By 1984 the uniqueness of the church building began to show some of its flaws, as repeated freezing and thawing caused bricks to be pushed out of the exterior columns, menacing those who passed beneath.  Archdiocesan engineers voiced concerns for the church roof's stability as the weakening columns were not only decorative, but also load-bearing.

The problem was undeniable and the options were few. The parishioners, who barely 20 years earlier had raised the money to build the church, were now faced with the prospect of finding money to rebuild it -- and they did.

Soon a massive reconstruction project was begun to save the church. During the extensive renovation, the brickwork of the arches was replaced with concrete, and painted to blend with the remaining structure. This of course, required additional costs to be borne by the parish. The significant debt followed us into the 1990's.

The effects of inflation -- especially in the 1980's -- resulted in a repair cost that exceeded the original price of building the church.

For some, an amusing sidelight of  the repair process was a sing posted by the door of the church to prevent people from passing under the arches during construction. It read "Danger. Keep Out."

Construction was completed within a year and St. Anastasia stands today ready to welcome it's many guests and dedicated parishioners.

The interior of St. Anastasia is graced many beautiful works of art. On each side of the altar leading to the sacristy, stunning hand crafted mosaics depict both the Heaven and Earthly realms of Christ. The southern mosaic presents of the Holy Family fleeing into Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. The Heavenly realm of the King of Kings is illustrated in the northern mosaic with the child Jesus and his mother Mary, in Glory.

A hand-carved wooden statue of Jesus as the Sacred Heart hangs on the northern wall to the side of the altar. often graced with flowers left in supplication for lost loved ones, this warm depiction of Our Lord with his arms outstretched welcomes all to prayer and peace.

On the southern wall, a beautiful wooden shelf holds the shapely glass bottles which contain holy oils. Near this stands the Acolyte's Cross, which is carried in procession in many Masses. This cross was used in the original St. Anastasia Church, but had been missing for many years. When it was recovered, the Zdanowicz family had the cross professionally renovated so it could once again be used in the sacred rites.

Another piece of history is the high relief sculpture of the Last Supper which is sometimes displayed in front of the altar. This plaster creation had originally been part of the first St. Anastasia Church and had been removed to the home of a parishioner after the new church was in use. Eventually returned to the church, this was displayed in the dining room of the Rectory for many years until a wooden frame and stand were built by parishioner Joe Hammersmith.

The granite baptismal font now stands at the southern corner of the sanctuary. Although the baptistery was originally located in the vestibule of the church, it was moved forward to highlight the importance of this first Holy Sacrament in the life of the Catholic child, as well as the life of the Church, and to help gather the Family of God together to celebrate the good fortune of adding another member to the flock. The Living Waters of the font are flacked by the Pascal Candle and a dual-sided cross with the Crucified Christ on one side and the triumphant Christ the King on the other.

St. Anastasia, a martyr, enjoys the distinction of having a special commemoration in the second mass on December 25. This mass was originally celebrated in honor of the birth of Christ, but towards the end of the fifth century, her name was inserted in the Roman canon of the Mass.

She was married to a noble Roman, named Publius, who was a cruel tyrant and maltreated her like a slave. Publius met an untimely death on his journey to become the ambassador to the King of Persia.

St. Anastasia was beheaded on the island of Palmaria when she went to visit the faithful in Sirmium. A Christian lady obtained her body and gave it honorable burial in Dalmatia, and about the year 460 A.D., under the Emperor Leo, her relics were transferred in the celebrated church of the Resurrection, called The Anastasia.

Source: The Catholic Encyclopedia
Researched by: Kristin King
Excerpted by: Lourdes G. Mon

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec arcu odio, eu mollis dolor. Integer ornare vehicula odio, ut pulvinar metus pellentesque eu. Integer rhoncus augue sit amet justo posuere suscipit. Vestibulum eu urna eu nunc tristique sagittis eu sed augue. Praesent mollis ipsum ac velit scelerisque eget posuere quam imperdiet. Phasellus nisi arcu, adipiscing vel gravida vel, suscipit sit amet velit. Fusce rutrum mollis tortor in posuere. Nam congue scelerisque sodales. In semper felis eget mi commodo ut faucibus quam venenatis. Morbi vehicula urna quam, vitae facilisis quam. Suspendisse pharetra erat in nibh facilisis et consequat risus eleifend. Ut vehicula tincidunt elit eget euismod. Ut mollis massa ligula. In eu dui odio, eu tempor risus. Pellentesque auctor magna eu neque tempus bibendum pretium arcu consequat. Curabitur luctus sem eu magna viverra rhoncus. Phasellus vitae dui eget elit facilisis accumsan non et diam. Sed tortor justo, venenatis ut luctus elementum, gravida quis nunc. Pellentesque sollicitudin velit a diam volutpat ac eleifend odio ullamcorper. Maecenas vitae aliquam libero.

The structure of St. Anastasia is not its only point of excellence. This church also contains many fine works of art. The distinctive crucifix which hangs in the archway above St. Anastasia's altar has an interesting history.

The Body of Christ was designed by Italian artist Cavalier Enriko Moroder Doss. He adapted his work from an 18 inch artifact which has been in the Cathedral in Toledo, Spain, since the 12th Century, and possibly even as early as the 9th Century.

Doss, from Ortisei, Vel Gardena, in Northern Italy, cast the body in bronze, using the Lost Wax Method. The artist sculpted his vision inwax, and then covered the sculpture in rubber to create a mold. This combination was packed in foundry sand and covered in bricks to create a rough oven. with heat applied to the bricks, the wax melted away, leaving a negative of the artwork (hence the "lost wax"). Into this mold, molten bronze was poured and allowed to cool.

The artist took the rough sculpture and finished it by hand, making an "eternal art form" noted for its durability and beauty.

Doss chose to change the Crown of Thorns normally depicted on a crucified Christ to a regal crown to suggest that, through the sacrificial death. Jesus became the King of Kings.

The cross on which Doss' lovely sculpture is mounted is an original design crafted in the studios of Potente Inc., of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The hammered-copper cross contains several fluorite crystals. These naturally occurring eight-sided minerals were found in a coal mine in southern Illinois. It is especially fitting that these non-precious stones are the official State stone of Illinois.

The filigree design of the cross makes it appear as though the figure of Christ is floating within the cross, rather that attached. The natural color of the fluorite stones blends into the color of the hammered-copper and bronze.

The crucifix weighs 250 pounds as is supported by spiked iron chains (also designed and made by Potente, Inc.), which weigh 100 pounds each. The crossbeams inside the arched vault which hold this sculpture are made of several wooden beams that weigh more than 300 pounds each.

It is a testimony to the strength of the design of the church that such a weight has been carried for so long.