๐๏ธ Construction Begins on the New Holy Family Church in Arnold
Construction work has begun on a new church for the Catholic community in Arnold, Missouri, to serve as the new home of the Holy Family Parish, which was recently formed by the merger of the former Immaculate Conception and St. David parishes.
The Case Engineering office, in collaboration with Chiodini Architects, is carrying out the structural engineering for this facility, which is estimated to cost $8.5 million, replacing the previous church that was in urgent need of restoration and modernization.
โ ๏ธ The Challenges That Led to Building the New Church
Immaculate Conception Church was established in 1895, and it needed many repairs before a tornado in March 2025 caused cracks in its Bell Tower. As the damage worsened, the parish decided to demolish the building in October 2025 and build a new church that would meet the needs of the unified Holy Family.
Since the incident, prayers and Masses have been held in the church parish center and a small chapel within the campus, making the new church a tangible return to spiritual activities after a period of structural challenges.
๐งฑ The New Church Design and Its Structural Components
The new church accommodates about 400 worshippers, and its design is distinguished by integrating historical elements from the former churches, such as the stained glass windows from Immaculate Conception and the Stations of the Cross from St. David Church.
The design includes a slight expansion in the buildingโs footprint to provide greater comfort for worshippers, in addition to the following features:
- A spacious narthex equipped with restrooms
- A tall steeple that enhances the architectural character
- Accessibility improvements to meet the needs of people with disabilities
๐๏ธ Structural Systems Used
The main structure of the new church rests on a perimeter steel frame reinforced with diagonal braced frames used to resist lateral loads caused by wind and earthquakes, which are among the common hazards in modern building design.
The church roof uses cold-formed steel roof trusses that span the full width of the building, which is 70 feet (about 21.3 meters), allowing for a wide open space with no intermediate columns to obstruct the interior design.
During the design phase, Case Engineering engineers worked directly with a local truss fabrication and installation plant to determine the optimal spacing between the beams and their design loading, showing the integration of engineering design and industrial execution.
As for the bell tower, it included the installation of a steel structure reinforced with diagonal braced frames to ensure its stability and resistance to wind and dynamic loads that vary according to the towerโs height and thickness.
โฐ Delivery Dates and Community Importance
Construction work was launched during an official ceremony on 12 September at the site of 2300 Church Road, attended by Pastor Gerald Blessing, the mayor of Arnold, a number of local officials, Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, and the congregation.
The new church is expected to be completed by December 2027, ready to host Christmas Mass and contribute to strengthening religious and service functions in the local community.
๐ข About Case Engineering
Case Engineering was founded in 1995 in St. Louis and is considered one of the leading engineering firms in the United States, having provided its services for more than 30 consecutive years in the fields of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design, as well as fire protection and structural engineering.
The firm includes a professional team of more than 100 engineers and is registered in 49 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, enabling it to provide integrated engineering services for a variety of projects including hospitality, healthcare, residential, educational, and industrial sectors.
Source: Case Engineering
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