Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago

Chicago Church Mourns After Falling Gargoyle Kills Mother of 2

Share:

A historic Chicago church apologized on Friday, a day after pieces of a gargoyle fell off the building’s facade and killed a mother-of-two who was walking along the street.

Sara Bean, 34, was killed on Thursday while walking to lunch with her fiance, who is her longtime boyfriend and father of her children, local media reported.

The Second Presbyterian Church in the South Loop neighborhood just outside downtown Chicago expressed its sympathy to Bean’s family in a statement on Friday and said it was “deeply sorry at the death.”

The church, which does not have outstanding complaints over its structure but has had violations in the past, was putting up protective scaffolding on Friday to prevent any more accidents.

“It’s going up as we speak,” said Denise Conway, interim office administrator at the church, one of the city’s oldest and a national historic landmark. The church will remain open despite the accident, she added.

According to the Chicago Department of Buildings, a metal decorative piece on the exterior of the building gave away on Thursday and dislodged part of a gargoyle on the steeple and the broken piece fell and struck Bean, who worked at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

The city said that the church building failed an inspection in 2011, including violations such as failure to maintain exterior walls. The case was dismissed after repairs were made, it said.

The church was built in 1873, two years after the Great Chicago Fire. According to its website, it created a nonprofit organization in 2006 to oversee preservation of its historic facade and interior architecture, seeking funds for improvements such as new boilers and windows.

It was designated a historic landmark last year.


Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Susan Heavey

© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

Share:

Leave a Reply


More Spiritual Content
Jentezen Franklin: How Fasting Will Lift Up Your Soul
From 1942 New World Order Map to Trump’s Modern Aspirations: Prophecy or Politics?
This is the Reason You Went Through Trials in 2024
The Keys You Need to Read Your Bible All Year Long
Wildfires Rage Across Los Angeles, Forcing Tens of Thousands to Evacuate
Is Joe Rogan One Step Closer to Accepting Christ?
Mario Murillo’s 2025 Prophetic Word: A Call for Bold Christian Action
Shocking Arrest of Preacher Sparks Outcry Outside Ohio Abortion Facility
Morning Rundown: 3 Blood Moons to Appear Soon—Here’s When the First One Arrives
Keep Fighting in 2025
previous arrow
next arrow
Shadow

Most Popular Posts

Latest Videos
90K Subscribers
1K Videos
9.2M Views

Share