September 1, 2015 // Local

Central Catholic Memorial nearing completion

Todays Catholic

Central Catholic Alumni Association officers, President Leanne Mensing and Treasurer George Haggenjos, check blueprints near a base that will bear a 4×6 foot piece of black granite with a photo of Central Catholic High School. Mensing graduated in 1958 and is a parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo in Fort Wayne. George Haggenjos was in the class of ‘48 and attends St. Paul of the Cross Parish in Columbia City.

By Mark Weber

FORT WAYNE — The “Christ of Lewis Street” statue that once stood atop the Fort Wayne’s Central Catholic High School building with arms outspread in a permanent and protective gesture now stands as part of Central Catholic Memorial Place at the corner of Lewis and Clinton streets, where the school stood. A path of memorial bricks leads from the corner where shrubs, trees and memorial benches will be placed all focused on the statue of Jesus and bronze plaques touching on “CC” history, which stretched from 1938 to 1972, graduating 9,998 students. When Central Catholic closed it gave way to two new high schools — Bishop Dwenger and Bishop Luers — in north and south locations in Fort Wayne.

The cost of the project is approximately $90,000, some of which has been covered by the sale of 360 engraved bricks at $50 each and benches at $1,000 and trees at $300.

It is hoped that 2,000 bricks will be sold.