianapolis, who attended Cardinal Ritter High School with the Kriegers’ sons and daughter, said “Mr. and Mrs. Krieger were truly special people” who always welcomed guests to their home.

“They were exceptionally strong people, both in their personalities and in how they raised their family,” Smith said. “They were a very close family, and [their deaths are] an awful tragedy that upset everyone in the community.”

Franciscan Sister Rita Vukovic, a longtime family friend who teaches English at Cardinal Ritter High School in Indianapolis, remembered Joseph and Dorothy Krieger as faith-filled Catholics who were wonderful parents and good stewards in their support for Church ministries.

“They always had a smile,” Sister Rita said. “They always knew when somebody needed assistance, and they were right there to give that assistance no matter what. They certainly were Church- and community-minded. They loved their parish and Cardinal Ritter High School.”

The corpus is a beautiful reminder of their love and generosity, she said. “They spent their lives giving to others and, through their gifts to the Church, continue to give even now.” †