Thanks to the generosity of Attorney Adrian Schoone, the historic campus of St. Patrick’s, Racine’s oldest Catholic parish, can continue serving the community for decades to come.
Schoone’s donations, totaling more than $337,000 over the last two years, have, in the words of St. Patrick’s pastor, Father Antony Thomas, “been critical to preserving the integrity of our grounds and buildings; our campus has not been in such good condition in recent memory.”
St. Patrick’s campus features a 95-year-old church listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a 90-year-old school and adjoining convent, all designed by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Barry Byrne. The campus also includes a parish hall and a parking lot.
The school building serves the parish’s Christian Formation program and its John XXIII Educational Center, an after-school tutoring and mentoring program open to any middle school or high school student in the Greater Racine area.
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Until last year, the school had windows dating from its original construction. Finishing a window replacement project began with other funding, part of Schoone’s 2018 donation paid for the lion’s share of the replacement work. Upon completion of the project, Father Antony said, “Because of Adrian’s generosity, our students, staff, and volunteers now enjoy comfort and plenty of natural light in every classroom or workspace.”
Schoone’s 2018 donation was also vital to completing a long-overdue parking lot renovation. St. Patrick’s faced a funding shortfall when the need to stabilize the subsurface greatly increased the total price. Said Father Antony, “Without Adrian’s help, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to do the job right.”
Schoone’s 2019 donation is going to equally important uses. Though not as antiquated as the school windows, those in the adjacent convent building were nonetheless inefficient and in bad repair. With the Schoone donation, all the convent windows are being replaced, improving energy efficiency and also restoring a smart, uniform appearance to the two adjoining buildings, both of which face the city’s revitalizing Douglas Avenue.
His 2019 donation is also supporting critical work to ensure the structural integrity of the roof area and the intricate terra cotta work that forms the “spires” on all four corners of the church. The terra cotta, an essential part of the unique design that earned the church its National Register designation, was executed by renowned artist Alfonso Iannelli, featured this year in a Racine Heritage Museum special exhibit.
Schoone, who has practiced law for 60 years, is the most senior member of the law firm of Schoone, Leuck, Kelley, Pitts and Pitts, with offices on Washington Avenue in Mount Pleasant.