Sacred Heart Chapel Then & Now

I don't get out to South Lorain very often, so when I do I tend to drive around and see how much things have (or have not) changed in the last twenty or thirty years.

While driving north on Pearl Avenue from Route 254 this past weekend (heading towards Oakwood Shopping Center), I happened to notice Sacred Heart Chapel and was so struck by its beauty that I had to pull over and snap a picture.

According to the Lorain Images of America book, Sacred Heart Chapel was originally on Vine Avenue. (An article in the Morning Journal here mentions that it opened its doors in 1952.) The book notes that the church opened its new building on April 15, 1974 and that it "was built for over half a million dollars and serves the Hispanic community in the area."

Here is the undated photo from the Images of America book.

And here is my shot (below) from last Saturday. (Click on it for a larger view.)

While in high school, I was a trombonist in a local salsa band for several years. I have a lot of great memories of performing at various events and functions in the Latin community, including at least one outdoor festival at the new Sacred Heart Chapel a couple of years after it opened.