Anyone who is curious about the construction that has been taking place at the almost 100-year-old St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church located at the corner of 42nd Street and Central Avenue is invited to take a peek at a Community Open House Wednesday, December 11, 2019, from 6-8 p.m. Church members are excited to have friends and neighbors not only see but experience the newly restored sacred space. Tour guides and refreshments will be available.

Founded in 1921, St. Joan of Arc was the first parish north of the Cathedral. The parish was named after the fifteenth century martyred heroine of the Hundred Years War who was canonized a Saint in 1920. At the time, the parish extended from the Cathedral parish boundaries to the Hamilton County line in what was described as "the heart of the finest residential district." The original small mission style stucco church, constructed in 1921 after the design of local architect John Hagel, was located at Ruckle Street and Park Avenue.

With a location on Indianapolis' burgeoning north side, parish membership tripled between 1922 and 1925 and thus soon outgrew the original church. On May 1, 1928, then-pastor Monsignor Maurice O'Connor initiated a building fund to finance construction of the present church. Plans for the church quickly came to fruition and the ground-breaking took place on November 6, 1928. The cornerstone was laid 12 days later. On December 29, 1929, the new St. Joan of Arc Church was dedicated.

In 2015, the parish undertook a $5 million capital campaign to fully restore the church. Phase 1 ($1.5M) was completed in 2016 and included ADA accessibility and new HVAC including air conditioning for the first time. Phase 2 ($2.1M) which began in Spring 2019 and was very recently completed included cleaning, repairing, and restoring the artwork and paint in the Church as well as enhancing the lighting. Phase 3 ($1.4M) will begin when the parish has 90% of the cash available and will include the organ, restoration of the clerestory (upper) windows and several smaller projects.

The recently completed restoration was greatly needed and truly a dream come true. It would not have been possible without the parishioners, alumni, and friends of St. Joan of Arc parish, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, the National Fund for Sacred Places, Schmidt Associates Architects, Brandt Construction, Santarossa Mosaic & Tile, Conrad Schmitt Studios, Easter Conservation Services, Sun Electric, Specified Lighting Systems, and Comfort Systems USA.